What the real cost of living in England?

Moving to England has a lot of variables, but one of the biggest unknowns is “what’s the real cost of living in England?” From one expat to another, here’s what I pay each month as an immigrant living in England!

Naturally, costs will vary from place to place, company to company and situation to situation. But here are the exact costs of things I pay for while living in England.

Cost of living in the UK

My monthly expenses living in England

Here are the figures in case you want to add them to your living in England budget! The prices are already split in half as my partner and I share costs:

  • 2 Bed flat, monthly rent in Kent: £550
  • Unlimited Internet: £15
  • Monthly bus ticket: £70
  • Water: £20
  • Electricity: £30
  • Groceries: £250
  • Prescriptions: £9.15 (just recently increased to £9.35)
  • Council tax: £55
  • Mobile: £10
  • TV License: £6.60
    • Total of essentials = £1,015.75

Some extras to keep in mind:

  • 3 Takeways: £37.50
  • Unlimited cinema card: £16.50
  • Coffee, 3 times a month: £8.40
  • Pint, twice a month: £7
    • Total cost of living including a few extras = £1,081.85

South-East England prices

It’s important to note that I live in Kent, which is in the South-East of England. Prices here are fairly expensive since it’s close to London, but also close to mainland Europe for travel. Many people end up living in Kent and commuting into London as the city is too expensive.

While London is certainly the most expensive place to live in the UK, Kent can be a somewhat similar price, too.

Is living in England cheap?

Prices vary greatly from place to place in England (and the United Kingdom as a whole) so you can’t say that it’s cheap living in England, or unreasonably expensive. Certainly parts of the country are well-priced, while others are unattainable. If you don’t need to live in one particular location, make sure to search the various areas of England and the UK to find the best place for you.