Expenses in UK

[Sher]

As a prospective HSMP holder, how much would expenses be in London and surrounding suburbs on :

1.] Rent (studio apartment)
2.] Food for 2 adults
3.] Insurance, Personal
4.] Cost of a 2nd hand car (a basic model) / Cost of public transport : for 3 trips per week to the Central Business District
5.] Insurance, Car
6.] Basic Telephone Line
7.] Internet Charges per month

Have I missed anything?

Any cheap Indian neighbourhoods near London/ Cambridge ?

Thx.

[vin123]

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1.] Rent (studio apartment) 

£550-£650 Range. Depends a lot of the location. Bills (£150-£250 ) may be included in the rent or you have to payyourself.

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2.] Food for 2 adults 

£125 - £175 Max. (Only food - no drinks assumed

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3.] Insurance, Personal 

Is that required ?

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4.] Cost of a 2nd hand car (a basic model) 

Car : A lot of factors come in to picture that decides the price. 5 year old 1.5 litre with a good service history and average mileage should be in the region of £1500-£2500. (Sorry If I sound stupid if you take this data to a car dealer ! )

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Cost of public transport per month: 

Buses (Cheaper option ) - £40 max in London
Train(tube) - £100 - £150 , depends where you travel to/from

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3 trips per week to the Central Business District 

Take montly passes cover this - Thas cheaper

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Insurance, Car 

Primarily depends on your age, car, and the postcode you live.
If you are not sure on the last two, budget a minimum of £800 to start with.

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6.] Basic Telephone Line 

£15 max + call charges

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7.] Internet Charges per month 

£15 Max for dialup
£25 Max for a average speed broadband connection.

Hope this helps.

[Sher]

In case of personal insurance, am I covered under the National Insurance Scheme run by the Govt. ?

Didn't quite get the drift there .....

[vin123]

By National Insurance do you mean the NHS?
NHS covers your basic medical expenditure incurred for treatment.
Where as Personal insurance obviously compensates health threats and private treatment with huge cash lump sum. Personally, I don't think its highly mandatory in UK unless you have your own specific reasons to go for it.

[MWazir]

Any cheap Indian neighbourhoods near London/ Cambridge ?

Plenty in London... depending on where you want to live and how far you want to commute. Ofcourse also depends on where you find work.

Check out areas like Honslow, Southall, Wembly, Ilford, Algate East, Acton Town, Manor Park, Forest Gate, Upton Park, East Ham, Plaistow to name of few. You will find a dense population of Indians, Pakistanis and Bangaleshis here. Also accessbilities to Indian food stores is very high in these places.

[Ajay Kumar Singh]

Hounslow and Southall are mess. I was reading the crime graph in newspaper and saw Hounslow was on the top. And they are quite far specially Southall no tube access.

I live in NW London, and it's also predominantly desi area, but no desi shops. Though all the desi materials are available here.

[Ajay Kumar Singh]

House Rent 650.00
Commutation 335.70
Internet 17.99
Telephone 67.90
Mobile 10.00
TV 0.00
Electricity 20.00
Grocery 173.94
Laundary 5.80
Miscellaneous 352.4
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Total 1633.77

That's my expenditure for the month of october.
I live with my wife in a Studio in NW London 7 tube stations away from Oxford Circus. I don't eat/drink outside don't go to any place where there is Entrance fee. This is the most economical living which a couple can have. The telephone includes 3 months rental. I travel by train to work out of london and it makes 200 holes per month in my pocket.

So on average for a couple living in Zone 2-3 in london requires at least
£ 1500.

[Sher]

Boy, that is quite a pile !