Cost of Living
Oct 22nd 2005, 1:59 pm
#1
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Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2005
Location: Scunthorpe until next year
Posts: 65
Cost of Living
This may sound a bit vague, but I'm looking for information on what it would reasonably cost per month to live in Spain (not Madrid, Barelona etc).
When I look for a job in the UK, I can tell from the salary on offer whether I can live on the money, however I cant do this with jobs in Spain.
I'm looking for information on what bills I could expect and approx how much they will cost me, average cost of food, and anything else you would pay out to live a normal life. I'm not too bothered about the cost of renting somewhere, as I can find those costs without too much trouble.
Could anyone also tell me how much I would lose from a salary in such things as tax NI etc?
As a rough guide for prices, we are a family of 3 (my wife, my 15 yr old daughter and myself) probably looking to rent a 2 bed apartment, not in the touristy areas but probably within a town with a busy commercial area where I could work, but the actual location at the moment is not known. We like to eat well but would expect to shop at the markets and other places that the locals use, we dont go out partying too much, much rather have a bottle of wine or a couple of beers on the balcony in the evening.
Any guidance anyone can give would be gratefully received
Rick
When I look for a job in the UK, I can tell from the salary on offer whether I can live on the money, however I cant do this with jobs in Spain.
I'm looking for information on what bills I could expect and approx how much they will cost me, average cost of food, and anything else you would pay out to live a normal life. I'm not too bothered about the cost of renting somewhere, as I can find those costs without too much trouble.
Could anyone also tell me how much I would lose from a salary in such things as tax NI etc?
As a rough guide for prices, we are a family of 3 (my wife, my 15 yr old daughter and myself) probably looking to rent a 2 bed apartment, not in the touristy areas but probably within a town with a busy commercial area where I could work, but the actual location at the moment is not known. We like to eat well but would expect to shop at the markets and other places that the locals use, we dont go out partying too much, much rather have a bottle of wine or a couple of beers on the balcony in the evening.
Any guidance anyone can give would be gratefully received
Rick
Oct 22nd 2005, 4:26 pm
#2
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Joined: Apr 2005
Location: La Saucedilla, Chiclana
Posts: 920
Re: Cost of Living
Originally Posted by rickstevens
This may sound a bit vague, but I'm looking for information on what it would reasonably cost per month to live in Spain (not Madrid, Barelona etc).
When I look for a job in the UK, I can tell from the salary on offer whether I can live on the money, however I cant do this with jobs in Spain.
I'm looking for information on what bills I could expect and approx how much they will cost me, average cost of food, and anything else you would pay out to live a normal life. I'm not too bothered about the cost of renting somewhere, as I can find those costs without too much trouble.
Could anyone also tell me how much I would lose from a salary in such things as tax NI etc?
As a rough guide for prices, we are a family of 3 (my wife, my 15 yr old daughter and myself) probably looking to rent a 2 bed apartment, not in the touristy areas but probably within a town with a busy commercial area where I could work, but the actual location at the moment is not known. We like to eat well but would expect to shop at the markets and other places that the locals use, we dont go out partying too much, much rather have a bottle of wine or a couple of beers on the balcony in the evening.
Any guidance anyone can give would be gratefully received
Rick
When I look for a job in the UK, I can tell from the salary on offer whether I can live on the money, however I cant do this with jobs in Spain.
I'm looking for information on what bills I could expect and approx how much they will cost me, average cost of food, and anything else you would pay out to live a normal life. I'm not too bothered about the cost of renting somewhere, as I can find those costs without too much trouble.
Could anyone also tell me how much I would lose from a salary in such things as tax NI etc?
As a rough guide for prices, we are a family of 3 (my wife, my 15 yr old daughter and myself) probably looking to rent a 2 bed apartment, not in the touristy areas but probably within a town with a busy commercial area where I could work, but the actual location at the moment is not known. We like to eat well but would expect to shop at the markets and other places that the locals use, we dont go out partying too much, much rather have a bottle of wine or a couple of beers on the balcony in the evening.
Any guidance anyone can give would be gratefully received
Rick
Do you speak Spanish Rick? If you don't then, unless you go to a tourist area like the CDS, you're unlikely to find work.
Oct 22nd 2005, 6:21 pm
#3
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Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2005
Location: Scunthorpe until next year
Posts: 65
Re: Cost of Living
I'm learning Spanish at the moment. When I say touristy areas, I mean in the actual resorts themselves - CDS wouldnt be a problem, but I would want to be away from the resort centre
Oct 22nd 2005, 10:30 pm
#4
Forum Regular
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 85
Re: Cost of Living
From our point of view, we seem to need the same sort of level of income as we did in the UK. I think it is a common misconception that the cost of living in Spain is much lower than UK. I am sure that if you go inland this may be the case, but on the Costa del Sol, where we are, life is not cheap. Some things are cheaper than in UK but at the same time other things are more expensive. It all balances out.
Oct 22nd 2005, 11:35 pm
#5
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,273
Re: Cost of Living
If you can rent a property inland, say around an hour to an hour and half drive from the coast, you will find the cost of living is far cheaper than the UK. For example we have just paid the council charges for the year and they equate to what we pay per MONTH in England 
Our weekly spend for the two of us (without rent) is around E200-300 including utility bills electric & water, and that also includes keeping the larder well stocked, eating out a couple of times a week and making sure that the wine rack is full.
In fact We now realise that it's pointless going to the local shop for bread, milk,cheese and a bottle of wine with a E10 note as the lady will only say
"No tienes mas chica?" (haven't you got anything less?)
regards
BW.
Our weekly spend for the two of us (without rent) is around E200-300 including utility bills electric & water, and that also includes keeping the larder well stocked, eating out a couple of times a week and making sure that the wine rack is full.
In fact We now realise that it's pointless going to the local shop for bread, milk,cheese and a bottle of wine with a E10 note as the lady will only say
"No tienes mas chica?" (haven't you got anything less?)
regards
BW.
Last edited by big wheels; Oct 22nd 2005 at 11:41 pm.
