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One of the dreamiest places to live in for many of us is most definitely London. Earlier this year, Amanda Rose from the London Rose gave us 8 reasons why living in London is the absolute best – but as you probably already know, the capital is one of the 10 most expensive cities in the world. The rent in certain areas in London can be ten times higher than what I was paying in the Midlands. So, when you’re choosing between living in London and other earthly joys – what could you possibly swap a week of living in London for?
A week of living in London
A week’s worth of rent is no fun in London. A weekly rent ranges anywhere from £300-750. Now you need to add the cost of travel – an Oyster card for 7 days costs anywhere between £34-62 per week. Throw in all your eating costs, bills, Netflix, Spotify and you’re looking at additional £250-400 a week. I’m not giving you this terrifying breakdown to put you off moving to London – but it’s definitely important to have a realistic outlook on the financial situation when moving there. As you know I have recently moved to Prague and I did my research well in advance. I knew that the rent will be a little higher than it was in the Midlands – I’m living in a one bedroom flat where the kitchen is more of a kitchenette in the living room area and I’m paying the same I was paying for a two bedroom house in Birmingham. But that’s fine – because I was fully aware of it and did my financial planning properly. To give you a better idea of what you could be getting for the cost of rent+tube in London, here’s a brief rundown,
And what could you swap it for?
A different capital
You could most definitely be living in a different capital. Take Prague, for example. It’s not London and it’s not in the UK (obvious disadvantages if your heart is set on the islands), however, you will get all the joys of living in the big city for a fraction of the price. For just £500 a week you could be living like a king. In a penthouse apartment with the view of the river. You could be eating out every other night and you wouldn’t even feel guilty about it.
Travel
Leading online travel agency loveholidays has created an interactive tube map which highlights some of the holiday destinations that can be enjoyed in exchange for a week of rent and tube travel in the UK’s capital. And they are some damn good deals! A week on the beach in Tunisia (all inclusive, of course!). A week in a five-star hotel on the Turkish Riviera. With a private beach area. Or a week in a five-star hotel in Crete with a serenity pool AND an on-site aquapark, say what! Find more amazing deals by click here & browsing the tube off map!
Fashion & make-up
For a week’s rent in London, you could possibly buy the full collection of Hourglass including a number of different blusher shades. Or you could even get 4-5 Tom Ford perfumes – and I’m talking 100ml bottles! That is the full collection of Tom Ford fragrances including the damn expensive Neroli Portofino Acqua Eau de Toilette on your vanity table in less than 2 weeks. Damn London, you’re pricey!
Cat food
You could also buy an annual supply of cat food. All of it. Including the occasional cat milk treat and tuna loin treats for the holidays. Because cats are expensive. But living in London is more expensive.
That Swoon Editions cabinet
You could even buy THAT Swoon Editions Ziggy starburst sideboard that every blogger and their cat owns. It’s so damn expensive but also so beautiful and I’m just sounding bitter now because I really want it but not even the justification that if I was living in London (or wasn’t, for that matter), I could buy 4 of them with my monthly rent, can make me buy it for that money. I might just need to DIY one instead. And that’s an idea, isn’t it?!
What do you think about the cost of living in London?
And what would you swap it for?
? This post has been inspired by loveholidays and their insanely clever Tube Off map!