Good base salary in London?

Don't mean to offend anyone, so apologies in advance - I know this can be a sensitive topic. I'm moving to London from NYC where I earned a good base salary and bonus in Finance. I have no idea what I need in order to live the same lifestyle in London, and all of the charts and surveys don't really apply to me (young, single, no dependants, etc). Is 95kGBP base plus bonus enough to have a good lifestyle in central London with a nice apartment and car? I like to go out and have a good time, and the # value of the income is below what I was making in the US, so I am concerned especially given the exchange rate lately and the notorious reputation London has for a high cost-of-living (ranked 4th this year worldwide). Thanks for your help!

Good base salary in London?
95K certainly sounds like more than enough to live on, but if you have expensive tastes, that will affect your decision.





My advice would be to find out before you leave what area you'll be working/living in, and how much you'd need to pay for the kind of apartment you describe.





Public transport in London is fairly unbearable, and traffic makes driving to work unreliable, so I would recommend finding an apartment close to work if possible.





For property research, I'd start off with Foxtons; they have a good list of suitable corporate-let properties, which will act as a guide.


http://www.foxtons.co.uk





Good luck.
Reply:I fully agree to the answers above especially concerning the fact that it all depends how you define a nice apartment, how central you want that apartment to be and what you do to have a good time.





Also totally second the option that living close to work is a very good idea, driving to work is if anything even worse than using the public transport.





What I just want to say is that it seems inevitable to me that you are going to have to take a (small) step back. You will be earning less, are faced with an unfavourable exchange rate and cost-of-living in London, especially with regards to rent are higher than in NY. On the plus side, you will have a change of scenery and a chance to go to Brighton in the weekends, haha.
Reply:That is a very good salary - more than four times the national average, and still more than three times the capitals average. Even in pricy London you will be able to have a pretty good lifestyle earning that much





If you are not absolutely set on central London you might like to check out Docklands for accomodation - the Light Railway will get you into the city very quickly, and you will have a choice of various converted warehouses or amazing newbuilds to live in. Plus lots of bars and restaurants on the dockside.





I will expect dinner when you're settled in!