The numbers, side by side
You have probably heard that living in the UK is expensive, and that London costs noticeably more than everywhere else. But how much more, exactly, and where does the money actually go?
This guide sets out the monthly budgets students here really run on, the London gap, what eating out costs, your first-month setup money and a few ways to spend less — so you land with a realistic picture.
What counts as living costs?
This guide covers day-to-day spending as a student here: food, transport, household shopping, monthly bills, and a normal amount of fun and socialising
London versus elsewhere: a quick monthly comparison
The figures below are everyday spending, with tuition and rent excluded.
| Item | London | Outside London |
|---|---|---|
| Bare minimum | About £600 a month | About £400 a month |
| Comfortable | About £1,200～£1,500+ a month | About £800+ a month |
| First-month setup | Set aside about £400 extra | Set aside about £300 extra |
Prices outside London are lower, and as a rough rule you can budget around 70 per cent of the London figure.
What do these numbers actually mean?
| Budget level | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| Bare minimum | Tight control on eating out and travel, a squeezed standard of living, almost nothing spent on going out |
| Comfortable | A normal social life, meals out now and then, and a steadier standard of living |
| First-month setup | The extra you spend on household basics, bedding and kitchen kit when you first arrive |
We would strongly advise against budgeting at the bare minimum. Your first month here usually costs more than you expect, because you do not yet know the cheap supermarkets, the transport tricks or where to find things second hand, and there is a pile of one-off things to buy.
One tip from us: to keep the first month down, join the TUF community and watch for students clearing out their rooms at the end of the year. Bedding, pans, small appliances and storage often go for very little, or free.
Why does the UK feel so expensive?
For anyone arriving from Taiwan, the shock is usually the same: eating out, drinks and anything involving service costs a lot more.
A rough way to think about it: London prices run about two and a half to three times Taipei, anything with labour attached costs more, supermarket ingredients are reasonable, and cooking for yourself is one of the most effective savings there is.
Not everything is dearer than Taiwan. Plenty of supermarket staples — milk, eggs, meat, potatoes — are genuinely cheap. What eats a budget is eating out, bubble tea, coffee, desserts, travel and socialising.