Hi there. I'm moving from New York to London next year. How much should I be earning to live a relatively comfortable lifestyle with my wife? I'm talking perhaps a two or three bedroom apartment in a nice area, and some decent entertainment during the month, maybe a vacation in Italy or Spain once a year. What salary range should I be looking at? We're quite modest in our spending normally. Thanks.

The average living in London is similar to NYC, I guess, depending on the area.

Which part of London? It makes quite a difference.........

I was told that the Richmond area is quite nice. I presume an area similar to Richmond then. What would I have to earn for the two of us to live comfortably?

Mate let me give you some friendly advice, as I have come from the USA and currently work in London. Richmond is NOT london. (although its nice, dont get me wrong - it certainly doesnt have a 'city' feel) It is a suburb. If you work in the city it will take you over 1 hr to get to work with traffic (sometimes even 2 hours). the train is roughly 25 min plus tube. commuting is expensive! your looking at 8-15 GBP a day depending on class time etc. I STRONGLY advise: get a residence for 8 weeks. its expensive but you are investing in the future by not ending up shafted miles from london. Prices of rent for a 3 bedroom house are anywhere from 1000 GBPa month (ghetto) to 25k a week (south ken and belgravia). from what you said, you didnt mention kids, i would guess 40-55K a year GBP would be ample. Do you support your wife or does she work? Feel free to shoot some questions off

Thanks matt. Yeah, I'd be supporting my wife initially, until she finds something she likes. She's a science teacher, so she'll shop around until she finds a school she likes. No kids. I'm not looking to live like a pauper, but not too extravagant either. So I'll take your advice on 40-55k. And I'll look into your residence advice. Don't you miss the USA?

I live in Richmond, and it takes 17 mins in the morning to get to Waterloo. Can’t speak highly enough of the place. Big American, French, and German community, and quite definitely the greenest borough in London. Walking in Richmond Park or by the river is really life affirming. Rent will be about £1800 pcm for a 2 bed. As for your wife, the German school in Petersham is always looking for decent teachers.

nah i dont miss the states at all. actually every day that goes bye i never want to go back to live there. (except when under the rain and i want to go to LA). i think that with richmond the biggest consideration you have to make is this: it is a beautiful city. but it is not london. you have to pick whether you want the hustle and bustle of the city, with all its ups and downs, or the relaxed and serene atmosphere of richmond, with all its ups and downs. when i lived in surrey i wanted to be in central london. now that i live here i want to be in surrey. the grass is always greener...

Does Richmond have a large young single professional crowd or is it mainly couples and families?

Well I'm single, and I enjoy it there. Plenty of bars and restaraunts, and one VERY tatty night club. You know you've had too much to drink when you end up there !!!

Hi,I moved from NYC 3.5 years ago and have lived in North London all that time. Richmond is a nice area and one to consider. There are few places in London that you would want to live to have that "city" feel. I mean, the City of London is one square mile and most people don't live there. Too expensive for too little space. London is not like Manhattan. Most of it is more like Hoboken, Brooklyn, Queens, and The Bronx. I am very biased and partial toward North London. It's got more character than areas in the south. Hampstead and Hampstead Garden Suburb are amazing. Hampstead Heath is probably the nicest park in London. It's like a nature preserve and wooded, has bathing and fishing ponds, summer concerts, the Spaniards Inn (famous pub), and a nice High Street (Main Street). Can't say anything remotely bad about the area. St. John's Wood is another area that is nice but expensive. Many Americans, Japanese, and other foreigners live there. Maida Vale is nice. Swiss Cottage too. Paddington station is very close to these areas and has an express train (15-20 mins direct) to Heathrow for 13 GBP, which is very convenient. In the South, I would say Richmond, Southfields/Wimbledon, Parsons Green/Fulham, and Greenwich are nice.As for income to live modestly? At least 60K in order to afford 1,000GBP/month rent (small 1 BR in areas mentioned - more like 1,300+ for a decent 1 BR or 2 BR), have decent spending money for food, transportation, going out/drinks (roughly another 1K/month), and to take those trips to Spain, Italy, the States, etc. When you rent here, you also have to pay "Council Tax" which can be about another 80-150GBP/month, depending on the value of the flat and the area. Westminster borough has the lowest Council Tax rates (all the politicians live there). Camden I think has the highest. Commuting for a monthly Underground travelcard costs about from 60-100 GBP/month, depending on which "Zone" you live in. Greater London is split into 6 Zones, with Central London being Zone 1. Maida Vale, St. John's Wood, Hampstead are in Zone 2 and the farther out you go, the zone number increases, as does the cost. Although there was a movie made about Notting Hill, avoid that area. Overrated and overpriced. Your employer should put you up in a place for 4 weeks so you can find something you like. Negotiate with estate agents. Standard contract is 1 year with a 2 month notice to break lease after 6 months. No major agent fees, which is good, apart from facilitating the tenancy agreement (only about 50 GBP for tenant and landlord). Avoid Foxtons, as they charge about 200-300 GBP or more for their fees. Any other questions, please fire away...

Thanks for all the info guys. I have a better idea now of what I should be aiming for. I enjoy the quieter life, so I think I'll consider Richmond or surrounding areas.

If you like Richmond, why not try St. Margarets, which is just over Richmond Bridge (incidentally, the longest standing bridge over the Thames). Rents are much lower there, and its just as nice. Also, aircraft noise isn't a problem

Will look into it. Thanks.

Just to correct. I live in Richmond, takes 15 minutes to Waterloo, so approx 30 minutes to the City.It is v expensive, as is all of South West (from South Ken on) this is where all the bankers want to live!If your wife doesn't work you would want alot more than 55k to live here.

If you like Richmond, try Chiswick - just as green, but quieter at the weekends (fewer big shops) and still with access to the river, Kew Gardens, etc

Poor public transport to Chiswick, and no big parks

Again, definitely check out Hampstead and Hampstead Garden Suburb. Hampstead Heath is the nicest park in London and the Suburb is very peaceful while providing easy access to the high street shops and transportation links.

Hampstead is overpriced!! Seriously