Search Q&A
How much per month to live in London ?
You'll talk gross annual salary in the UK. Not what you get after tax, and not what you get a month.
You should do your own research for the job you are applying for. Work out what other people are getting for it (it is unusual for a salary not to be advertised in the UK).
Don't ask too much or you will write yourself off as too expensive / experienced;
Don't ask too little or you will show that you are not experienced enough.
Coming from outside the UK, IF the question comes up (I think it won't), it would be OK to ask them what is on offer. If you get the job and it turns out you are underpaid, you will be in the best possible position to find another one that does pay enough.
1) what kind of job is it? (skilled / unskilled, required experience etc.)
2) what sort of standard of living do you expect? (do you have a family, do you want to live in your own place, can you share accommodation etc?)
You can look up rents in London very easily on sites like www.rightmove.co.uk.
You can also do some very rough and ready salary level research by looking up jobs on sites like www.monster.co.uk etc.
They will discuss the annual package with you rather than monthly take home. It's an impossible question to answer because you haven't said what sort of lifestyle you require. If it's just you and you want a decent home on your own, to be able to eat out, go on holiday, save..... then I think 60 thousand a year would be comfortable. If you are prepared to live with others, compromise on where you live, don't eat out a lot etc then obviously you can survive on less. Lots of people do.
You need to do your homework. Google UK tax calculators and check out the tax and national insurance on various salaries. Bear in mind UK tax is lower than here but housing costs in London are higher. On top of rent there will be an annual council tax payable which will add a minimum of one thousand. Food, toiletries etc are a little cheaper in the UK than here. If you currently have a company car and want one in the UK, you will pay more tax and no fuel card.
I think the overall standard of living is a little higher in Belgium than it is in London but London is an amazing, vibrant and exciting city with so much going on! Good luck
@ANON100
Anyone worth 60k should know how to do their own homework. Reading between the lines, the OP would be looking at 1/3 of that, maybe 1/2 if (s)he's good and well qualified.
The troll is back out of his cage again!
@ANON100
Another who dares to disagree with you.
I moved here from London and still have contacts in the area.
On Monday of this week the UK government took various decisions based on the average FAMILY income being £26K. However much the cost of living and the level of salaries is higher in London, the idea that an INDIVIDUAL needs an income of £60K to be 'comfortable' is ludicrous beyond belief.
Amber
There is nothing to stop you trying to get an idea of what sort of money is on offer. If they refuse to tell you, you have lost nothing but, as an employer looking for someone to fill a £35K post, I don't want to waste my time interviewing someone who is already on £45K - they won't take the job - or someone who is only on £20K - they won't have the experience I need.
Your cost of living will vary depending on your own lifestyle. The best way to make it worth is whether your lifestyle can match the same way as your own lifestyle in your home country.
The salary's only part of the story. You need to negotiate an expat package which includes accommodation, utilities, car and medical insurance in addition to the salary. (If you have children you need to discuss school fees with them too).
I strongly recommend you to download the your own personalized cost of living report using this calculator
