chrisjolly

I can never understand the points about the comparative costs of living...it has always been cheaper to live in Spain than in the UK despite the increased costs of electricity, petrol and food. My local council tax is 86 euros a year..nuff said! and I live 15 minutes from Marbella in the SO CALLED expensive south!

andyrich666

Our heating bill and we was ripped off because our landlord wont let us change gas company charged us £2,400 for the Qtr Oct - Jan, then I broke our agreement and changed to another supplier, which has worked out £84 a month since, so there is another big bill that will disappear from the UK

jackytoo

You can't really compare yet as you haven't moved! Yes rents are lower in Spain but there are no safeguards if you earn under a few hundred per week like in the UK. Electric per kilowatt is more expensive in Spain. OK some say they have low bills, that's just because they use less...you may not be the same. Likewise you hear of low council tax bills in Spain but it's not the norm now. Ours was over a thousand euros, probably more now and even the small 2 bed boxes paid around €500.

jackytoo

We sold before even putting it on sale. I had wanted to leave a couple of years before although OH wasn't bothered. Houses weren't selling from around 2007 in Marbella, long before the crisis so we never even thought of selling up. A second cousin, probably once removed too called for a drink. He is an eye surgeon and was moving from Madrid. he was moaning over the state of overpriced crap on the market. I offered him ours for 250,000 less than the valuation and he snapped it up! We still came out well in profit as we bought it in the 90's., they were silly pie in the sky figures anyway!

I felt euphoric to get out as was beginning to feel insecure there. Nothing bad ever happened to us but I know a lot who have had nightmares. I agree with Mitzi about views from people in the UK. Even the postman looked at me pityingly when I said we had just moved from Spain

I was going to Spain before I can remember as grandfather (Spanish) had a place there but now it's not the Spain I loved and knew. Of course newbies won't have that problem, they like it as they see it now. I never thought it through if we would go back to the UK or not, I never say never about anything....even returning though it's very doubtful as I feel now.

Chiclanagir

Our electric bill for two months is 302 euros.

Lynn R

Last year my IBI bill for a 169sqm house was €519 (but I only had to pay €319 because of our Ayuntamiento's discount scheme). Were I still living in the same (smaller) house in the UK, my Council Tax bill would have been £1,100 pa (in an unadopted road so the Council did not maintain it, and fortnightly rubbish collections).

I am only now, after almost 7 years, paying about the same in total for electricity, gas and water as I was when we left the UK in 2006 - and I am pretty sure there have been some hefty price increases there since that time.

Lynn R

My last one, for late March to late May, was €116. The next one will be lower as we've used 150kwh less.

jackytoo

We live on a private lane and pay £65pa. for it's upkeep, no streetlights (we like it that way, able to see the stars). In addition we pay just over £2400 council tax. however, according to all the stuff the council sent us if we were earning less that about £300 per week we could get a rebate and if on basic pension pay nothing!

In addition to our €1400 tax in Marbella we had to pay urbanisation fees of around €850 pa. So not a big difference especially if you take into account the vast amount of services available in the UK. I didn't leave to be better off anyway, happiness and quality of life is what's important.

Dick Dasterdly

Tidy terraced houses can be rented in N.E. England for as little as £300 a month and upwards.
Well modernised, pleasant surroundings and country walks, no traffic jams, little crime.

Makes it possible to keep a foot in each camp, get away from the torrid Spanish Summer as well as the unpleasant English Winter.

Chiclanagir

Less than 60 euros a month!! Do you just have a small apartment?

scampicat

We only pay £74 a month for gas AND electriiity here in the West Midlands. Three bedroomed terraced house.

Lynn R

No, I have a 169sqm 3 bed, 2 bath old townhouse with 2 more rooms on the second floor. We use butano for all our cooking and very nearly all heating (apart from an electric heater for the bathroom and, if we need them, electric heaters for the bedrooms). Our total spend on gas for the year would be €175 (at today's prices). We don't, of course, with this type of house have a swimming pool, nor do we have air con (don't need it, haven't even needed to put a fan on in the bedroom at night so far this year). We find the running costs extremely reasonable. No community fees to pay either!

johnnyone

On a pro-rata basis there is very little difference in fuel costs between our two homes. Like you we have an old town house but do use the aircon, tumble dryer etc. There is a considerable saving on on our council charges for our Spanish house.
Having said that now we both have GLC freedom passes (trains,tube and buses )we save a considerable sum on fares.
Just back from Brighton for the day, £10 return for the part of the journey outside zone 6.
Ps Brighton must rank as one of the best resorts in Europe.

andyrich666

Before I signed the contract for Spain, 6 weeks ago we went to Darlington and Newcastle to look at a few gaffes, I was half swayed I must admit but it was nice summers days, I don't know if we could manage that,

We will get this first year out the way and ill see if worked or not, if not we will have to come back or consider something else, its a shame I never got to be out for long in the good days Pre 2008

Lynn R

The free travel passes in the UK are great, make them most of them whilst they last as I fear they may go the way of the WFA in the not too distant future!

I do like Brighton, have been there many times for conferences.