In Switzerland, only "special" kids go to private school. I wanted to go to an alpine private school but my dad wouldn't let me because he didn't want people to think there was something wrong with me.

What is true that you have better chances of getting through uni with rich parents because you don't have to work next to your studies. In the UK, loans etc. make it a little easier.

Durham's intake was 50/50 for state and private school, but if you consider the number of students in private school versus state taught ones, you see a definite bias. While I was in Oxford for interviews, I definitely felt a public school vibe, but there is a noticeable difference between the colleges, I was asked to interview in three different ones.

But we are getting off track, my initial point was that it takes more money to live a certain way in London than it does in Zurich, regardless of what sum you want to fix it at.