If you're looking to rent in London, chances are there are two considerations that top your list of criteria: cost and proximity to public transport such as a tube, train station or bus stop.
We've made it easier to find the best locations for transport connections according to your rental budget.
Our interactive map compares average rental costs of a two-bedroom property with data from PTAL (public transport accessibility level), a recognised 'gold standard' measure of the transport connectivity of an area.
Areas in red are those that hit the sweet spot of being relatively affordable and well-connected to public transport links.
The map allows you to set your maximum (and minimum) budget which means you'll only be shown areas you can afford.
How have we worked it out?
We’ve split the Greater London region into hundreds of geographical locations called Lower Layer Super Output Areas (LSOA). An LSOA is just a few streets (smaller than a post code), which allows us to be hyper-local.
We've given each LSOA a score out of 10 for both rental cost and PTAL rating. PTAL is predominantly measured by the walking distance to the nearest bus stop or rail station but also factors in frequency of services during peak hours and average waiting times.
Cheaper properties and those with the best connections according to PTAL have been awarded the best scores.
We've then multiplied these scores together and applied them to a colour spectrum ranging from blue (worst) to red (best).
Where can you rent for your budget?
The map is the best indicator of what areas of London you can afford for the best travel connections. But we've also rounded up some choice options below.
As affordable as possible
If you’re looking to rent a two-bedroom flat in London, you’ll be hard pushed to get any change from £1,000 a month. Only two areas offer average rents of under £900 and both are poorly connected for London transport links.
These are the Cranford area of Hounslow that lies immediately east of Heathrow airport, and South Hornchurch in Havering, where you’d need to walk a couple of miles west to Dagenham to hop onto the nearest tube.
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For under £1,000
Choice at this budget is still limited but Bexley in south east London, located midway between Woolwich and Dartford is your best bet. The specific area is about half-a-mile from Bexleyheath train station to the south or a bit further north on the Bampton Road to Abbey Wood station.
For getting out of London however, the area is pretty good. If you have a car, it’s about five miles to the M25, with the popular Bluewater Shopping Centre just the other side of the motorway.
Under £1,250
Havering in Romford is the top pick for this budget. The residential area next to the Queens Hospital is a short walk from Romford train station from where you can pick up regular services that arrive into London Liverpool Street in just 17 minutes.
There are other options, too. Head to Croydon in the south and the residential area between South Croydon and West Croydon train stations where prices start at a little over £1,000 a month.
Discover more about living in Croydon.
If you fancy being on the river, another potential is Woolwich, at the end of the South Circular road. It offers a myriad of transport options including National Rail, Docklands Light Railway and the ferry.
Under £1,500
With a little more rental budget to play with, you could look at Lewisham in south east London, which is well connected for both Lewisham and Ladywell stations that get you into Victoria or Charing Cross in around 20 minutes.
Another option in the south east is to head to the outskirts of Bromley, specifically at the residential area around Sevenoaks Road - close to Orpington station. From there, you can get a train into central London in around 25 minutes.
Under £1,750
Wandsworth, just south of the Thames, catches the eye in this price bracket and in particular the Winstanley Estate area close to the transport hub of Clapham Junction and just off Plough Road.
But you could also afford to head north of the river to the borough of Islington and just west of Finsbury Park. The closest train station here is Finsbury Park, where a fast train will take you into London Kings Cross in just six minutes.
Up to £2,000 a month
Hackney, and in particular the area just off City Road and north of Old Street station, provides the best transport connection for rental outlay in this bracket. And despite its excellent overground and underground links, if you work in the City, you'll be able to get to the office on foot.
Another well-connected area is Kilburn in the borough of Brent. The area just north of Paddington Recreation ground is well served by Kilburn Park and Kilburn High Road tubes. The A5 runs directly into London if you want to hop on one of the many buses, or directly out to the M1 if you want to get out under your own steam.
Up to £2,250 a month
With this kind of budget for a two-bedroom rental home, the area that stretches from trendy Shoreditch round to Hoxton (around the town hall and the church), offers the much-improved London Overground service.
If you prefer west London, try Hammersmith where the area either side of the A4 trunk road offers speedy transport links in all directions in Zone 2 via no less than four different tube lines.
A third option is to head to north London and the Holloway Road in Islington. It's still zone 2 and benefits from proximity to Holloway Road tube (on the Picadilly Line) and Highbury and Islington (on the Victoria Line).
Under £2,500
At this budget, the well-to-do borough of Westminster starts to present itself. And the top pick is the area just by the south west corner of Regent’s Park.
The closest tube that offers a quick route into central London is Marylebone where you can also pick up a Chiltern Line overground that heads north to some rural scenery in Buckinghamshire, and then on to Birmingham.
The residential area just north of Kings Cross and around the Regent’s Canal is your other option. And by the time you’ve taken a short walk to Kings Cross or St Pancras, you’re firmly in Zone 1 territory.
Up to £2,750
Now a two-bedroom rental home in Kensington & Chelsea is in reach. For the best transport links, head to the north west corner of Hyde Park, just north of the Bayswater Road. You have all the delights of Portobello Road and Notting Hill and the Central Line Tube from either Notting Hill Gate or Queensway.
Looking for an alternative? Head slightly further north to South Hampstead, close to the Finchley Road, where the Jubilee line services employment hotspots such as Westminster and Canary Wharf.
Up to £3,000
At this price point, you can be as connected as you want to be for your two-bedroom rental.
Options include homes to the north of Hyde Park just off the Edgware Road, the area on the Gray’s Inn Road in Farringdon, just south of Kings Cross, or Old Brompton Road near Earls Court.
Up to £5,000
You’re probably more bothered about parking for your private chauffeur than public transport if you’re spending this much a month in rent.
But if you want somewhere really plush – and super central – the area between Tottenham Court Road and Covent Garden, bordered by Charing Cross Road to the west and Drury Lane to the east is your playground. Rents for a two-bedroom home average an eye-watering £4,922 a month.