It is a lot, but if you break it down it’s £400 a month or around £20 a day. Most London based jobs will have that premium baked in.
The choice people have is to move closer, and pay twice as much for a house of the same quality. So it doesn’t look too bad from that angle either.
Generally though, I think the London commuter isn’t getting a great deal. 40%+ tax, high house price, high commuting costs, long hours door to door, childcare potentially. You need to be earning deep into six figures to feel well off whilst living this lifestyle.
They can’t. The UK has been in a major cost of living crisis for years. This past winter even the middle class had to make compromises with their energy use to keep costs under control.
