How Much?
 

Good afternoon expats, I have a question that i know and understand is difficut to answer. I understand we are all different and expect different things from life and have differing standards and indeed circumstances, so here i go- How much money do you need to live a comfortable life in spain?

In order to give you and your guesswork a chance, lets just say i own my property (3 bed & Pool) out right and have no mortgage, there are 2 adults, no children(grown up and living in the UK), we are not of UK retirement age and are not planning to work in Spain, we would have a car and plan to to use it!!(Much to see and do!) I plan on living a simple life, living as the spanish do. I have a monthly income and savings however i need to estimate if i have enough.
I know the figures that you quote and guess will vary, however i am sat in England with my own blind guesswork and you have all been and done it. Please advise and thank you for your time and estimations in advance, 1 monthly figure will suffice, however i would welcome all the advice you have

Re: How Much?
 

You can live comfortably on 2,000 euros per month - if you are not paying rent or mortgage

Some much more frugal people than me may be able to live on 1,000 euros per month, but if you want to travel and have a medium size villa with pool to maintain and run then that will be very tight

Re: How Much?
 

What ever you can live on in UK will probably be enough with one big exception. You will need to allow for private health care which you wouldn't in UK.

Re: How Much?
 

Hi and a warm welcome to the Spanish forum on BE. Myself and Fred James are the moderators for the Spanish forums whilst BEVS moderates Europe. Moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. This is so that members gain the information that they are looking for and find their experiences on the forums to be friendly and worthwhile.

Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderator who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are usually friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge about the issues of living in Spain. I hope that you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

Re: How Much?
 

Thanks very much, can you give me a rough estimate on the price of healthcare insurance?
and would you say Spain is cheaper in general than the UK.

Re: How Much?
 

I will let someone else respond about health insurance because I dont know

Life in Spain is pretty different to life in the UK, especially if you were working in the UK and now will not be in Spain

And in Spain you will probably have a bigger house and pool to run. I bet you didnt have a pool in the UK

Some things in Spain are cheaper, other things are more expensive. Personally I feel there are a lot more opportunities for having amazing days out and not spending very much in Spain, but that depends on the person. And Spain is big, so you may want to drive a lot to see places

So not an easy question especially as it also depends on the exchange rate

However, if I was going to give a number then like for like, probably it is about 20% cheaper to live in Spain, but it really depends

Re: How Much?
 

Depends on your state of health, age etc
Your pre existing conditions, if any, may not be covered, or if they are, at a very high premium.
After 1 year , you can pay into the Spanish NHS health service, and get full health care for 60 euros per month each, cheaper than any private health cover!

Re: How Much?
 

It would be interesting if you could explain what "living a simple life, like the Spanish do"

Re: How Much?
 

It depends on your standard of living but we budget 1000€ a month with no rent or mortage, running a small car and paying 190€ a month for private healthcare even though we have the use of the State healthcare system. I would suggest anything between 1000 and 1500€ a month but it also depends on where you live as our local rates are 90€ a year but in somehwere like Marbella it might be 1500€ a year!

Re: How Much?
 

Thanks again everyone, re post 8: I mean living as a normal spanish couple would live i.e not expensive imports but the local produce etc. Chris, I have my eyes on Murcia / denia, do you know the rates in this area? In fact what are the cheaper areas?

Re: How Much?
 

Local produce isnt necessarily cheaper, it depends what you buy of course. Some good local jamon will set you back 30 euros for 100 grammes. Good steak is 30 euros per kilo at the butchers

It's difficult to say what a normal Spanish couple is. Again, just like you, it depends where they live, what kind of property they live in and how much income they have

80% of Spaniards live in flats in the city. Very very few live in villas with a pool

Re: How Much?
 

Cricketman, I fully understand what your saying here, your answer of approx 20% cheaper was the sort of answer i was expecting. I know there are many variables in this question. I didnt specify the size of Villa, size of pool, type of car, how many times i wish to return home or medical conditions- all i asked for was some guess work. I also agree with your comment of
"Some things in Spain are cheaper, other things are more expensive. Personally I feel there are a lot more opportunities for having amazing days out and not spending very much in Spain, but that depends on the person. And Spain is big, so you may want to drive a lot to see places"
You are correct in the fact i have no pool in the UK, some great answers so far

Re: How Much?
 

... but Murcia is a loooong way from Denia! Two completely separate areas, climate, produce etc. etc.

Re: How Much?
 

And it varies from area to area. Someone coming from a nice part of the UK can also have amazing days out without spending money. If you're in a rural area of Spain, you might spend more on petrol because there's not much to do.

Re: How Much?
 

Living the simple life can be done in any country....simple means just that, taking advantage of nature and beautiful scenery around you, walking lots, eating well by cooking good healthy foods, sometimes growing your own...sleeping well, living free from debt, free from insurances apart from car if have one, using public transport, reading lots, helping others, integrating into local community, joining in with fiestas, sharing skills and talents.....enjoying life with little cost, but with loads of friends and support.

Re: How Much?
 

Well yes, and worth noting that this is almost impossible for a foreigner coming into a country new, and living in a villa with a pool, which usually are pretty isolating i.e. far from the centre of the village and expensive to upkeep

In the South of Spain a lot of people get by on very little money each month (500 euros or less), but usually these people have no rent or mortgage, they live in the inherited family home usually in the centre of a village, they have a very small home that keeps cool in the summer so no aircon etc and easy to heat in winter, they either own a "huerta" to grow their own vegetables and keep hens etc. or they have friends and family who do

And they have a large network of family and friends to rely on, and to share things with. That's how the poorest people in Spanish society have managed to get by even when unemployment is over 30%

Re: How Much?
 

A lot of Spanish people live a simple life, because they have no other choice. Most Brits who claim they live a simple life in Spain, have a nice villa with pool, good pension and savings.

Re: How Much?
 

casa del sol, Now thats what i'm trying to explain-well put

Re: How Much?
 

Not a bad choice though,careful what you wish for.


To some a villa with a pool would not be something some would aspire to,many villages have their own public pools open in the summer months that anyone can use anyway. Not that difficult to live on a basic pension if free from debt with few outgoings but lots of friendship and peace.

Re: How Much?
 

Exactly and I agree that you can live a simple life anywhere. There's just a big difference if you have to, or you want to. The question about how much you need, depends on each individual.

Re: How Much?
 

We live pretty much within what you outline. Live in the region of Murcia away from the coast in the campo. We get by with about 300€ a week, that taking into account IBI, electric, gas, petrol for car etc. It does not take into account trips to the UK which depletes the savings account every trip we make.

Re: How Much?
 

Thanks everyone for your comments and opinions. You are most helpful

Re: How Much?
 

I like that, very good and positive stuff.

Re: How Much?
 

I think most of us have had the dilema of coast or country and there and pros and cons to both. We personally live near the coast in a village as the community is more settled and stable. We love country people anywhere in the world.
Prices in general in Spain are at their lowest for many years but seem to be stabilising. Sales have improved somewhat so there is more activity in the market and now is the time to buy. When you do just consider how difficult it may be if you decide to sell at a later date.
Good luck.