Here's how much Joe Goldberg's London flat would actually cost in real life

Eyes watering? Same.

Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg in You
(Image credit: © 2023 Netflix, Inc.)

British fans of the popular Netflix series You were delighted that season 4 was set in London, but they pointed out quite a few details that didn't make any sense to anyone familiar with the capital.

Possibly most contentious of all was the fact that Joe Goldberg (played by Penn Badgley) was living in a luxury mews flat in swanky Kensington, despite being on a professor's salary.

Viewers immediately took to Twitter to express their frustration and amusement with this particular creative choice.

"Joe Goldberg being able to afford rent in Kensington while working away at Royal Holloway already ruins the new season of ‘You’," one person wrote.

"As if Joe Goldberg can afford a swanky flat in South Kensington," said someone else.

"How can Joe Goldberg afford a flat in SOUTH KENSINGTON?????" asked another user.

But whether or not Joe's London home made any sense, you might be wondering how much it actually would cost to buy such a gorgeous and centrally located house.

Well, according to estate agent comparison site GetAgent, you would need to shell out a hefty £1.7 million in order to become the proud new owner of Joe's pad, with larger houses in that area reportedly costing up to £5.5 million.

"We’re thrilled to see our nation’s capital featuring so prominently in pop culture once again, with the new home of You protagonist Joe nestled in the incredibly picturesque area of South Kensington," says GetAgent CEO Colby Short.

"In addition to his new luxury neighbourhood, it’s great to see so many other stunning British filming locations included in the show too, like Royal Holloway’s University Campus."

Colby adds: "Many viewers of the show have already questioned how Joe, on an academic salary, could feasibly afford to live in such an affluent neighbourhood, but perhaps his university employer has got a good deal that we don’t know about!"

Perhaps - or perhaps the show creators didn't think too much about it!

Iris Goldsztajn
Freelance News Writer

Iris Goldsztajn is a freelance news writer for Marie Claire UK. She covers celebrity and royal news, and has previously written for titles including Marie Claire US, InStlyle, Women's Health, Bustle, Stylist and Red.

Aside from her quasi-personal investment in celebs' comings and goings, she is especially interested in debunking diet culture and de-stigmatising mental health struggles.