Cost of Living in Hampshire

SpaceInvader

Looking for some advice really on what people would consider a minimum wage to live in Hampshire. I am possibly moving from further up North and know the cost of living down south is quite a bit higher so just wanted to get some ideas from people who lived in the area. I would be working in the Winchester area and would be looking to rent and then eventually buy a house in a year or so. Having done a Rightmove search, house prices look very much out of reach on the salary I will be on but wanted to get people's experiences.

Thank you!

oldMcDonald

Winchester is a very expensive area to live in.

Would you be working / driving in Winchester? The traffic is just awful.

Robert_Sterling_3

Prices vary.

nearlyrich

I think it's a bit of a myth that prices are higher in the south, obviously house prices are higher in many parts of the south compared to much of the north but I can buy diesel cheaper in Bracknell than in Burnley and the prices in Tesco are pretty uniform across the regions.

MoaningMyrtle

Houses in (parts of) Winchester are on a par with (parts of) London.

You can get more affordable houses in Hampshire - Areas of Portsmouth, Petersfield, Eastleigh, Southampton. It depend how far you want to commmute to work.

They are building a new Waitrose and Aldi in Winchester at the moment, there are also large Tescos and Sainsburys there already.

missymugwump

House rents are higher
Council tax sadly is also often higher
Depends how far up North you mean

This is often out weighed by slightly higher wages in the South (industry dependant)
As for supermarkets & other shopping the whole country has a permanent sale on it appears so you should be able to eat LOL

SpaceInvader

Thanks for your replies!

oldMcDonald - I would be working in Winchester area and could live within commuting distance really. But I've been told by a friend that my new pay would not stretch far in that area. From googling, I can see that Winchester itself is quite expensive but I'm open. The difficulty is that it is a completely new area for me and I'd be moving on my own so want to give myself the best chance before I commit. It's a really good career move but I think financially, it's going to be a struggle.

Robert_Sterling - I agree! But using RightMove gives me very little on a 3.5 income. I think studio flats came up.

nearlyrich - Again, I was told that groceries and utilities are more expensive further south. Even things like cinema tickets! My parents visiting the area a while back said petrol was cheaper though.

MoaningMyrtle

Hairdressers and take aways are dearer, cinema is £6.20 in Portsmouth. Parking in Carp Parks is usually expensive, although Winchester has an excellent Park and Ride.

I bought petrol for 89.9p a litre yesterday, now I can't afford to go anywhere!!

missymugwump

If you do not rely on public transport lots of the villages may be cheaper
If your younger of course you may prefer to be in town amongst all the action (actually Winchester is reasonably sedate by day)
Basingstoke is only 2 junctions up motorway & less prestigious so may prove cheaper and only a short commute

Name the area you will be working in and a rough idea of what rent you want to pay im sure locals can advise on best value for money areas
Or are you buying ?

SpaceInvader

I will be working a couple of miles from Winchester and roughly, would want to pay about £500-550 a month in rent - that would leave me a couple of hundred a month I think to save if I've got my figures right. Longer term, yes I would want to buy but with the new salary, I personally don't think this is going to be viable. I'm currently living in Yorkshire, roughly 6hours away.

I'd like to know what locals consider a minimum wage to have a good standard of living in the area. I'm looking really for a 1 bed flat or "apartment" in a friendly, safe area. I am single with no children and live fairly cheap as I'm saving towards my deposit.

oldMcDonald

SpaceInvader wrote: »

nearlyrich - Again, I was told that groceries and utilities are more expensive further south. Even things like cinema tickets! My parents visiting the area a while back said petrol was cheaper though.

I didn't know that!

If it gives you an idea, I paid 97.9p per L of diesel today, which has come down a penny from last week!

Would you prefer to live actually in Winchester, or would you be happy to live in an area that is a little cheaper to rent but is on a direct train route? Are you looking to work in central Winchester or is the possible new job in the outskirts of Winchester?