Scarcely anyone could overlook the world-renown metropolis of London when looking for a place to find a furnished rental and settle down for a few months on their digital nomad journey. A truly international city, if there ever was one, London is home to new and unexpected connections, exciting friendships, undiscovered opportunities, and much more. Here are just a few tips and pieces of info to point you in the right direction of a fantastic stay in London.
Best places for Digital nomads in London
Just like in any other city, big and small, living in the right part of town can make a massive difference between a great time and be swamped in obstacles. Luckily, we found a few districts which are the best place to start looking.
There’s East London, a pretty ‘hipster’ part of town with many bars and warehouses which were turned into coworking spaces, art galleries, and cafés. Few places in London are as inspiring, remote-worker-friendly, and fun as East London.
Another great area is Clapham in South London (meaning South of the River Thames). Many Londoners would love to live here as it is full of pubs, bars, and restaurants from all over the world – there is scarcely a cuisine not represented here. Whether you’re looking for a quick bite or you want to go on a fancy dinner date, Clapham has you covered.
Cost of Living in London
You may have heard that London is one of, if not the most, expensive city in the world. However, according to CNN Travel, it doesn’t even make the top 10 for 2020. Here are a few everyday expenses for you to compare.
The most significant expense in almost any city will doubtlessly be rent, and London is no different. Many locals spend about a third or a half of their salary on rent alone. According to estimates, a one-bedroom apartment outside the city centre costs around €1400. A three-bedroom apartment in the centre costs about €3700. Add to that around €200 for basics such as electricity, heating, etc. You might see why people call London expensive.
By renting your accommodation on platforms like Flatio, you can save money as all rentals promoted on Flatio already include all bills on the monthly price, including the WIFI. Tenants renting for less than six months don't have to pay a deposit, and both tenants and landlords get an online agreement that covers the needs of both sides. And while you're waiting for the landlord to approve your booking, you can look for a new job in London.
Where you won’t see that much of a price difference compared with many other places in Europe is the cost of groceries, a box of milk is around €1, a kilo of apple is approximately €2,5, and a kilo of rice is somewhere around €1,5. However, if you want to eat out, it’s a different story. A meal in an inexpensive restaurant starts at about €12, and a single pint of beer is averaging at about €5,5. Suffice to say, eating home is dramatically more budget-conscious, but that’s true of almost any city.
Public Transport in London
Whether you want to take the tube (London’s underground), a red bus, or the so-called over-ground (essentially city trains), you might want to look into London’s Oyster Card. London has an integrated public transport system that includes all of the above transportation and some boat services, and even most of National Rail within the London area. This card can save you a lot of headache in the long run unless you want to bike around London, as many Londoners do.
