When deciding where to live in London, you should aim to strike a balance between location, cost, and commute times to work or university.
People often want to live close to where they work or attend university. However, if you are planning to work or attend university in central London (Zone 1), the cost of living dramatically increases. Most people are able to find more affordable accommodation just outside central London in Zones 2-6, where cost of living decreasing the farther out one ventures.
Link to Maps of London Post
Link to Average Rental Prices by Area
http://www.london.gov.uk/rents/
More than two to three connections on public transport between your flat and your place of work increases the commute time. Finding accommodation on the same tube line as you primary place of work or university is advisable. Living farther out on the same tube line is often a faster commute than living closer to the city centre, but where you have to change trains/tubes/buses multiple times.
Link to London Transport Maps & Journey Planners
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/
Use this link to find routes between home and work. Transport for London (TFL) provides very reliable information for average commute times on bus and tube routes. However, the ultimate test of any commute is testing it yourself during peak hours (7 am - 9:30 am and 4:00 - 7 pm).
Balance between Housing Cost and Travel Cost
Another consideration in finding affordable accommodation is the cost of commuting. Living in zones 1 & 2 costs an adult £29.20 for a weekly travel card (£112.20 per month); whereas, a weekly travel card for zones 1 - 6 costs £53.40 (£205.10). Here you can see that as the rent gets cheaper, the cost of travel increases. Hence, striking a balance between the two is imperative.
Link to Oyster** Card Ticket Prices (See Transport tab for more information on getting around London)
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14416.aspx
**Oyster cards are wallet-size transport cards (like a credit card) that allow you to either prepay a balance for future travel or purchase a weekly/monthly/yearly travel card. The prepay card needs to be topped up (prepaid) in order to travel and requires you to pay for each individual journey (ie, each tube journey is considered one journey regardless of how many changes you make; each bus journey is considered a separate journey). The travel card allows you to ride the tube as much as you like in the specified zones for which your travel card is relevant; all bus journeys are included no matter what zone.
