All of London is expensive. The closer in (zone 1/2 of the 6 concentric zones) are the most expensive. The dodgy ghetto areas are the south right down the middle (lambeth, brixton, new cross, lewisham, kennington, peckham rye). The south is cheaper than the north (of the thames). I lived in zone 3 and transit was 100 pounds a month to get into zone 1. The further out you go, especially beyond the M15, the more expensive it will be to get into central london if you plan on working there.

London is the most expensive city in the world (or up there anyway) so anywhere you stay is going to be expensive unless you’re sharing or have a dual income. Good luck!

I agree with Skye… London is expensive no matter where you are and the South is cheaper. Tooting Bec or Tooting Broadway (Borough of Wandsworth) are not totally bad choices price wise (it’s a bit dodgy but is improving and not too much schlep to get to central London). All places have their reputations but personally, I would try to avoid the borough of Tower Hamlets or Hackney. Good luck!

Obviously a lot depends on where you will be studying/working/meeting people you know. The general rule is to stay on the same side of the river as journeys crossing Zone 1 are expensive and crowded and often delayed. Living close to a station or main bus route is inportant even if you drive because of the cost of parking and Congestion Charge for driving in central London. If possible give yourself a few days to look around before you start a job or course. London is still a collection of small towns, each with its own centre and character.
Look at the Transport For London website
www.tfl.gov.uk for travel information and maps.
Best wishes for your move.

As mentioned above, the place where you will be working or studying is important. Have a look at the transport maps on http://www.tfl.gov.uk/ and search in areas that have a good connection to it.

Then give yourself a budget and make a list of things you can be flexible on. For instance, would you be ok to share a flat with complete strangers? You will find cheaper places as a flatshare than on your own. How much time are you prepared to commute every day? All that sort of things.

And then start looking. Make sure that you visit the flats you’re interested in, ideally by day and by night. Have a look around the areas they’re in.

Although some areas are better than others, London can be very surprising. You can find fantastic places in areas that have a bad reputation and absolute dumps in the best areas. The closer you are to the centre, the more expensive it is likely to be but even that is not a hard and fast rule: there are lots of reasonably cheap flat shares around Earl’s Court, even though it’s very central.

In terms of layout, London is spread along the north bank of the Thames. This means that you generally have better transport north of the river than south but on the other hand flats tend to be cheaper on the south side. West London is quieter and safer than East London. But once again, this is a general rule: there are lots of exceptions.

Good luck with the move anyway and tell us how it goes!