Living in London
In general London is not a very cheap place to live. However spending modestly makes it possible to live well. On the other hand there are things which do not cost anything, such as beautiful parks and interesting galleries and museums.
About £6000 to £9000 a year is adequate to live in London; this includes living expenses such as food and drink, accommodation and transport.
The following list gives a rough idea of prices of food and drink and general various things of life to live in London. The prices are not exact, so it depends on you on how efficient you are when spending your money.
Living costs in London:
| Living expenses | |
| Accommodation or rent: | £300 to £450 per month |
| Heat and light (if not included in your accommodation): | £20 to £30 per month |
| Food (if not included in your accommodation) | £60 to £200 per month (this varies for each student |
| Transport: Daily: | £3.50 - £6 Weekly: £11 - £22 Monthly: £40 - £90 |
| Other average costs | |
| Textbooks: | £40 per year |
| Laundry: | £4 per week |
| Hairdresser: | £5 - £10for men,£10 - £60 for women |
| Cinema tickets: | £6- £12 |
| Mobile phone: | £35 - £90 |
| Shoes: | £15 - £85 |
| Socks: | £3 - £6 |
| Jeans: | £10 - £40 |
| Underwear: T-shirts | £4 - £12 |
| Winter coat: | £15 - £90 |
| Umbrella: | £3 |
| Jumper: | £10 |
| Food and Drink | |
| Restaurant meal: | £5 minimum, £8 average |
| Bread: | 30p - £1.30p |
| Wine: | £3 minimum for 75cl bottle |
| Take away food: | £2.50 - £5.00 |
| Take away food: | £2.50 - £5.00 |
| 1 kg rice: | £1.45p |
| 1 kg meat: | £3.95p |
| 1 litre juice drink: | £0.55p |
| 1 litre milk: | £0.65p |
| Beer: | £1.50p - £3.00p |
Registering with the Police
On arrival to the UK some international students will need to register with the police within seven days. A stamp in the passport will specify if you need to register with the police. To register you will need to send your passport, two-passport size photos as well as a certificate of registration letter from the college stating course of study and proof of address and £34 fee to the Overseas Visitors Records office.
If you are unfortunate enough to be the victim of a crime, such as being assaulted or robbed, you can report it to the police who will investigate the incident.
Health in the UK
Being a student from a foreign country, you are able to receive free medical treatment within the United Kingdom based under the National Health Service (NHS). In order to receive this free treatment the period of your course must be of at least six months and over. However if you only intend to be a resident in the UK for under six months then you may only be able to get a free emergency treatment within the NHS. Nevertheless if you are living within the EEA (European Economic Area) you will definitely be able to receive the advantage of this free treatment, no matter how long you intend to study.
Furthermore, if you intend to travel it is recommended that you receive or search for information about your health system in your country about what kind of medical treatment will be carried out. Finally if you are not able to receive NHS treatment it is important that you get a medical insurance or apply immediately after arriving in the United Kingdom.
If you are allowed to gain NHS treatment you have the advantage of being able to receive treatment for any dental issues at a lower fee.
Dental Services
After registering with a GP or a doctor and getting your medical card you can then book an appointment with a dentist.
However some dentists only take in private patients to see. Therefore in order for them to accept, make sure they take NHS patients before you apply or register.
Note that some dentists only take private patients, so make sure the dentist takes National Health Service/NHS patients before you register with one or make an appointment
