Sabbatical Budget for 1 Month in London

Budget London? Isn’t that an oxymoron? The British capital isn’t exactly known as a cheap destination. When I decided to change my sabbatical itinerary, I was afraid switching gears from Istanbul to London would completely kill my budget. I did wind up spending about $200 more than planned. But that was just the difference in the cost of an Airbnb rental from city to city – everything else pretty much evened out. Here is exactly what I spent on my budget for 1 month in London.

Note: This month-long stay took place in 2016. I’ve made notes wherever I can about how prices have changed as of summer 2025.

Transportation $499.03

flight to London $203.93
Stansted Express $24.66
one-way train to East Dulwich $7.92
Oystercard $193.22
round-trip train to Bath $69.30

Note: The Stansted Express appears to have reduced its fares since my trip. A Monthly Travelcard for London public transport is currently about $225 (converted to USD). Between higher public transportation within the city and slightly lower airfares and longer train routes, I believe a transportation budget for 1 month in London would still be comparable in 2025 to what I spent in 2016.

Accommodations $670

30 nights in a private room off Airbnb $670

Note: Sadly, this is nowhere near the realm of possibility for 2025. The lowest I can find and still think it’s a decent looking place to stay is around $1200 a month.

Dining $422.88

1 month’s worth groceries at Sainsbury’s $147.32
1 breakfast at Athens airport $8.99
1 breakfast at Benugo $5.78
1 breakfast at Society Cafe $5.58
1 breakfast at Blackbird Bakery $4.45
1 lunch at Athens airport $6.69
1 lunch at Royal Oak pub $12.33
1 lunch at Herman ze German $8.86
6 lunches at train station $42.85
1 lunch at Pret a Manger $8.90
1 lunch at Borough Market $4.94
1 lunch at Queen’s Arms pub $22.87
1 lunch at Maltby Street Market $12.36
1 afternoon tea at The Wallace Collection $25.88
1 dinner from M&S $13.82
1 dinner at Byron $20.85
1 dinner at Pret a Manger $6.37
1 dinner at Sally Lunn’s House $18.40
1 dinner at Cafe TPT $9.81
1 dinner at The Golden Hind $17.11
2 snacks at Benugo $6.88
1 snack at Toi & Moi Cafe $2.20
1 snack at The Lodge $5.93
1 snack at train station $3.71

Note: You can still absolutely find budget eats under $15. Pub meals are also still pretty comparable to what I spent here. You can enjoy a set menu at Sally Lunn’s in Bath for 20 pounds. The particular afternoon tea I mention here is now 45 pounds, but there are other teas in London closer to 25-30. I might round up my food budget for 1 month in London to $500 to be safe, but I don’t think this category would be doubled.

Entertainment $295.30

Audioguide tour of Houses of Parliament $24.01
Audioguide tour of Westminster Abbey $24.88
Sherlock Holmes Museum $18.66
Alternative London street art tour $12.44
Gin Social at Graphic Bar Soho $7.36
Wicked ticket at Apollo Victoria Theatre $21.46
Liar Liar Square Mile tour with Fun London Tours $12.26
(Note: I received a discounted rate on this tour as part of a group of bloggers. I believe it is currently only available as a private tour by appointment.)
Jane Austen Centre $13.49
Sipsmith Distillery tour $30.66
Soho Murder Mile tour $18.33 (Note: This is no longer available as a guided tour but there is a great podcast that you could use to DIY your route if you’re a true crime fan.)
Churchill War Rooms $23.49
Guided tour of Globe Theatre $18.54
Kensington Palace $22.25
Literary Pub Crawl tour $29.67
drinks at Marquis of Granby pub $5.87
drinks at Soho Theatre $5.69
drinks at the Pig & Fiddle $6.24

Note: Many tours are significantly more expensive. I would likely need about $100 more in my entertainment budget.

Miscellaneous $101.03

2 drinks at Athens airport $7.98
restock shampoo at Lush $10.97
replace clothes at H&M $51.04
restock toiletries at Sainsbury’s $2.56
restock contact solution at Boots $5.44
gifts/souvenirs at December 25 $8.93
restock toiletries at Boots $6.17
postage on absentee ballot $1.64
restock batteries at Natural History Museum $6.30

Total: $1988.24
Average Spent Per Day: $63.11

Note: A 2025 budget for 1 month in London would more likely be $2700 in total or about $90 per day. Still pretty good, right?

How I Saved

• Staying in Zone 2
  While it did require spending more time on public transport, accommodations are considerably cheaper in Zone 2 of the city than the more central Zone 1. From my Airbnb in East Dulwich, London Bridge and the Shard were 20 minutes away. Being a bit further from the city center also meant going out was very intentional. I probably would have been guilty of more impulse purchases if the center had been closer at hand.
• Utilitarian eating
  You may have noticed I had a lot of meals picked up from the train station or a Pret a Manger to be eaten unceremoniously in transit. As fun as it is to engage with other cultures through their food, traveling on a shoestring budget doesn’t lend itself to making every single meal an experience. Takeaway sandwiches from chains during the week meant having the funds for a nicer pub dinner on the weekend. 
• Planning entertainment in advance
  When I decided to visit London instead of Istanbul, I knew my budget had a firm cap. I spent a day before my flight with my nose in a notebook, sketching out what activities I wanted to do when, and of course, how much they would cost. I booked all my tours in advance so that entertainment budget was used up and couldn’t be touched during the month. Having a more rigidly planned itinerary from the moment I landed made it easier not to get carried away with impulsive spending.
• Knowing where to buy groceries
  Because I studied abroad in England, I already had some familiarity with British brands. I knew going in M&S would be considerably more expensive than Sainsbury’s. Luckily, there was a large Sainsbury’s supermarket practically in my backyard. But had that not been the case, I would have probably sought one out.
• Planning short overnights around Couchsurfing availability
  I was very glad to get an overnighter in my old stomping grounds of Bath. But if I hadn’t secured a Couchsurfing host for that visit, I wouldn’t have gone. I also sent out a few requests to hosts in Scotland, but those went unanswered, so I amended my plans to stay in London.