London is now officially one of the world’s most expensive cities for expats

Any Londoner will know that the city, as brilliant as it is, is no cheap place to live. While there are loads of budget-friendly things to do, from cheap eats to free activities, money just doesn’t go particularly far in the UK capital. 

And that’s the same for expats. According to a recent study by Mercer, which evaluated 226 locations across the world on 200 different factors such as the price of transport, food and entertainment, London has become one of the world’s most expensive cities to move to.

The financial services company does research to inform multinational employers about how best to compensate their workers, and according to 2024’s ranking, London has soared nine places to claim the eighth most expensive spot. 

In the study London is beaten narrowly by New York and followed closely by LA, but what is it about the UK capital that’s so unaffordable? Well, two major factors cited were the cost of living and the price of rent. Shocker. 

And given the average price of rent is set to reach £2,700 in 2024, and there are plenty of postcodes in particular where rent prices are soaring, we’re hardly surprised. Our list of the eight ways we think renting could be made less of a nightmare has never felt more relevant. 

Aiming to do London on the cheap? Here’s an excellent round up of 50 things to do that cost less than the price of pint.  

Did you see that London could be getting more night tube trains?

Plus: This leafy, flower-filled park just opened in east London. 

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