It appears commuters are better off living outside London – even with the price of train travel included.
* Search for prime property for sale in the Home Counties
The cost of living is significantly cheaper for those who venture outside the capital into the ‘commuter belt.’ Life in places like Brighton, Crawley and Reading, for instance, could save commuters more than £300 a month says a report by the Mortgage Advice Bureau
The study comparing commuters’ mortgage repayments and travel costs with the cost of a mortgage on an average-priced property in London and a Travelcard has discovered a lifestyle outside the capital could be financially healthier than one inside the city itself.
Other good commuting hot spots where money can be conserved include Milton Keynes, where travellers can save £550.69 a month; Bedford (£532.29); Eastbourne (£448), Cambridge (£418.42) and Kingston upon Thames (£40.13).
However, commuting might not be all it is cracked up to be.
Workers are spending almost twice as much time commuting than five years ago, because of unreliable public transport and crippling traffic jams, says employment law firm Peninsula, who recently carried out research into how long it takes to get to work for those who live on the periphery of towns and cities.
