Do you find the general cost of living cheaper in Spain than in the UK?
#46
Re: Do you find the general cost of living cheaper in Spain than in the UK?
We find eating out less expensive where we live in the UK. Local pub, nice tudor one with inglenook fireplaces, does a roast Mon-Fri for £5.95, only 1 coure but a lot more substantial than those offering 3 courses for 9 euro on the CDS. 2 courses are £7. Wine is £10 per bottle. Locally in Spain 11 euro.
What I do find more expensive in the UK is coffee. Too many Starbucks type places. Although in marbella there are many who charge 2.50 euro!
Can't remember the exchange rate when we moved to Spain but it was good. Better still the bank rate for savings was 15%. Put a lump sum in and it was possible to live off the interest.
I think if you have to watch the pennies in the UK then you will in Spain too.
What I do find more expensive in the UK is coffee. Too many Starbucks type places. Although in marbella there are many who charge 2.50 euro!
Can't remember the exchange rate when we moved to Spain but it was good. Better still the bank rate for savings was 15%. Put a lump sum in and it was possible to live off the interest.
I think if you have to watch the pennies in the UK then you will in Spain too.
Agree with you on the coffee - although you can find a good coffee for around 1.50 if you look around the local cafes and avoid the Starbucks/Costa tourist traps.
#47
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Re: Do you find the general cost of living cheaper in Spain than in the UK?
We find eating out less expensive where we live in the UK. Local pub, nice tudor one with inglenook fireplaces, does a roast Mon-Fri for £5.95, only 1 coure but a lot more substantial than those offering 3 courses for 9 euro on the CDS. 2 courses are £7. Wine is £10 per bottle. Locally in Spain 11 euro.
What I do find more expensive in the UK is coffee. Too many Starbucks type places. Although in marbella there are many who charge 2.50 euro!
Can't remember the exchange rate when we moved to Spain but it was good. Better still the bank rate for savings was 15%. Put a lump sum in and it was possible to live off the interest.
I think if you have to watch the pennies in the UK then you will in Spain too.
What I do find more expensive in the UK is coffee. Too many Starbucks type places. Although in marbella there are many who charge 2.50 euro!
Can't remember the exchange rate when we moved to Spain but it was good. Better still the bank rate for savings was 15%. Put a lump sum in and it was possible to live off the interest.
I think if you have to watch the pennies in the UK then you will in Spain too.
It's much cheaper here in (choose country) because (select commodity) is so much (cheaper/fresher/in your face - delete one that does not aply) than it is when I stick it up my (select orifice) and ......
Anyway. where was I?
Oh yes. If the UK is so much better, piss off there and stop bothering the rest of us.
Only kidding.
Jacky, if you compare a bottle of wine, take into account tax. A 2 - 3 euro bottle here would cost hugely more in the UK, and in a restaurant still more.
Apples and oranges, apples and oranges.
#48
Re: Do you find the general cost of living cheaper in Spain than in the UK?
What we save on Council Tax (here 244€ + 114€ Basura, compared to £1000 in the UK) and water (here less than 1€ M3 in UK £4.50 M3) offsets any other things that are more expensive here.
Five bed detached here, one bed flat in UK.
Our annual water bill in the UK is more than here, where we fill and top up a 7x3.5m pool each year!!
Our menu del dias in town are still around the 6€ mark and they include wine or branded beer (hardly any increase in the eight years we've been here. Last week in Leeds I was paying £2.80 just for a 33cl bottle of beer in a 'budget' restaurant.
Five bed detached here, one bed flat in UK.
Our annual water bill in the UK is more than here, where we fill and top up a 7x3.5m pool each year!!
Our menu del dias in town are still around the 6€ mark and they include wine or branded beer (hardly any increase in the eight years we've been here. Last week in Leeds I was paying £2.80 just for a 33cl bottle of beer in a 'budget' restaurant.
Last edited by derek500; Aug 9th 2011 at 10:10 am.
#49
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Re: Do you find the general cost of living cheaper in Spain than in the UK?
We find eating out less expensive where we live in the UK. Local pub, nice tudor one with inglenook fireplaces, does a roast Mon-Fri for £5.95, only 1 coure but a lot more substantial than those offering 3 courses for 9 euro on the CDS. 2 courses are £7. Wine is £10 per bottle. Locally in Spain 11 euro.
#50
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Re: Do you find the general cost of living cheaper in Spain than in the UK?
Yes Bill, I know I am going down the same road as others Bit like the leccy and council tax. Depends on areas etc. It is horses for courses.
The CDS kept on putting up prices simply because they could. A nice chiringuito we went to at least twice a week only cost us around 15 euro for a light lunch and a bottle of rose wine. Two years later the same meal was costing 27 euro. So we didn't go as much as I expect many others went less. To counteract loss of income what did they do...put up the prices again! This happened allover the CDS.
I reckon if you really want to find out how it is for you, rent in Spain for a while.
Agoreira...our very same pub does 2 steaks for 1 on Thursdays. I went with Daughter last week, she is a vegetarian
The CDS kept on putting up prices simply because they could. A nice chiringuito we went to at least twice a week only cost us around 15 euro for a light lunch and a bottle of rose wine. Two years later the same meal was costing 27 euro. So we didn't go as much as I expect many others went less. To counteract loss of income what did they do...put up the prices again! This happened allover the CDS.
I reckon if you really want to find out how it is for you, rent in Spain for a while.
Agoreira...our very same pub does 2 steaks for 1 on Thursdays. I went with Daughter last week, she is a vegetarian
#51
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Location: Vejer de la Fra., Cadiz
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Re: Do you find the general cost of living cheaper in Spain than in the UK?
What we save on Council Tax (here 244€ + 114€ Basura, compared to £1000 in the UK) and water (here less than 1€ M3 in UK £4.50 M3) offsets any other things that are more expensive here.
Five bed detached here, one bed flat in UK.
Our annual water bill in the UK is more than here, where we fill and top up a 7x3.5m pool each year!!
Our menu del dias in town are still around the 6€ mark and they include wine or branded beer (hardly any increase in the eight years we've been here. Last week in Leeds I was paying £2.80 just for a 33cl bottle of beer in a 'budget' restaurant.
Five bed detached here, one bed flat in UK.
Our annual water bill in the UK is more than here, where we fill and top up a 7x3.5m pool each year!!
Our menu del dias in town are still around the 6€ mark and they include wine or branded beer (hardly any increase in the eight years we've been here. Last week in Leeds I was paying £2.80 just for a 33cl bottle of beer in a 'budget' restaurant.
#52
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Joined: Feb 2008
Location: Vejer de la Fra., Cadiz
Posts: 7,653
Re: Do you find the general cost of living cheaper in Spain than in the UK?
Yes Bill, I know I am going down the same road as others Bit like the leccy and council tax. Depends on areas etc. It is horses for courses.
The CDS kept on putting up prices simply because they could. A nice chiringuito we went to at least twice a week only cost us around 15 euro for a light lunch and a bottle of rose wine. Two years later the same meal was costing 27 euro. So we didn't go as much as I expect many others went less. To counteract loss of income what did they do...put up the prices again! This happened allover the CDS.
I reckon if you really want to find out how it is for you, rent in Spain for a while.
Agoreira...our very same pub does 2 steaks for 1 on Thursdays. I went with Daughter last week, she is a vegetarian
The CDS kept on putting up prices simply because they could. A nice chiringuito we went to at least twice a week only cost us around 15 euro for a light lunch and a bottle of rose wine. Two years later the same meal was costing 27 euro. So we didn't go as much as I expect many others went less. To counteract loss of income what did they do...put up the prices again! This happened allover the CDS.
I reckon if you really want to find out how it is for you, rent in Spain for a while.
Agoreira...our very same pub does 2 steaks for 1 on Thursdays. I went with Daughter last week, she is a vegetarian
Might as well compare it with Conil de la Fra, Medina sidonia or Benalup.
The renting comment is so true. Rent, and rent in different areas. Drive about, try everything. If you buy, you may find you are nailed down and can't sell.
#53
Re: Do you find the general cost of living cheaper in Spain than in the UK?
We find eating out less expensive where we live in the UK. Local pub, nice tudor one with inglenook fireplaces, does a roast Mon-Fri for £5.95, only 1 coure but a lot more substantial than those offering 3 courses for 9 euro on the CDS. 2 courses are £7. Wine is £10 per bottle. Locally in Spain 11 euro.
The CDS is a lot more expensive then, for instance, the CB North. Plus, when we go for a menu for $8 or whatever, we are stuffed full.
When we went down to Seville, Cadiz and Cordoba we were really surprised at how much things cost
Much the same as the cost of living in London is more than the Midlands or further North
#54
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Joined: Feb 2008
Location: Vejer de la Fra., Cadiz
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Re: Do you find the general cost of living cheaper in Spain than in the UK?
Thats exactly the point I keep making though
The CDS is a lot more expensive then, for instance, the CB North. Plus, when we go for a menu for $8 or whatever, we are stuffed full.
When we went down to Seville, Cadiz and Cordoba we were really surprised at how much things cost
Much the same as the cost of living in London is more than the Midlands or further North
The CDS is a lot more expensive then, for instance, the CB North. Plus, when we go for a menu for $8 or whatever, we are stuffed full.
When we went down to Seville, Cadiz and Cordoba we were really surprised at how much things cost
Much the same as the cost of living in London is more than the Midlands or further North
#55
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Joined: Dec 2006
Location: Living in a good place
Posts: 8,824
Re: Do you find the general cost of living cheaper in Spain than in the UK?
Thats exactly the point I keep making though
The CDS is a lot more expensive then, for instance, the CB North. Plus, when we go for a menu for $8 or whatever, we are stuffed full.
When we went down to Seville, Cadiz and Cordoba we were really surprised at how much things cost
Much the same as the cost of living in London is more than the Midlands or further North
The CDS is a lot more expensive then, for instance, the CB North. Plus, when we go for a menu for $8 or whatever, we are stuffed full.
When we went down to Seville, Cadiz and Cordoba we were really surprised at how much things cost
Much the same as the cost of living in London is more than the Midlands or further North
I would say that one important cost of living in Spain...house repairs and renewals. Property seems to need more maintenance than other countries.
#56
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Location: Vejer de la Fra., Cadiz
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Re: Do you find the general cost of living cheaper in Spain than in the UK?
Yes that's true. I sometimes travel to Yorkshire/Derbyshire and strange as it may seem eating out seems more expensive than our part of Surrey. Madrid is cheaper than marbella to eat out. CDS is more expensive than Costa de la Luz. Found santander the most expensive. None of it very relevant though, except for visitors
I would say that one important cost of living in Spain...house repairs and renewals. Property seems to need more maintenance than other countries.
I would say that one important cost of living in Spain...house repairs and renewals. Property seems to need more maintenance than other countries.
#57
Re: Do you find the general cost of living cheaper in Spain than in the UK?
I certainly seem to have shares in the Spanish paint industry
#58
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Posts: 3,327
Re: Do you find the general cost of living cheaper in Spain than in the UK?
What used to piss me off hugely in the UK was the feeling that we were paying thru the nose with council tax and the like, and yet we weren't getting what we paid for. Our council and rubbish charges here are so much less, the bins are emptied 3 times a week, and there isn't any little jobsworth there measuring how high the lid is, or checking precisely what I put in the bin.
#59
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Location: Vejer de la Fra., Cadiz
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Re: Do you find the general cost of living cheaper in Spain than in the UK?
Ah, well I can only talk about the bins near me. Come to think of it I'm not sure what my council charges have to do with litter blowing around. That's damn near endemic, in both countries.
#60
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Joined: Aug 2011
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Re: Do you find the general cost of living cheaper in Spain than in the UK?
Not really an average example is it! On the coast we paid 1200 IBI (council tax) & basura. 75 euro pm phone and internet. Water bill varied between 25 to 50+ euro according to season. Electric 80 to 120 euro pm. These figures are for just over a year ago. Then we had giant gas bottles for CH. Small bottles for one bathroom and gas hob...lost count of how many
Our car tax was 120 euro. Suppose it does have it's advantages lving "high on a hill somewhere"...until you fall ill, or the car breaks down
Our car tax was 120 euro. Suppose it does have it's advantages lving "high on a hill somewhere"...until you fall ill, or the car breaks down