Hi there, I’ve been living in Aberdeen for about 5 years now so I can give you a general overview. Housing is probably the biggest monthly expense – you’re looking at around £700-£900 for a decent 1-bed flat in the city center, or £550-£700 if you don’t mind being a bit further out. Utilities for a 1-bed flat usually run me £100-£150 per month all in.

As for other costs, groceries are pretty standard for a UK city. You can get by on £200-£300 per month if you cook at home and don’t go too crazy. Eating out isn’t too pricey, maybe £12-£18 for a meal in the mid-range places. Pint of beer is around £4-£5.

Transport can add up if you need to drive a lot and pay for parking, but a monthly bus pass is quite reasonable at £59. I just tend to walk everywhere I can since the city center is compact.

Entertainment is probably the big variable cost. There’s lots of nice pubs, restaurants, and cultural activities if you want to take advantage. But you can also spend very little if you just stick to basics. £40k is a decent salary to cover all living costs here while still having some left over each month in my experience. Let me know if any other specific costs!

I agree with FittieFollower on most points. The city center flats can get really pricey, especially for anything larger than a 1-bed. If you’re willing to live a bit outside, places like the West End have some more affordable options in that £500-£700 range for a nice 1-bed.

As for other costs, I’d say groceries skew a tad higher than some other cities. You’re probably looking at £300+ per month for a single person buying decent stuff. Eating out isn’t too bad if you stick to cheap eats, maybe £8-£12 for a decent meal. The mid-range places do add up quickly though.

Utilities are very expensive in my experience, £150-£200 per month even for a smaller 1-bed flat. The brutal North Sea winds really ramp up heating costs in winter. Transportation is affordable if you get a season bus/rail pass.

Overall, I’d say £40k is enough for a comfortable but not lavish lifestyle as a single person in Aberdeen. You can make it work while still saving a bit each month if you’re reasonable with nights out and don’t go too extravagant with your flat. The high rental costs are probably the biggest budget constraint for your situation.

As someone who moved to Aberdeen for university and ended up staying after graduating, I’d say the cost of living here is generally manageable but can add up quickly if you’re not careful.

Housing is definitely the biggest monthly outgoing – you’re probably looking at £650-£900 for a decent one-bed flat anywhere remotely central. The prices have shot up in recent years. Groceries at places like Lidl aren’t too bad, maybe £180-£250 per month for a single person buying basic stuff.

Eating out is quite affordable if you stick to cheap takeaways and pub grub. Maybe £10-£15 for a meal in those kinds of places. The mid-range places will set you back £15-£25 per person though.

Utilities are also pretty hefty, possibly £100-£150 per month even for a small flat. Mobile/internet deals are reasonable at £20-£40 per month. Transport is affordable with an Aberdeen bus pass at £59 or get a car if you need to travel regionally.

I’d say £40k is enough to live a decent lifestyle here as long as you are smart with going out drinking/dining too frequently and don’t go too luxurious with your flat. There are also ways to cut costs by hitting happy hours, doing free park walks/beach visits, etc. It’s a great city but many recurring costs do add up quickly.

Lots of good insights already shared. As someone born and raised in Aberdeen, I’d agree that housing will likely be your biggest monthly expense – though it does depend a bit on your standards and how central you need to be.

For a decent one-bed flat, you’re probably looking at:
– £700-£900 in the city center
– £550-£750 in areas like Old Aberdeen or Rosemount
– £450-£600 farther out in areas like Northfield or Bridge of Don

Grocery costs can vary a lot depending on your habits. I’d estimate:
– £180-£250 per month for basic stuff from Lidl/Aldi
– £250-£350 for higher-end items from Tesco/Sainsbury’s
– Maybe £400+ if you really push it with a lot of M&S/organic stuff

Eating out is pretty reasonable if you stick to mid-range places. $15-$25 for a meal, $4-$6 for a pint. Higher-end places will run you $40+ for two people though. Utilities are significant too, $150+ per month even for a smaller flat.

Overall, I think £40k is enough to live comfortably here as a single professional – but being smart with big costs like housing, nights out, and any car payments is wise. The northeast has quite a high general cost of living compared to other parts of Scotland. Let me know if any other specific Aberdonian insights would be helpful!

Most of the key costs have been well covered, but I’ll chime in as someone raising a family of 4 in Aberdeen. The costs can really pile up beyond just a single person!

For our 3-bedroom flat, we pay £1200 per month in rent – £900-£1100 seems typical for that size in decent areas like West End or Mannofield. Utilities run us around £200 per month, easily £250+ in winter.

Groceries are our other big expense, probably £500-£600 per month shopping mostly at Aldi/Lidl, with weekly top-up trips to Tesco. Could maybe do it for £400 if really disciplined.

We try to limit eating out to £100-£150 per month, taking advantage of kids-eat-free deals where possible. A family meal out at a mid-range restaurant is still £40-£60 after drinks.

Transport is another big one – I have a £195 monthly train pass to commute for work. Also having one car payment, insurance, and fuel probably runs us £350 per month.

With childcare costs for 2 kids in nursery/afterschool (£800 per month) and other family expenses, it all adds up very quickly. I’d say £40K is enough for a decent single lifestyle in Aberdeen, but starts to get very tight for providing for a family. The costs can really pile up beyond just housing and groceries!

Chiming in as someone who went through a period of underemployment after getting made redundant a few years back – the cost of living in Aberdeen can be really challenging on a lower income!

When I was getting by on around £18k per year, my budget was squeezed extremely tight. My strategies included:

– Renting a small studio flat in Woodside for £450/month
– Grocery budget of £120-£150/month, sticking to basics from Aldi/Lidl
– Taking the bus everywhere with £59/month pass to avoid car costs
– Avoiding eating out/drinking, sticking to free activities like walks and library
– No luxuries like TV subscriptions, gym memberships, etc.
– Minimal utility/mobile costs – maybe £60/month combined

Even still, after rent there was barely over £700 per month for all other expenses, which is incredibly tight for an expensive city like Aberdeen. Things like an unexpected car repair or medical bill could really derail me financially.

I recognize I was in a tough spot, but Aberdeen’s high costs for basics like housing/heat/mobile really make it difficult to get by on lower incomes like that. Even with budgeting skills, £40k is probably a minimum to live decently but not extravagantly here. The costs can feel brutal for lower income residents. Wishing you the best with your move!

As a student at RGU, I can share some perspective on living costs in Aberdeen on a really tight budget!

My biggest expense is rent, paying £450 per month for a small studio flat in Seaton. Not the fanciest, but it works for me. Utilities like electric/heat add another £50-£60 per month.

For food, I spend around £100-£120 per month by sticking to basics from Aldi and Lidl – lots of pasta, rice, beans, frozen veggies, etc. Barely any eating out apart from an occasional £5 kebab after the pub!

In terms of getting around, I just walk or take the bus everywhere. £59 for a monthly bus pass is reasonable, at least.

Entertainment is keeping costs low by going to cheap student nights (£2 entry, £1 drinks) and just chilling at friend’s flats a lot. Also take advantage of having an RGU sports membership included in tuition.

Overall, I probably get by on around £700-£800 per month as a uni student in Aberdeen. It’s definitely tight, but still more affordable than some places down south at least. Having a part-time job during term is almost essential to get by though. Let me know if you have any other student finance tips for the city!

I’ll provide my perspective as someone living just outside Aberdeen in Cove Bay. The costs can be a bit lower than right in the city center itself.

For housing, we pay £800 per month for a nice 2-bed apartment. Similar places seem to run £600-£850 in areas like Cove, Portlethen, and other Aberdeenshire suburbs. Definitely more affordable than comparable flats in the city center which seem to start at £700+ for a 1-bed.

Grocery costs are about average for us. We spend £300-£400 per month for 2 people by shopping at the Portlethen Aldi/Lidl and topping up with Tesco/Co-op trips. Eating out for a mid-range meal in Cove is maybe £35 for two with drinks.

My commute costs for driving into the city are probably my biggest expenditure beyond rent. With fuel, car payment, insurance, and city parking fees, I’d estimate £250+ per month. Taking a park & ride bus could reduce that a bit.

Entertainment is reasonable by going to movies (£8 evening tix), doing walks/beaches, or just having mates over. Easy to spend <£100/mo unless going out drinking a lot. Utilities average £120 per month, and mobile/internet around £45. No real complaints about those costs. Overall, I’d say someone could live quite comfortably – while still saving some each month – on a £40k salary while renting in the Aberdeenshire suburbs just outside the city. The rental costs are definitely more palatable than in downtown Aberdeen itself! Let me know if any other suburb insights would be helpful.

As someone who owns their own home in the Broomhill area, I can provide a bit of a different perspective on costs.

For context, we purchased our 3-bed semi-detached home a few years ago at around £285k. Similar properties in the area seem to be selling for £300k-£350k currently based on what I’ve seen on Rightmove.

Our current mortgage payment is about £1,050 per month – though that’s locked in at a decent rate before all the interest rate hikes. I’d expect new buyers to be paying £1,200-£1,400 per month or more now for a similar home loan amount.

On top of the mortgage, our council tax is £175 per month and utilities for the home work out to £200+ on average over the year. So just the basic operating costs for the home are quite hefty at around £1,400-£1,600 per month before other expenses.

Groceries, transport, entertainment and other costs are pretty in line with what others have mentioned. We probably spend £400-£500 per month for a family of 3 on groceries doing a mix of Aldi/Lidl and higher-end shops.

One nice perk is not having to pay exorbitant city center rates for activities like gyms, sports clubs, and kids’ activities being in the suburbs.

Overall, I’d agree that £40k is enough to rent comfortably, but think you’d really need a dual-income closer to £60k+ total to be able to properly afford your own place in Aberdeen while also saving adequately. The homeownership costs are very high relative to local salaries. Let me know if any other home-buying queries!

I’ll weigh in with my experience as a young professional renting with my partner in the city center.

Our current 1-bed flat is costing us £875 per month in rent, which was probably on the higher end for a “nice” modern place in a central area like the Quine Development. Expect to pay around £700-£800 for an average condition 1-bed downtown.

Grocery-wise, we spend around £300 per month by splitting between places like Aldi for basics and Tesco/Sainsbury’s for top-ups and pricier items. Could maybe do it for £250 if we cut down on some luxuries like fancy cheeses, craft beers, etc.

Eating out is probably our biggest variable cost – if we split appetizers, mains, drinks and dessert at mid-range places, a single meal can easily run £45-£60 for two people. But there are also plenty of great affordable spots for £25 or under per couple.

In terms of transit, we both take the bus mostly, so £118 per month for two monthly passes. Parking is also quite expensive if you need to drive regularly downtown.

Entertainment, we take advantage of lots of free parks, museums, and events around Aberdeen. But things like pub nights, concert tickets, and memberships can add up quickly.

Utilities are significant at around £120 per month even in our smaller flat. Mobile/wifi is maybe another £60 combined per month.

Overall, I’d say £40k offers a pretty comfortable lifestyle for a young professional in Aberdeen – allowing you to rent a nice flat, eat out semi-regularly, and still put some money away each month. But it doesn’t offer a ton of wiggle room for big luxuries or extravagant purchases. Let me know if any other questions!