- I would guess £1500-£2000/month to live in London
- (And when I say “guess”, I have lived in London for ~3 years in the past)
- £700-£1100 for a room
- £115-£200 for bills (council tax, gas & electricity, internet, water)
- £200 - £400 for food
- £50-150 - transport
- Buying furniture, decorations
- If room is unfurnished → £200 - £500+ for bed, mattress, quilt, chair, desk, wardrobe, etc
- “House startup pot” of £50-£150 per person for e.g. kitchenware, decorations, cleaning supplies
- Socialising, Hobbies & Shopping: This is the most personal category.
- A pint:
£6 - £7.50 - A casual restaurant main:
£15 - £25 - A cinema ticket:
£10 - £18 - A realistic “going out” budget could be anything from
£150to£500+a month.
- A pint:
Gemini
Of course. Moving into a group house in London is a classic experience! Your initial list is a great starting point. Let’s break it down in more detail to build a clearer picture of the potential costs for 2025.
I’ll split this into the two main categories you mentioned: one-off setup costs and ongoing monthly costs.
1. One-Off Setup Costs (Per Person)
This is often the biggest financial hurdle. Before you even start paying monthly rent, you’ll need a significant amount of cash upfront.
-
Security Deposit: This is the largest single cost. By law, this is capped at 5 weeks’ rent.
-
If your room is
$£850$/month, your share of the deposit will be approximately$£980$. -
(
$£850 \times 12 \text{ months} / 52 \text{ weeks} \times 5 \text{ weeks} = £980.77$) -
This is held in a government-approved tenancy deposit scheme and is returned at the end of your tenancy, minus any deductions for damages.
-
-
First Month’s Rent: You’ll need to pay this in advance before you move in.
- Example:
$£850
- Example:
-
Holding Deposit (Optional but common): To take a property off the market while referencing checks are done, you may be asked for a holding deposit, capped at 1 week’s rent.
-
Example:
$£196 -
This amount is then deducted from your first month’s rent, so it’s not an extra cost, but it is money you need available immediately.
-
-
Furniture & Household Essentials: This varies wildly depending on whether the room/house is furnished and what you already own.
-
Unfurnished Room: A bed frame, mattress, wardrobe, and desk could cost anywhere from
$£300$(sourcing from Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, charity shops) to$£1000+$if buying new. -
Shared Household Items: Even in a furnished house, you’ll likely need to chip in for shared items. A “house startup pot” of
$£50 - £150$per person is a good idea. This covers:-
Kitchenware: A good pan, knives, more mugs, a toaster, a kettle.
-
Cleaning Supplies: Hoover, mop, initial supply of sprays, cloths, etc.
-
Decorations: Lamps, plants, art to make it feel like a home.
-
-
Estimated Total Setup Cost (Per Person): $£1,500 - £3,000+ This is largely dependent on the monthly rent and furniture needs. It’s a significant sum to have ready.
2. Ongoing Monthly Costs (Per Person)
Your estimate of $£1500-£2000$ is a reasonable range, but it really depends on location and lifestyle. Let’s refine the categories.
A. Housing & Bills
-
Rent: This is your biggest variable. Your
$£700-£900$range is possible, but increasingly found in Zones 3/4 and further out, or for a smaller double room. A more typical 2025 breakdown for a decent double room in a house share might be:-
Zones 4-5:
$£750 - £950 -
Zone 3:
$£850 - £1,100 -
Zone 2:
$£950 - £1,300+
-
-
Bills: Your
$£75-£150$estimate is a good ballpark, but let’s break it down. For a typical 3-4 person house, per person costs would be:-
Council Tax: This is often forgotten! It depends on the property’s value band and the borough. It can be a significant cost. Check the specific borough’s rates online. Budget for
$£40 - £70$per person. -
Gas & Electricity: Energy prices are volatile. A safe budget would be
$£50 - £90$per person. This will be higher in winter. -
Water: Relatively stable. Around
$£10 - £20$per person. -
Broadband: A fixed cost. Usually
$£10 - £15$per person for a good speed. -
TV Licence:
$£169.50$per year per household. If you watch live TV (on any channel) or use BBC iPlayer, you legally need one. This works out to$£3 - £5$per person per month, depending on the number of housemates. -
Total Bills (Per Person):
$£115 - £200$is a more realistic range.
-
B. Personal Spending
-
Food / Groceries: Your
$£200-£400$range is spot on.-
$£200-£250$is achievable if you cook most meals at home, do a weekly shop at a budget supermarket (like Lidl or Aldi), and pack your own lunch. -
$£300-£400+is more likely if you buy lunch at work a few times a week, get takeaways, and shop at places like Sainsbury’s or Waitrose. -
Household Pot: Many houses have a shared pot of
$£20-£30$a month per person for essentials like loo roll, cleaning supplies, cooking oil, and salt.
-
-
Transport: This depends entirely on where you live and work. Transport for London (TfL) has daily and weekly caps on contactless/Oyster payments.
-
Monthly Cap (2025 estimate):
-
Zones 1-2:
~£156 -
Zones 1-3:
~£184 -
Zones 1-4:
~£225
-
-
Cycling/Bus: If you can cycle or rely solely on buses (
$£1.75per journey, with a daily cap of$£5.25), your costs could be much lower, maybe$£40 - £80$a month.
-
-
Socialising, Hobbies & Shopping: This is the most personal category.
-
A pint:
$£6 - £7.50 -
A casual restaurant main:
$£15 - £25 -
A cinema ticket:
$£10 - £18 -
A realistic “going out” budget could be anything from
$£150to$£500+a month.
-
Putting It All Together: Example Monthly Budgets
Scenario 1: “Frugal but Realistic” (e.g., Zone 3/4)
-
Rent:
$£850 -
Bills:
$£130 -
Food:
$£250 -
Transport (Bus/some Tube):
$£100 -
Socialising/Misc:
$£200 -
**Total:
£1,530/month🚨
Scenario 2: “Average London Experience” (e.g., Zone 2/3)
-
Rent:
$£1,000 -
Bills:
$£150 -
Food:
$£350 -
Transport (Zone 1-3 Tube):
$£184 -
Socialising/Misc:
$£350 -
**Total:
£2,034/month🚨
Your initial guess was very good! The main things to be prepared for are the huge upfront setup cost and ensuring your bill estimates include Council Tax, which is a big one. Good luck with the planning!