So after living in Sheffield for nearly 8 years (with a brief 7 month stint in Nottingham) I want to move down to London with my gf. A couple of things are scaring the shit out of me though:

1) Houses are so fucking expensive. I knew renting was expensive in London but I hadn't quite grasped how much more it is. Basically, which areas are the best compromise between location and price? I was thinking Finsbury Park/Manor House/Seven Sisters/Stroud Green/Stoke Newington?

2) A lot of menial jobs aren't exactly well paid, and those are the kinds of jobs my girlfriend will be after (I have PhD funding). For some reason I was under the impression the minimum wage was higher in London... no idea why I thought this. I don't really get it. Are the people working in shops/bars/pubs/cafes etc really all working for minimum wage yet paying £2000/3000 a year rent more than anyone else in the country?