deepaul

hello all

Please could you tell me how much does it cost to live now in spain as we are thinking of retiring there soon

would a £1000.00 a month be enough


many thanks
deepaul

Porth

We have only been here for some four or so months but are now leaving for other climes! There are on this site very experienced campaigners as to Javea and they are better placed than I to give you a reply.

However if you were to pm me I would willingly give you our impressions on Javea.

deepaul

Hi its the cost of living out there that has us thinking twice

Rosemary

As Concierge for the Spanish section of BE I would like to say hello and welcome.

BE is a very large expat website, so if you have problems finding your way around we have concierges who will try to direct you. The moderators for the Spanish forums are Mitzyboy and Fred James, moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderador who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge of the issues of living in Spain. At the top of the page you will find a quirkily named thread called Free Beer which is full of important and useful information. Hope you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

It is very difficult to gain a straightforward answer to this question because it very much depends on what sort of lifestyle you want or expect. Depends on things such as rent, mortgage or housing paid for, smoking, drinking, types of food eaten, car, interests, holidays, trips back to the UK etc etc.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

mikelincs

will really depend on what sort of lifestyle you want, eating out every night, visiting bars every night, staying in watching TV, occasional meals out, running a car, what sort of property you are looking for. Your question in the way you have put it is totally unanswerable.

deepaul

many thanks rosemary i was just after a ball park figure (we dont smoke only drink wine lol and lead a normal life ) we thought things were cheaper out in spain plus its better life style

deepaul

many thanks Mikelincs the thing is i want spain the boss wants ferndown lol

stuboy

Does your £1000, have to cover rent? If YES then the answer is probably NO. £1000 will be not be enough unless you are extremely frugal.

mikelincs

Cost of living in Spain is very similar to the UK, but it will depend on where in Spain, and what sort of place you want to rent, one bedroom, two bedrooms, pool. detached, on an unbanisation, in a town, by the beach, in an expat area or away from other brits. The summers on the costas can be almost unbearably hot, and, despite what you read, it does get cold in winter, and does rain, and when I say rain you do get real downpours. Have lived in both the places you mentioned, and, for us, Ferndown would win. You do have to remember that in Spain, the health service is no longer free for pensioners, you do have to pay a percentage of costs of drugs etc. No free public transport, and in many areas very poor public transport in any case. No housing benefits, or in fact any other sort of benefits.
Beaurocracy is much worse than the UK, and, of course, in Spanish.

deepaul

Hi Stuboy no the £1000, would just be for living on

deepaul

Hi mikelincs

if your thinking of coming back here then sorry you nust be mad
i would say the cost of living is cheaher in spain on items then here like petrol £138 car tax well i pay £300.00 a year on a 2litre car my heating bill for the last qutar was £500.00 and ok we get a free bus pass when your 60 but now if you go into care you have to pay for it its not free anymore
if you dont turn up for your appointment with the doc the can chage you up to £15.00 new thing just coming in

deepaul

and ok you have to pay 8euros for your pills but i can see that coming in over here as the NSH cant cope any more

deepaul

as you have said ferndown would win we were there last week saw a nice house the rates were £1.600.00 a year now do you pay that over in spain?

Porth

Not Ferndown but West Bay at Bridport its better

deepaul

hi porth but are the rates dear many older person cant pay that sort of money on a pension