And you thought Zone 6 was a long way to have to commute.
An anthropology student at the University of London has demonstrated the utter insanity of the capital's living costs by choosing to live in Poland and commute in, as it actually works out cheaper.
23-year-old Jonathan Davey pre-booked trains, flights and buses for a year in advance and commutes 1,000 miles weekly, living in Gdansk in the north of Poland, travelling to London on Wednesday morning, then flying back Friday evening.
He told The Mirror: "It’s hard to believe it’s cheaper to commute 1,000 miles than live just round the corner. But the cost of living for students is crippling. I’m thousands of pounds a year better off living in Poland. I leave home in Gdansk and fly to Luton at 6am on Wednesdays. Because of the hour time difference, I’m sat in my first lecture by 10am. I have lectures Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and then fly back to Poland until I do it all again the next Wednesday. It works brilliantly. My parents think I’m mad, but they’ve always known I’m a free spirit. I’ve shown them the figures and they can see I’m saving a fortune. Flying backwards and forwards every week makes life feel a bit like a permanent holiday."
When he's in London, he stays in cheap hostels or on friends' couches, meaning that the total cost of his commute is £2,100 per year. In comparison, living in London would cost around £220 per week. He came up with the idea after travelling in Europe last year and studying the prices to find the cheapest place to live. You can't argue with the numbers can you?
And that's not to mention the culture: never mind Buckingham Palace and the rest - in Gdansk he can enjoy sights such as The Royal Road, numerous historical churches, a national art museum, the Gdansk Shakespeare Theatre, the Royal Chapel and the Great Armoury.
Perhaps the University of London should cut out the middleman and just start a new campus there?
(Image: Rex)
