A local’s guide and tips to living in London as a student, digital nomad and for people who would like to move to London – here’s how to adjust to the London life!
Living in London is one of the most formative experiences you could wish for; as a student, as a digital nomad, and as a person.
A while back, I told you about some of the things you should know before moving to London, and thought I would dedicate a whole article to tips to help you adjust to London life, which is far from being the easiest on the daily.
Whether you are a digital nomad or planning to become a student in London, these few pragmatic things I’ve learned over the years about living in the big city should help you adapt, and become a true Londoner in no time.
Living in London: 9 Everyday Tips to Enjoy Life in the UK
I first moved to London back in 2019, a few months before the pandemic, and from the time I became a freelancer, decided to split my time between London and Rome.
There are so many cool things to do in London that you’ll (almost) never find yourself wondering about what you should do – free things, as well!
But when you’re living in London, just like any other big city, the change from a small town – like mine, since I moved from my hometown Troyes, in France, to Paris, and then London – can be quite daunting.
Here are my few tips to make it living in London – and by making it, I mean both in budget and mental health!
How to Make it Living in London: Work It, Work It, Work It
The first thing I can tell you for sure about living in London is that you’re going to work.
Work, work, work, and work some more – even if the city is dotted with lots of budget shops and free spots to study, you’re still going to have to have budget aside, especially if you’re taking the Tube on a regular basis.
Transport in London is far from being free, and one of the first things you’re going to have to adjust to is the number of hours you work.
For instance, from a 35-hour work week in France, I worked 48 to 52 hours a week in London, which was both physically and mentally draining.
And well, being tired in London is not something you want – but you’re going to go through it, so you’d better make sure you’re as productive as possible while getting as much sleep as you can.
To be truthful, this city is one where I’ve learned all about work-life balance.
Whether you’re spending your first few months living in a hostel or get an apartment from the get-go, you’ll want to sit down at some point and learn how to manage your time and energy.
Read: The Best Non Touristy Things to Do in London
How to Make it Living in London: Fake It Till You Make It
I’ve always seen London as a ‘fake it till you make it’ type of city, and that I am sure of.
Whether you come with a diploma or not, the possibility of becoming someone else while living in London is strong – you can literally be anyone you want in this gorgeous, yet sometimes cruel city.
When I moved to London for the first time (the first out of four!), I was a uni dropout, and only had a makeup artist degree to show for myself.
Well, in a matter of months, I became a prep cook, a receptionist in one of the most famous buildings of London, the Shard (you would absolutely need a diploma in France for this!), a lettings agent, and a freelance writer.
It’s really a fake it till you make it type of city, and this one feature of London made me fall in love with it harder than with any other city I’ve lived in, including Rome, Istanbul, or Barcelona.
Read: The Best Things to Do in Camden Town
How to Make it Living in London: You Probably Won’t Make British Friends!
One harsh truth, and one I hope that you can prove wrong when you’re living in London, is that most of your friends will not be British – nor Londoners, specifically.
Let’s not forget that the London culture is different from, say, the French culture, or the Italian culture.
It is indeed much easier, in my experience, to make friends in France or Italy than it is in London.
This doesn’t mean that you won’t have any friends in London; by putting yourself out there, and joining meetup apps or other Reddit groups, you’ll soon have a good group of friends to support you while you adjust to the big city life.
Read: The Best Things to Do in Soho
How to Make it Living in London: Pay Attention to Your Time and Energy
Paying attention to both your time and energy will help you become more productive – but to be fair, that’s a tip that would apply to any digital nomad in any large city.
In my experience, you get more tired much quicker when living in London than other European cities, and if you find a job with double shifts, you’re going to need to get organized quicker as well.
Be careful about how you eat (maybe start intermittent fasting?), how you sleep, and how much time you dedicate to going out and partying.
The fact that I have issues focusing means that I as soon as I moved to London, I needed to find lots of quiet and/or natural spots to relax, and here are a few that might come in handy for you:
- Secret gardens in London
- Quiet places to write in London
- Beautiful nature in London
- Free rooftops in London
Read: The Best Things to Do in London Bridge
How to Make it Living in London: Pay Attention to Your Budget
In addition to paying attention to your time and energy, and quite understandably, as soon as you start living in London, pay attention to your budget.
Unlike a lot of people already living in London, I’ve never thought London was that expensive: aside from the Tube/bus and rent budget, you can easily make a good living in the big city.
Budget shops like Poundland and Savers, as well as Lidl and Aldi for cheap groceries, will help you set the ground for an enjoyable life.
Then, London is filled with charity shops – you will find thrift shops in pretty much any area, from Camden Town to Bethnal Green.
In addition, if you’re looking for completely free things to do in London, you will find more than in any other city.
Medieval sites? Check.
Secret and free museums? Also check.
Of course, when you’re living in London on a budget, and much like in any other city, you’ll have to be smarter with money.
However, and since the city is richer in historical sites and free places to visit, you will be able to have a blast even if you’re short on money.
Read: The Best Romantic Date Ideas in London
How to Make it Living in London: Aesthetic Places are All Around
London is filled with more – very – instagrammable places than you would think.
These range from very unique shops to gorgeous gardens, rooftops, and lots of secret courtyards tucked away just behind major roads… And they’re all worth a visit.
Given than London offers layers upon layers of Roman, Saxon, medieval and Normal history, it just makes sense that you would find traces of these all around town.
In addition, in some of the city’s most beautiful neighborhoods, you’ll find Edwardian, Victorian and Georgian buildings, all perfect to admire and take pictures.
When you live in London, you considerably have less time to enjoy a walk around London, but if I had to choose a few must-visit neighborhoods to learn about the city’s history and beauty, it would be the following:
- the Spitalfields neighborhood
- the City of London
- the Crystal Palace neighborhood, with its dinosaur statues and really cute cafes
- the Southbank and Blackfriars area, for its study cafes, views of the Thames and maritime buildings
- the Canary Wharf neighborhood, for its high-end restaurants and gorgeous skyscrapers
Read: The Best Harry Potter Things to Do in London
How to Make it Living in London: There Are More Hidden Gems Than You Think
As we’ve just seen, you will find lots of really aesthetic places in London perfect to spend some time reflecting on life, but you’ll also find lots of hidden gems.
These include some really secret cafes and bakeries, perfect for breakfast and brunch, as well as secret street art spots, stately homes, and even neighborhoods that most tourists never hear about.
Here are a few of my current favorite hidden gems in London:
- The Rinkoff Bakery in Stepney Green, perfect for decadent doughnuts and gorgeous bagels
- The Kahaila coffee shop in Brick Lane, great for rainbow cake and amazing chai latte
- The Museum of the Home in Hoxton, with its carefully curated period rooms
- The Sir John Soane’s Museum, one of Holborn’s best hidden gems
Read: The Best Free Things to Do on London’s Central Line
How to Make it Living in London: Some Things Are Cheaper Than in Other Countries
London is riddled with very instagrammable shops; I think that’s something we can all agree on.
From Brand Academy in Southbank to Kurt Geiger on Oxford Street, you can pretty much get anything you want in London.
And while both of these are mid to high-budget, you will find many different shops to get cheap stuff in London:
- Cheap scented candles at TK Maxx
- Cheap makeup at Poundland with the Makeup Gallery products
- Cheap clothing shops like Primark or Deichmann for shoes
Once in a while, why not pop by London’s shopping arcades to also enjoy some high-end brands?
One thing you should know for sure, though, is that if you ever need some Ibuprofen, Poundland sells boxes for just 49p – the cheapest price around.
Read: The Best Things to Do in London When It Rains
How to Make it Living in London: You Will Find Natural Spots to Relax More Easily Than You Think
I’ve mentioned – in passing – that you can find lots of amazing spots for nature in London, and let me tell you one thing: natural spots, from lakes to gardens, is something you’re going to need while living in London.
Coming from a small town, I felt that I really needed to feel as close to nature as possible most of the time I was not working – and given how big the city is, it ends up being pretty easy to find gorgeous parks and gardens off the beaten path.
You can even go swimming in London, mind you, even if you don’t get a swimming pool ticket.
You also have access to some gorgeous cemeteries, my favorites being the Seven Magnificent cemeteries, with the Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park being one I visited quite regularly when living in Mile End.
I’ve written many guides on The Working Line to help you get off the beaten path, and here are some of the most popular by area:
- The Best Hidden Gems in North London
- The Best Hidden Gems in South London
- The Best Hidden Gems in East London
- The Best Hidden Gems in West London
Read: The Prettiest Mews in London
Living in London: 9 Everyday Tips to Enjoy Life in the UK
There you have them, all the tips I can give you so you start living in London off the right foot!
Whether you’re moving here and living on a budget or have lots of cash to spare, you’ll hopefully have found here a few tips and tricks to help you adjust to your new London life.
All I can add is that from instagrammable cafes to really colorful spots, it seems like everywhere you look, there’s something new to do.
So, enjoy your new life, and just make the most of it!