A year and a half ago, I had reached a crossroads in Melbourne.
I was made redundant in my previous role, my lease was close to ending, and I was itching to follow my dream of living abroad and traveling the world.
So, I packed my bags, left Australia, and moved halfway across the globe.
I landed in London, which seemed like a great home base for travel and a promising city for work opportunities. My background is in public relations, so I hoped that being in London could better connect me to the rest of the world and bigger clients.
Although it’s taken me a while to adjust — especially financially — the move has already paid off.
My living situation is quite different, but I’ve gotten used to it
When I first moved to London, I went through two sublets before settling into the place I now call home.
I have my own bedroom but share a bathroom and kitchen with two housemates — there’s no outdoor area or living room. I pay just under £1,000 for monthly rent and bills, which is a pretty average rate for renting a room in my area.
Back in Melbourne, after conversions, I was spending roughly the same amount on rent each month. However, it got me my own studio apartment with a kitchen, separate living and sleeping areas, an ensuite, and a small balcony. In London, that sort of arrangement would be at least double what I’m paying now.
It’s still hard not to think about what I could have in Melbourne, where my money would go much further for rentals.
However, being fairly centrally located in London has been worth the tradeoffs, and though I was reluctant to live with strangers, having housemates has brought two new friendships into my world.
My access to easy, affordable travel has been the biggest perk of living in London
I’ve always loved traveling, and I’m grateful that living in London has made it so much more accessible.
It was time-consuming and costly in Australia because the country is so far away from most places. Now that I’m here, I don’t have to save up for months, then fly for several hours just to reach a new country.
For example, I can take the Eurostar train and be in Paris within a couple of hours for the same price as I’d pay to fly between Melbourne and Sydney. Recently, I bought a flight from London to Copenhagen for just £20 — less than a nice dinner out.
I don’t have to take huge amounts of time off to justify traveling, either; instead, I can take a flight on a Friday night and be back Sunday evening.
Since living here, I have visited so many countries and cities. I’ve gone on weekend trips to Paris, Lille, Malaga, and Marseille, and even weeklong stints to places I never thought I’d visit, like Lanzarote, one of Spain’s Canary Islands.
The experiences and memories I’ve made on these trips have been invaluable.
Through pay cuts and career shifts, I’ve gotten savvier with my spending
Months after moving to London, I found a public-relations job. It didn’t pay as much as my previous role, yet my living expenses remained generally the same (if not a bit higher).
So, I pulled back on indulgent spending and made small lifestyle tweaks, such as preparing coffee at home instead of routinely buying it out and getting my nails done less often.
I exchanged costly pilates classes for a cheaper monthly gym membership and started buying from charity shops instead of prioritizing brand-new finds.
In many ways, life in London has encouraged me to be more financially savvy, which I don’t think is a bad thing.
After nearly a year in that PR role, I decided to follow my passions and lean into freelance writing while working part-time in hospitality.
Although this pivot meant another, bigger pay cut, I wasn’t as worried because I’d already been able to navigate living on less in London.
Since then, I’ve built an amazing network, pursued huge opportunities with dream brands, and even cofound INKLINGS — a writing collective that hosts events.
I’m not sure I’d have been able to do all of that without the access living in such a well-connected city has given me.
Living in London has helped me reassess my priorities, too
I don’t have the disposable income I used to, and saving money while living in London is a challenge. However, I’m doing work that I love, and I’m delighted that I can spend any extra I do have on travel.
Above all, one of the biggest things that’s changed since I moved has been my perception of success.
The opportunities I’ve been welcomed into, the people I’ve met, and the ability to explore new places have been so fulfilling, even if they come with a higher price tag.
Sure, living here can be expensive — but so is my taste.
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