Moving to and living in the UK requires a wealth of up-to-date, trustworthy information on various aspects of British expat life. Living abroad in the UK raises a lot of questions such as: ʺHow do I find the best relocation services for moving to the UK?ʺ, ʺAm I automatically entitled to NHS insurance and medical care?ʺ, ʺWhich international school in London should our kids attend?ʺ or, ʺHow do I obtain a work permit for my spouse at the British municipality in Glasgow?ʺ

Collecting all that information on working and living in UK is quite laborious and time-consuming. Our InterNations Expat Guide for the UK aims to help you and provides you with reliable info on those topics that matter to expats living in the United Kingdom. The Guide includes information on many different areas ranging from education and children, to local organisations & companies or culture and sights, up to housing & household. Typical questions related to expat life abroad, such as ʺWhich diseases do I need to have my pet checked for before bringing it along to the UK?ʺ, will no longer remain unanswered.

The cost of living in the UK varies depending on where you live. Generally, London is the most expensive place in the UK. As of March 2012, London was ranked 25th most expensive city in the world in which to live for expatriates. House prices and accommodation costs are more expensive in the South of England than the North of England. As costs vary so much, it may be useful to compare various sources such as WORKgateways and NRIOL to get an overall summary of approximately how much it costs to live in the UK. There are also a number of cost-of-living calculators available, such as EasyExpat and Numbeo.

These include gas, electricity, water, council tax and the telephone if there is a landline, and broadband internet. Check your tenancy agreement to see if any of these are included in the rent.

Council tax

Every home in the UK must pay council tax: you must let your local council know that you have moved in to a property, and how many people live there. Your local council will then calculate how much you must pay per year, depending on the size of the property. If you live alone, there will be a discount. There is a variety of ways to pay, including by monthly direct debit, by cheque, or at the post office. Council tax pays for services such as bin collections, local policing, street maintenance and lighting.

If you need to do a lot of travelling by public transport, e.g. for your commute to work, it is often cheaper to buy a bus pass, Oyster card for the London Underground (Tube), or a railcard.

Utility Bill	Annual Amount	Monthly Amount	Weekly Amount
Gas	£766	£63.83	£14.73
Electricity	£832	£69.33	£16
Water	£471	£39.25	£9.06
Council Tax	£1439	£119.92	£27.67