Cost To Live Brighton
/cost-to-live-brighton
Rent
Rent in Brighton is pretty pricey because there are so many students living here. I pay like 450 a month, but have a 10 minute walk to the seafront and Strand, which can get really busy. You may need a car to get around if you live further out, and the same applies to public transport (there is not that much of it compared to London). Lots of the rental places will ask for deposits now, which is a big thing for me as I'm working abroad so dont have access to my money for that period of time.
The landlords here are pretty chilled though, so you shouldnt have any issues getting a deposit back if you leave on good terms, more about plumbing with Brighton and Hove Life (brightonandhovelife.co.uk). Rent in Brighton is slightly different to Hove. I live in Hove, and its very expensive. It is nearly as pricey as London, but more social than London. I have a cross between an attic and a normal room. There is a loft bed on top of a massive room, which makes storing items easy (ie: Expensive camera equipment).
If you want to live near the university, youll be paying slightly more than living near town. You can find flats for around 500 a month if you look hard enough and dont mind sharing with three other people!. Luton: Access to the charge point behind the ticket office is via a lift. Once upstairs, it is located to your left as you're facing the lifts. Luton I+ car point, lift access, next to the ticket machines at customer service.
Council Tax
In Brighton, youre supposed to get a bill in January, but mine didn’t arrive until the end of March. I had a phone call from the council straight away to set up an interview. This took place on April 24th with one very helpful lady in two hours (we would have finished it earlier if there werent delays). She asked about my income and other things. Then she asked how much extra I pay in rent.
A couple of months ago I was informed were being re-evaluated and a revaluation would be taking place. I received a letter giving the council tax band, however when they carried out the revaluation, they decided on another band. This is understandable since properties do change in value, especially in Brighton with rising house prices and ever increasing poverty. Council tax can be a lot of money. it'll always seem more when it's nearly £100 for two bedrooms in a flat, but it's not as bad as you might think.
there is some scope to reduce the figure you pay, but whether or not you should is another matter. Here's how. I just wanted to do some research into how house prices and things like council tax has changed over the years. It was really interesting to see that house prices have doubled over the past 11 years. I couldn’t believe it, it’s mad!. - by the customer service office at both Luton and Luton Airport Parkway stations.
Electricity & Gas
You may be thinking the bills don't sound that bad, thats if you pay them. I tried that with my first place in central London and it was a disaster. Not paying will result in your lights getting cut off, and you won't even know about it. In a flat share situation, make sure you all contribute to the bills and make an arrangement with your landlord so the bills are split evenly every time they come around.
If your metre registers that you haven’t been using much electricity, you can correct it online and get money back at the end of your billing period. I get my electricity from British Gas, who charge me £1,029. 00 a year for the privilege of having them be responsible for the generation, transmission and distribution of my gas, as well as my electricity. There are also other smaller charges that make that overall figure:. This is one of Brighton's best attractions for kids, young and old!.
Internet
I browse the net with another provider, and it started off on the wrong footing with the first line installation. You have to pay upfront for the line installation with that provider, and Id asked them to install my broadband for when I finished work at 7. On the night before my usual time off I get a call saying they willnt be able to install it that day. I had no option but to take a different day off.
Thats just how they bill – they dont give you a refund and arrange an alternative date. Anyway, its working now without too many problems and can sit down in my home office happily surfing away! The speed is faster than ID had before so win win for me!. Some will say good old copper is still the best internet connection, but in my last house I found a company called 'Cable'who rolled out fibre to my last house in Hove.
I was extremely impressed and could not believe how fast it is (especially if you have 100Mbps broadband). The other thing is the speed stayed there even when downloading big files like the Ubuntu ISO (this could be the wifi router too though). A great tip to keep your speed consistent is to set a small upload limit as well as a large download limit so that uploads dont slow things down. I’m really pleased with the speeds I get on the Xplornet service.
I live in a dense concrete walled housing estate and there are lots of steel doors, concrete walls (both internal & external). My house has thick 4X4 external walls, and my internal walls were also built very solidly, with 2″ – 8′ brick cavity space between. When I was with BT I occasionally got adverse weather readings when it rained heavily outside, but have not had any adverse weather since switching, even though Xplornet is not their fastest service, due to being more rural.
Water Bills
Water use in the UK can vary depending on geography and seasons. I live out in the country and the water bill averages around -40 or -50 for my husband and myself, but we do have two trees that require a lot of watering. Water bills are not fixed though- they will fluctuate depending on rain levels and watering requirements, so it's worth checking with your provider what your usage is likely to be. So a good tip for bills, is to call up your water supplier and explain your exact usage.
Transportation
Let me open with a statement I would never have expected to make just a few years ago: I have no intention of owning a car in the foreseeable future. This is true, not just because Brighton is such an attractive city to live in but also because of public transportation – or rather the lack thereof – here in the US. Brighton has no subway or tram system, and public transportation is only available via buses.
But these buses have far smaller frequency than you're used to back home, and number on par with frequency of poorly-maintained public transport systems I've seen in other countries (I'm looking at you, Italy). You're forced to rely on something more efficient, cost-effective, and reliable: your own two feet. One of the drawbacks to Brighton is the lack of a train, bus or tube network. While this means it is generally very quick and easy to get around, it can be somewhat annoying not having a direct route from A-B.
The city is currently undergoing an overhaul in this department. Three years ago there were no trams (other than the old ones used for special events), now we have one tram line and another set to open this year. Other than being used as an extremely quick way of heading towards town, they’re also a great way of seeing some parts of the city you might otherwise miss. Getting around in Brighton is an absolute joy.
So many bike lanes that I’ve never had to wait longer than 10 seconds for a green light, it’s almost scary (no lights, just bikes going in every direction). If you’re lucky enough to be based at the top end of town, you can grab the free bus service which runs down Queen’s road. There are also a number of paid buses that run from various stops within the city to London. I've seen people have over £50 taken off their bills just because they'd measured the water they use.
Entertainment
Although you'll be too tired to go out, weekends still provide the opportunity to visit the cinema. Brighton is home to a wide range of independent cinemas and arthouse cinemas, many offering students discounts. The city's main cinema is Odeon on North Street, which is part of an international entertainment company with branches around the world. The chain offers big-screen blockbuster movies in addition to studio releases. Cineworld Pavilions, located at the seafront Marina, is a giant 12-screen multiplex where you can experience blockbuster films on the biggest screens in town.
I enjoy watching films at the cinema but find that sometimes the cinema can be very expensive! When I started studying in Brighton, I soon found out that it was cheaper to watch films at home. The cinema also changes the price for students so you'll never have to miss a film. To get student discount or child prices make sure you go to a site like Entertainmentbookonline where you can get student discount and student deals on almost everything! Employ your off-peak travelcard if you have one, as there are some great cheap tickets to London shows in there.
There is no actual cinema in Brighton; the closest are in Lewes or 2 hours away in London. There is a good art house cinema called The Dukes Cinema, which hold some excellent events and was voted top 50 UK cinema back in April 2012. It is a small cinema but comfortable and worth visiting if you can get a student discount. Theatre tickets are mainly 7 or 8 pounds, however if you don’t mind going to smaller theatres, some of them are only around 5 pounds.
You can find smaller theatres on the Brighton and Hove Council website , they list all the ones in Brighton. There are a few theatres around. The biggest is the Brighton Centre for Concerts and Exhibitions which is nice if you want to go to the circus or see a show, however there are also the smaller theatres such as The Hanovre and the Dome. There is no shortage of entertainment here in Brighton and Hove, but only if you take the time to look for it! Here are a few things that my friends and I have been up to recently.
Cinema
Cinema-wise, Brighton is a bit hit and miss. I would reccomend the Dukes Komedia, as you can get cheap student film tickets (only £4) as well as great décor and food - not to mention screens which haven't been smudged by an overly excited audience member. The other cinema in Brighton, the Ocean, isn't so good. Unless you pay about £8 on a weekend night to see late-night films. Most cinema's now are showing films that are at least a couple of months old, which means you are not paying a fortune to watch the latest film.
The Odeon has all the major films, such as iron man 3 etc, but if you want to see a good film but don't think its going to win an Oscar, try the Dukes komedia. The cinema in Brighton costs around 8 for entry, however you can get discount if a student or child. The main cinema is Odeon, which is the same building that holds Pryzm. There is also the big Cineworld at the Marina, however Id recommend trying the Dukes Komedia cinema, which has sofas at the back!.
Other activities in Brighton would include the swimming pool, which is 7 for a full day pass. It has some really good arcade machines and thermal spa, so it’s pretty enjoyable! There are also some amazing places to eat with restaurants that have views of the sea. Down the road from the Poly is Dukes Komedia, the smaller cinema with a slightly different feel. They have a few sofas and reclining chairs towards the back.
They also have a bar at the front where you can order drinks in your seats which is pretty cool!. As for films, Brighton has a great selection! Too many to mention, so the main thing is to get a copy of The Argus on Sunday evening and look through all the films they have reviewed!. How do you pay? You can by cheque, or if you have a credit or debit card, that works too.
Drinking
If like me you're a student who is strapped for cash and newly arrived to Brighton, then read this article for tips on the best places to go for cheap drinks. I will also include some pubs which are reasonably priced. In addition to this, I will also give you information on how to get into parties and clubs for free and how much it'd cost to drink there. Drinking in Brighton has become a sore subject for many residents in recent years.
Whether it be the council tax rises or the constant attempts to run down our nightlife; it feels like the council is at war with us and our right to drink. Anyway this article will cover some of our worst pubs, best pubs and where you can get a pint for under. The real problem is that everyone gets too drunk. Bagsy doing all the driving. and nobody has any cash on them.
That's why it can be silly to go out for drinks in Brighton, sometimes its cheaper to get a taxi home than to get the train. At least if you live in croydon you have free transport, but not if youre just visiting. Drinking. The average cost of a pint in Brighton now seems to be around 4 at most pubs. If you go to a decent pub, they will often vary between 3-5. On the other hand, if you are after a bargain, Id recommend trying PavTav, Yates (which has half price drinks till 8pm on weekdays) or Whetherspoons.
Stuck in a rut? I think it’s true to say that we all fall into the cycle of going to the same places; bars and clubs we know, or pubs we grew up close to. But sometimes, you just need a change, with Brighton being as vast and varied as it is, there’s always somewhere different to go. Is there a better way? The answer is – yes. There are plenty of alternatives to getting drunk in Brighton and Hove and some can be quite surprising.
Club Entry
But lets say you are interested in more than just entry fees, because lets face it…10 pound for entry is steep. Youre obviously going to want to spend more on pre-drink, right? So you might think, that 20 pounds, or even 30 pounds, is a good price for one night out. Then you realise that if you were to go to clubs more often than once a month you would be spending more money than that each time.
Then you realise that if you started to go out twice a week instead of once a month, which will probably happen over the summer due to warmer weather and bank holidays, then your going to be spending 50 quid every single week on club entry only. Though the club entry price in the UK might seem like a lot to pay out at first glance, it is actually remarkably cheap when you compare it to other countries.
There are cities in Canada, such as Montreal and Toronto that charge around 15. New York is the most expensive at just over 20. Even London charges 13 when compared to Manchester and Birmingham who go a whole 9 quid cheaper than the capital at 14. The reason you should never pay over 10 for entry anywhere is because the club wont get many people. If the club isnt packed, then they will struggle to make any money on drinks.
Drink prices can end up being very high if the clubs not full of people staying out until 5 in the morning, so if you really want to save money on drinks (and who doesnt?) make sure you arrive at some point before 1 am. Club entry fees are probably one of the most annoying parts of nightlife in the UK. If you get it wrong, it costs you a small fortune and impacts your ability to pre-drink.
But luckily I’m about to show you how you CAN get it right, while still getting entry into your favourite clubs without having to worry about money and time spent in queues. Club entry fees dont really vary too much from place to place, and there are still alot of places that do charge way too high. For example, you could go into one club, pay 5 for a £3 vodka mixer and 2 for an overpriced can of lager.
Eating Out
Eating out is a massive part of my life, and an important part of my Brighton experience. With the weather being so good here we can pretty much eat out everyday. As I was studying at university I needed to be a little bit more fussy with how I spent my money and the best way to ensure not eating out too often was to plan ahead meals and take them to college with me.
Because Im self-catered for my entire uni degree Ive become very good at planning cheap and easy meals that enable me to cook for around £3 per meal (and sometimes less, on student budgets), which has been something Im really proud of. Ive created a spreadsheet to help you keep track of how much you spend eating out each week. I estimate that during the last 7 working days I spent around £58. 00 on food at lunch time and £115.
11 in total on eating out for the week. If you would like to use this spreadsheet to keep track of your weekly spending, please click here to download it to your computer (make sure you open this link in Google Sheets). Ive had a love hate relationship with eating out for as long as I can remember. Ive always treated it as something to do once in a while to celebrate or when we have family in town, but lately Ive been on a bit of an eating-out binge.
Not knowing anyone well enough to host them all of the time and being a bit anti, Ive learned that its much cheaper and also more fun to eat out or go for drinks somewhere. Eating out when you’re working in a foreign country is one of the best parts about living abroad, its also one of the biggest factors that can turn people off to living abroad. However, I have been able find some great restaurants in Brighton that are both cheap and good quality and it feels like every other week some new restaurant is appearing in Brighton!.
My Guiltiest Pleasure at the moment is eating out. I know a lot of people will be quick to judge me for that, especially since Im trying to get fit and lose weight. But if you're like me, then you will understand that when you enjoy food so much, sometimes its nice to just treat yourself without feeling guilty about it. That wouldnt be too bad but if you do that in every single club you will be left fairly poor.
