The London Underground is the third largest metro network in the world. Since the first section opened in 1863, it's grown to stretch more than 250 miles across the capital connecting 272 stations.
However, for those considering where to live in London, it can be overwhelming with 11 lines, plus the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), Elizabeth Line, National Rail services and the recently renamed London Overground lines.
To make life easier for the capital's buyers and renters, Barratt London has mapped the average monthly rents and sale prices alongside travel times to central London.
Below, you'll also find advice from property experts about how to calculate your budget, whether you're looking to rent or buy a new home in London.
The most affordable and high-value areas to live on the Underground
London's most affordable rents
Excluding areas outside fare zones 1-6, there are 10 London areas with market rents of £1,500 per calendar month (PCM) or less. This includes postcodes surrounding the Windrush, Elizabeth, Central and Piccadilly lines.
At the most affordable end of the spectrum, Anerley, Penge West and Norwood Junction sit on one of the London Overground's newly-named red-coloured Windrush line. These south London areas boast the capital's lowest monthly rents at around £1,400 and speedy commutes to London Bridge.
In West Drayton in the London Borough of Hillingdon, London's newest line, the Elizabeth Line gets you to Paddington in just 26 minutes.
On the eastern side of the Elizabeth Line, where a commute to Liverpool Street will take less than 40 minutes, Gidea Park has east London's lowest average monthly rent at £1,460.
London's most affordable house prices
Focusing on Zones 1-6, some of the most affordable properties in the capital can be found along the District, Hammersmith & City, Suffragette, Weaver and Elizabeth lines.
In Dagenham East, and nearby Becontree and Dagenham Heathway (which are served by the District line) property prices over the past three years averaged under £350,000. All three east London areas get you into Fenchurch Street in less than 50 minutes.
Barking and Barking Riverside (which only opened in 2022) also offer some of the best value property in London with mean house prices of £358,000. Barking is particularly well-connected, straddling the District, Hammersmith & City and Suffragette lines. A commute to Fenchurch Street takes just 20 minutes.
In north London, adjacent areas Edmonton Green, Southbury and Turkey Street, all sit on the maroon parallel lines representing the Weaver line. Here, house prices average approximately £366,000, and short journey times to major train stations like King's Cross and St. Pancras make them popular commuter hubs.
London's most expensive rents
London's most expensive rents are concentrated in inner London boroughs like Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, and the City of London with areas on the Circle, District, Jubilee, Piccadilly, Victoria, Central, Elizabeth and Northern lines represented.
Renting a place with up to two bedrooms close to Westminster, which sits on the Circle, District and Jubilee lines, will set you back almost £14,000 each month. Similarly, you can expect to pay close to £12,000 in Sloane Square in the heart of Chelsea.
London's most expensive house prices
Unsurprisingly, Zone 1 locations like Westminster, Oxford Circus and Hyde Park Corner are some of the most expensive areas to buy in London. The areas in the top 10 are spread across eight lines.
The average property in Westminster will set you back more than £5 million, whilst you'll need more than £4.5 million if you want to live close to Oxford Circus. Predictably, Hyde Park Corner is another expensive area. You'll pay a premium to live in close proximity to two of London's most famous parks, Hyde Park and Green Park - over £3.8 million.
How to calculate your rental budget
Jonathan Rolande, founder of House Buy Fast, explains why steadfast affordability rules can be unrealistic in London:
“There isn't really a reliable general rule for affordability for working out your rental budget. This is because everyone's income and circumstances are different. Plus, at the moment, London rents are hitting record highs meaning any previous guidance on how much you might need to put aside could be outdated and irrelevant.
“While some experts will tell you 20% of your monthly income is the right number, others will tell you that closer to 30% of your wages should be spent on housing. But recent reports have found people in some parts of London are spending half their income on rent. Before applying, ask the landlord or agent if they have strict affordability criteria. Remember, you may be able to get around this by offering several months' rent in advance or by providing a guarantor.
“Outside of the monthly payment to your landlord, there are other costs involved in renting a flat or a house. You're likely to have to pay council tax, water bills, service charges, and gas and electricity bills. Additionally, you may wish to pay for a TV licence, contents insurance and broadband internet. All of these should be taken into account when working out affordability.”
How to calculate mortgage affordability
Looking to buy your first home? Mortgage expert at TNHG New Build Mortgage Services, Terry Higgins, explains how to work out your budget:
“Broadly speaking, mortgage lenders will lend up to five times your income (if you're buying on your own) or five times your combined household income (if you're buying with somebody else).
“Generally, you will need a deposit of at least 5%, although there are a few lenders and schemes that will allow a smaller or even no deposit in certain circumstances. That said, the bigger your deposit, the wider your choice of mortgage products. Plus, it will bring down your mortgage interest rate - and therefore your monthly payments.
“A good mortgage broker will do all the leg work for you, including helping you understand how much you can borrow. Strict rules govern lenders and prevent you from borrowing more than you can afford.
“But you also have to be comfortable with the repayments. It's a good idea to sit down with a recent bank statement and look at your monthly ingoings and outgoings. This will give you an idea of your monthly affordability.”
Read our guide on getting mortgage ready.
Methodology
Average rental price
We took the first half of each station's postcode and extracted average listed prices for properties for rent within a one-mile radius using housesforsaletorent.co.uk in May 2024. Where there wasn't specific data available for the postcode, the station name was used instead. We excluded areas outside fare zones 1-6 which while on the Underground map, are outside of London.
Average house price
We took the first half of each station's postcode and extracted average house prices from property transactions within the last three years using housesforsaletorent.co.uk. Again, we searched within a one-mile radius. Where there wasn't specific data available for the postcode, the station name was used instead. We excluded areas outside fare zones 1-6 which while on the Underground map, are outside of London.
Travel Time
Each station was run through the Google Maps API to extract journey times to 10 hub stations: Waterloo; Paddington; King's Cross; St. Pancras; Euston; Charing Cross; Victoria; London Bridge; Fenchurch Street; and Liverpool Street.
