ecoboss

Hi,
I'm new here.
We're planing to move to Spain (probably Gandia) in Feb 2017. We have 2 kids (8 and 3 years old). As we don't speak Spanish I'll be doing homeschooling for the first few months, but will try to put my older child in the school as soon as possible. My husband is self employed web administrator.

I have 3 main questions (and millions around them, but later;-)):

1. How much £ per person (or per family) shall we have to cover the basics like rent, water, gas, electricity, tax etc? Plus to have some money for grocery shopping. We're living for £1500 per family in UK, would the amount be OK, or will we be starving?

2. Are there any places, like communities, where we can learn Spanish free (or cheaply)

3. I'll be looking to make some new friends with children, so don't hesitate to get in touch ;-)

Thanks

chopera

Do you mean £1500 per family member each month?

chopera

For learning Spanish cheaply it might be worth trying the local council (they often run free courses for immigrants). Bear in mind that the main language in Gandia might be Valenciano rather then Spanish (although Spanish will be spoken as well).

BTW Your 3 year old will be able to attend an infant school next year as well, but it's not obligatory until the age of 6.

ecoboss

hahhaa..that would be awesome...no...i meant per 2 adults and maybe another 500-700 for 2 kids..i know it's not a lot, but...we don't dine out, we vegetarians and try to live as simple as possible...we'll have some savings just in case...but i was wondering (as everyone says life is cheaper in Spain), so I was hoping to live on a budget of £1500 per month

ecoboss

Thank you. That's what I'm kind of worried about: 2 new languages....

mikelincs

You do realise that UK benefits will. almost certainly, stop once Brexit is done and there is probably no comparable child benefit in Spain. Life is NOT cheaper in Spain, food costs are similar to the UK, utilities are more expensive, council tax, or what passes for it in Spain is less, but really it's swings and roundabouts. Yes, of you are drinkers and smokers then those things will be cheaper in spain.

chopera

I'm not sure how much it costs to rent in Gandia, but after you've paid the rent I wouldn't want to be living off less than €2000/month with a family of 4. Spain isn't really that much cheaper than the UK these days, and things like clothes for the kids, internet access, flights back to the UK, etc all add up.

Also your husband will probably have to set himself up as an autonomo in Spain, which has its own costs on top of paying tax.

tebo53

To live here in Spain you will need to prove you have a regular income each and every month which will need to be enough to satisfy the authorities. Your husband will need to register as self employed and pay €250 per month into the system and then you will be covered for healthcare otherwise you will all need to go private which will be expensive.

I personally find it slightly cheaper to live here than the UK. We as a couple usually spend about €1500 a month which includes our rental costs, electric, internet, food and odd evenings out.

ecoboss

Thanks. I realize that we won't have any benefits once moved to Spain, but that's OK as I won't be spending them on nursery. We neither drink nor smoke, but we consume tons of fruits and veggies. What is the average cost of 4 bed flat+tax+utilities more less, please? Thank you

ecoboss

Thank you. That sounds OK ;-)

Rosemary

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

sallygiggles

Hi.
I am not in Gania but I have just moved to Jaén. A 3 bed flat here I am paying 750 euro a month. We find that utilities are more expensive here, clothes are more expensive especially for the children and food is more expensive. I find it more expensive here than in the UK for a family of 4. 1500 a month would be nowhere near enough for us a month but I do have 300 euro a month for a nursery for my nearly 2 year old. I don't need nursery for my baby as she is only 4 months old.

ecoboss

thanks Sally. i think 750 for flat is very expensive unless you have utility bills included. i found 3 bed flat in gandia for 350 per month plus utility bills. i will not send my kids to school nor nursery so these costs are saved thank you for you reply i really appreciate it

sallygiggles

I meant 650 a month. That's the average for here in Jaén unless you live in a flat that isn't nice.

mikelincs

How will you manage not to send them to school, or do you mean international shool, but send them to Spanish school? Home schooling is illegal in Spain.