Living in the UK – particularly in London is expensive compared to many places in the world.
The cost of living will of course depend on the individual situation (and tastes!) but you will have to be aware of the cost you will be dealing with on a daily basis and if you will plan your living expenses carefully you will be able to enjoy some exciting shopping opportunities London has to offer.
Food Shopping
There are plenty of supermarkets to choose from and whether you are carnivore, herbivore, or have any other special food requirements you will find it here.There are 5 major food supermarket chains -Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons, and Marks and Spencer.
Then you can find some others such as Aldi, Lidl, Co-op, or Iceland.
All of the above mentioned shops offer wide variety of food and drinks and some also sell clothing and electronic devices.
Markets
London is full of vibrant and spectacular markets where you can buy almost anything.To mention just a few of them, I would highly recommend:
Portobello Market – great for fresh vegetables and fruit as well as bakery products and fresh fish
Camden Town Market – here you can purchase mainly clothing, souvenirs, shoes and some vinyl
Brick Lane Market – this market is very unique, you can buy all kinds of trendy hipster style goodies including clothes, music, books and they serve great beer from all around the world
Fashion stores and shopping centres
You can find big fashion stores such as TopShop, Zara, River Island, Mango and Primark all over London but the most popular areas to get your shopping done in one place is the famous Oxford Street.
Oxford street is situated in the heart of the city and is easily accessible from any part of London by Tube or Bus. Here you can find all those fashion stores mentioned above and many many more brands.
Another very popular way of shopping is visiting one of many super big shopping centres where you will find not only fashion stores but also electronics,cinemas, restaurants and even an icerink !
Here are just some of the well known – Westfields Shepherds Bush, Westfields Stratford, Brent Cross, Harrods and Selfridges.
UK Costs of Food & Drink and Entertainment
Average weekly grocery bill (including food, basic laundry and toiletry items for 2 people) £40 Average pub meal £6 – £10
Average restaurant meal £12 – £20
Cinema Ticket £7 – 18
Theatre Ticket £ 20+
Club/Pub entry £ 5 – 20
Live Music concerts £10+
