graymel

Hi, trying to get some idea prior to coming to research the Murcia , Villa martin/playa flamenca area,what the
Average monthly food bill costs for 2 people + eating out say twice a week might be, I know this can only be a ball park figure but it would be a starting point

We have not been to Spain for many years but hope to retire in the not to distant future so this is a toe in the forum so to speak. :unsure

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

cricketman

Depends whatyou choose to buy and eat of course

Food/grocery bill maybe 80-100 euros per week
Eating out twice a week. Anything from 40-200 euros depending where you go

Fred James

Until you hone your shopping skills and find the good value restaurants it won't be much different from the UK (unless you are drinkers/smokers).

brise

As a thought, do the supermarkets in Spain have websites, and if so, which are the main ones so that price comparisons for food basics can be done . I ask this as we too are looking at relocating to Spain, but from our home in France. Our monthly shop here in France including alcohol averages at 500e for two people (we eat and drink well lol) and we pay on average about 15/20e per head for a TDH menu inc wine. I would think it would be roughly the same in Spain, but would still like to do comparisons

Many thanks for any info/links

cricketman

Sounds about the same as Spain

The biggest supermarkets here are Hipercor, Carrefour and Mercadona. They all have websites you can look at

Moses2013

You can check Lidl & Aldi, as they are everywhere in Europe. Eating out always depends. You'll find a lot more low budget restaurants in Spain, because wages are lower and there's more competition due to tourism. Then again if you're really looking for quality, prices aren't much cheaper. A quality Steak (Pasture-Fed) in a good restaurant will cost just as much, but I'd be happy to pay it.

cricketman

I'm not sure about that

People in the UK can probably eat much cheaper at a Weatherspoons that at a cheapish Spanish restaurant

Restaurants in tourist areas on the Med Coast are very likely to be poor quality but in my experience they arent particularly cheap. Especially compared to Weatherspoons £5 for 2 meal deals which is what many expats would compare it to

Let's just say that restaurants in tourist areas are very often poor value. (poor quality for a middling price) while those in other areas are much better value. i.e. you get very good quality for about the same money

brise

many thanks, the supermarkets etc would roughly the same!

johnnyone

My rule of thumb is an exchange rate of around 115 euros/pound then prices are similar overall. As the exchange rate varies so do the comparative costs.

pwwm

Fuel is cheaper around here diesal currently averages 1.25. we paid 120.9 ltr the other day.

lordhowe

have a look at this
http://britishexpats.com/forum/spain...-month-840066/

Rosemary

Looking on the Mercadona site will give you an insight into what you are likely to be paying for your normal needs.

Rosemary

Bri and Katee

We live in the Murcia campo and even out in the sticks eating out can be hugely different. We can get a menu del dia (per person) for 6€ that is 3 courses including wine/beer and a coffee to finish. Or we can get a menu del dia for 20€, just depends where we want to eat. Then again moving away from menu del dia to a restaurant for a true evening dinner you can pay anything up to 80€ per person.

In our local bar this week we had three bacardi and cokes and three anis and lemonades, bear in mind the shots here are 3-5 times larger than the UK- in our case the owner gives us the bottles on the bar to help ourselves! the 6 spirits and mixers came to 9€ I knew he had vastly undercharged us but that is the way here, he even argued when I insisted on paying the usual 15€!

graymel

Big thanks to Rosemary & all posters on this subject, it's really informative, but the acid test will be trying it out first hand ? maths after a few sangrias