The cost of living in Spain is mainly reliant on the exchange rate and the type of pension or pensions you have, will they keep up with inflation? Will savings required to live keep up with inflation?

If you do decide to buy choose something a resident would buy and also a non-resident would buy, so when it ever comes to sell you have twice as many potential buyers.....low maintenance and service fees, even better no service fees, something you can lock up safely and leave, so land and pool maintenance that requires care and upkeep would not be wise. A nice roof terrace with a few pots is ideal, either near the sea or one of the delightful village municipal pools where you can lay all day for a couple of euro, many have nice grass areas and palm trees and have life guards.

Booked a hire car last month 36 euros for 10 days, sure full tank leave empty at slightly over the retail cost, but the car was almost brand new and popping here and there could easily leave empty no problem.

Prove your figures Jacky !!
having visited a large number of properties for sale in Granada and Almeria provinces only 3 were owned by Brits, the rest all by Spaniards.
the majority of Brits returning home seem to be for medical reasons of one of the other of the couple. In one case it was to provide family support to the granddaughter who required 24 hour care which they were unable to get on the good old NHS.

I for one have made my long term commitment to Spain.

I would like to point out the word "seems" as if every Brit owned house is on sale. I couldn't say for your areas but certainly so on the CDS and inland. Take a look at agents websites eg. viva search tells you how many properties they have on sale in each pueblo, the numbers are sometimes as high as two-thirds of the housing stock, and you can tell by the photos most of them are British owned.

"I still stand by the fact it's not cheaper "

Good to see that Jacky chooses to stand by the facts while the rest of you stand by the fiction, presumably. That is, if that facts are, in fact, facts, and not, in fact, fiction.

Jacky... as you know the facts there's no need to throw in comments about 20,000+ [pensioners] being broke in Spain while the figure is at least as many in Britain.

I'm off the read the facts in the Daily Mail, at a bus stop in Yorkshire.

*sighs*

Now Jacky, you have to stop doing this. Based on one of your facts, I was about to click "buy" on the Ford.co.uk website. Just in case, I checked the price for the exact same car on Ford.es. Jacky, it's cheaper. You said cars were more expensive in Spain. They're not. Well, today, a Ford Fiesta ST isn't. And that, Jacky, is a fact.

I don't think she did!
Not sure about Spain, never bought a car there, but have bought loads in UK, and never paid the asking price yet. My last new car a few months came with a £3K discount that I negotiated, plus 3 years free servicing. Nobody pays the asking price in UK, or they are mad if they do.

Yes she did!

It may have changed, as I've not driven for a while, but isn't car fuel cheaper in Spain?

"A few things that are more expensive in Spain without thinking hard.
Cars and Car insurance"

She did say that. And it's wrong.

The figure is actually 40,000 to 50.000 in financial difficulties in Spain. 20,000+ plus was just the figure for Andalucia...don't blame me I am the messenger. Remember the link was from the Olive Press. Tell me how can a couple on basic pension in the UK be broke on £210 per week with pension credit top ups., no council tax, no rent if they don't own. you only have to look around to see UK pensioners are more prosperous.

It wasn't last year although diesel fuel is cheaper in Spain.

"Not sure about Spain, never bought a car there, but have bought loads in UK, and never paid the asking price yet. My last new car a few months came with a £3K discount that I negotiated, plus 3 years free servicing. Nobody pays the asking price in UK, or they are mad if they do."

And they'd be mad to in Spain as well. I think it would be reasonable to assume that there's bargaining that can be done in both countries. But the fact is, on that particular car today, the starting point would be lower in Spain than it is in the UK.

Look, I'm just making that point that these sweeping statements aren't helpful. Dressing up loose opinion as fact is even less helpful.

And BTW, next time I am haggling for a car will you come with me :-)

Not wrong. My friend in the UK and I in Spain had identical cars. she paid £200 less than I...stop making it up as you go along. (Most) Cars are cheaper in the UK...who buys a fiesta anyway

Not a sweeping statement, from experience. You just can't hack it that anything even a screwdriver can be cheaper

The article said 20,000 of them in Andalucia and that covered about 5% of the total. The larger number you are now giving covers the other regions too, but is still about 5%. You might find that 5% would say the same in the UK. Age UK would say so but they would be one source and you'd need more to be sure.

I would expect that some pensioners in just about every country find themselves in financial difficulty. Just as some people of working age do.

When did you leave Spain?

Rosemary