PhD studentships in London seem to be around £4k higher than those elsewhere. How far will £16k get you in London and what's rent like near Kensington?

Kensington is a very expensive area of London. Most people who work in that area do not live in it.

got 14K and lived in Earl's Court. paid 600 a month to share very nice flat with one other person. bills were included. living there was the most expensive thing i have ever done but it was great! could walk to lab in 15-20 minutes. High Street Kensington five minutes away. Hyde Park ten minutes. You certainly won't save any money ofcourse, but it is enough to live on.

Yes, Kens is expensive, but if you pick the right parts, you can find accomm that is affordable.

If you pick something like Earl's Court/West Kensington you should find a room in a houseshare for £500-600. If you live further away, you can find cheaper places (e.g. East Acton) but it depends how much time/money you want to spend on transport. Sometimes it's easier and cheaper to live in Zone1 and walk everywhere. Esp when a Monthly Zones 1-3 oystercard is £100!

Kensington is very expensive. I'm assuming you are going to Imperial College like me. Don't do what I'm doing...bought a house with the missus and are renovating (on top of the PhD!) and the mortgage is killing me!

Still, at least you are on the property ladder. Don't underestimate the importance of that! :-)

You could always do the rent-a-room scheme once you are finished, if you have a spare room. Think there are tax breaks for it...