Living in the UK: Everything You Need to Know

A single person renting in a major UK city outside London typically budgets between £1,800 and £2,500 per month, covering rent, utilities, food, transport, and leisure. In London, a comfortable single-person budget starts at around £2,800 to £3,500 per month depending on location and lifestyle. ONS data for 2026 shows average private rents of £2,253 per month in London and £767 in the North East.

Most people moving to the UK on a visa of six months or more pay an Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) as part of their visa application, which gives them access to NHS services on broadly the same basis as UK residents. After arriving, you register with a local GP — this is your main point of contact for non-emergency healthcare. Emergency treatment at A&E is available to everyone regardless of immigration status.

England and Wales have 8 public bank holidays in 2026. Scotland has 9 and Northern Ireland has 10, as each nation has its own schedule. Bank holidays are not automatic days off — whether you are entitled to take them depends on your employment contract, so it is worth checking your terms before assuming.

Most non-UK nationals need a work visa to be employed in the UK. The most common route is the Skilled Worker visa, which requires a confirmed job offer from a licensed sponsor employer and a salary meeting the relevant threshold — the general minimum for most roles in 2026 is £38,700 per year. Irish nationals and those with indefinite leave to remain do not need a work visa. EU and EEA nationals who have not already secured settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme also need a visa to work in the UK.

The UK has a temperate maritime climate — mild, wet, and changeable year-round. Summers are warm rather than hot, with average highs of 18 to 22 degrees Celsius in most of England. Winters are cool and damp rather than severely cold, with average lows rarely dropping below freezing in southern England. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland tend to be wetter and cooler than England. Rain is distributed fairly evenly across all seasons, so an umbrella is always useful.

The best city depends on your priorities. London offers the widest job market and international community but has the highest cost of living in the UK. Manchester is the most popular alternative — a large, diverse city with a strong economy, lower rents, and good transport links. Edinburgh is highly liveable with a strong tech and financial sector. Birmingham, Leeds, and Bristol all have growing economies and more affordable housing than London. Many expats find that mid-sized cities offer a better balance of opportunity and quality of life than the capital.