A Goldsmith’s University student has made the decision to save money by living in Poland and commute by plane to lectures rather than rent in London.
Anthropology student Jonathan Davey moved to Gdańsk in Poland in order to save money on his accommodation rent. In an interview with The Mirror, he said that paying rent in Gdansk, flight return tickets and transport to and from the airport cost him £2,100 a year.
He estimated that living in his University of London campus instead would require him to pay up to £220 a week.
He flies to London every Wednesday and back to Gdańsk on Friday when he has finished his lectures. Explaining how this commuting lifestyle works for him, he said: “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. Flying backwards and forwards every week makes life feel a bit like a permanent holiday.”
When in London, he stays in hostels or in friends’ flats. Jonathan occasionally goes to visit his parents in Hampshire. When he was asked what his parents think about this, he said: “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.”
The Guardian reported that housing costs in London have increased on average by £30,000 up to £493,026, during the past year. Students are struggling to pay the rents and the NUS has urged students to take action against the increasing costs of university accommodation.
London housing costs are also an issue for recent graduates and young professionals. Sam Cookney moved from London to Barcelona in June to save money. Cookney, who works in social media, commutes to London between three and four times a month. Cookney, like Jonathan, asserted that his quality of life has also improved.
He believes that he is not the only one who has this lifestyle. Speaking to The Guardian, he said: “I think there’re a few people doing it. I really think with the changing nature of work, office, life, we’re going to see more of this.”
