p-balenciaga

So I'm looking to move out from London so I've been looking the Costa Del Sol, particularly Marbella.

I was wondering if anyone could give me some information about this area? I've been learning Spanish for about a year now and I'm going to continue so I can be as fluent as possible.

So could anyone give me some insight, what's the cost of living like etc

fionamw

Welcome; there's lots of stuff around on at the moment, has been for 6 months- a year. Maybe you've run a search on the forum already, if not, it would be worth the time taken to do it. Some people are seen as negative but are merely flagging up things to be aware of, others positive and are flagging up things to factor into your planning etc.
To paraphrase,
* don't even think of buying until you've rented for a year or so
* be as fluent as you can and then some
* if you haven't got a guaranteed income stream for when you're here, allow yourself at least a couple of year's living expenses in the bank before you arrive
* if there's any way of leaving yourself a bolthole in the UK you would have a bit of insurance/backup in case things don't work out as you hope in Spain
* yes the wine's cheap but in my view (there are often debates about this!) just about everything else apart from rates & some taxes is more expensive here than the UK now.

nb specifically about Marbella you'll have to hope someone from there answers your thread. There are a few on here if they turn up!

agoreira

I can hear the sound of a jar (or can!) of worms being opened! I know one that will disagree!

Yes, don't worry, he'll be along soon.

jackytoo

If you look back at old posts you will read that everything is fine in marbella, plenty of work yadda, yadda....I got banned for disagreeing so I am saying nowt

bil

An awful lot of things are more expensive than they were in Spain a few years ago, but petrol is just touching a euro per litre, rates etc are cheaper and I don't have to pay to watch TV.

I'm sure tho that the Spanish government will take lessons from the UK and realise that their citizens are just plump little sheep needing to be fleeced more and more.

pete_l

When I was starting to think about buying a place in Spain, I started evening classes in England. Stuck it for a couple of years worth and thought I was doing pretty well. When I got to Spain, boy did I get a shock - it was like a completely foreign language
The problem was that the spanish I had learned was all practiced on the other english people in my class - who had all learned the same stuff and therefore had the same vocabulary that I had. Hence we coulld all understand each other quite well. Sadly the spanish seem to take a different class so where we were taught a dialog for ordering a couple of beers in a bar, that didn't go according to the script when actually in Spain.
We were taught along the lines of: "Can I have 2 beers please" reply: "Yes of course, here you are." "How much is that" "2 euros please" .....
Whereas in practice the conversation is more like: "Can I have 2 beers please" reply: "hang on a sec, guv. I've got to finish cleaning the gunge out of the sink in the back then I'll be with you - OK? ... Right, now what can I do you for? All at about 10 times the speed that I spoke and could understand.

Moral: learning the basics is good, but when you get to Spain, be prepared to re-learn a great deal of what you thought you already knew. The classes were good for learning written spanish though.

jojojojojojojojojojojojo

I would say that the cost of living in Spain is more or less the same as the UK - give or take. People used to come to Spain because it was cheap - now they come to Spain because they want to be here. That said, property prices are still falling and Spain isnt out of the recession and is still in a bit of a freefall and isnt doing too well on the economical scale!

Marbella is going to be expensive because it has a reputation to maintain. Yes it has some "high end crime", it has some glitz, but most people dont notice it and essentially its the same as anywhere else in Spain


Jo xxx

Mitzyboy

No .... no you didnt. You know what you got banned for and it wasnt anything to do with disagreeing

+++++

I have said it many times before, its clear to me that the cost of living is higher in the South than further North.

I am back in the UK now and have been for a month. Its more expensive to live here than where I live in Spain. Fact.

So I guess if you are on a budget to live in Spain its also something to factor in to the equation.

ShinyAndy

If you move from some sleepy village in the North of England to Marbella you'll find it expensive. If you move from London you'll find it cheap but...

You can spend 4000€ a month rent or 400€

You can spend 100€ a month on shopping or 500€

You can spend 400€ a month going out or 4000€ a night

etc, etc

Choice is yours really!

Rotor

A lot of skilled and semi skilled workers only net around 1200 to 1600 euro a month ,this will give you a basic standard of living but its doubtfull you will get work even if your spanish is spot on.

jdr

Of course, we know that , some just read papers or watch tv shows about Marbella.