Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

Actually, there were 4 posts on page 5 which referred to alcoholic drinks in any way shape or form - and one of them was from you. How do you manage to infer from that that the cost of alcohol is the only thing which matters to most expats (and those posting, by association).

But of course you don't, it was just you being offensive.

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

I used to see a lot of pensioners from the North as we lived close to the Tiempo Libre. They would sit in bars with a couple of tubos between 6 of them:rofl: I suppose a Spanish style holiday camp would only attract the low income bracket though.

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

Whether you would pay more or less tax in the UK or Spain depends entirely on the situation

With income tax, it is pretty similar, although the bands are very different

The biggest extra taxes in Spain are for buying houses and second hand cars

What is much cheaper in Spain is education and nurseries for children, although it seems that you are almost obliged to send your children to private school if you can afford to - one third of Spanish kids go to fee paying schools compared to 7% of English children

Nurseries are way cheaper in Spain, around 250 euros per month, compared to 1,000 euros or more in most of the UK

And rent of course is why cheaper for a comparable property in almost all of Spain compared to the UK

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

There are poor pensioners up here, again those who did not pay enough social security to get their full pension. But those who do get full state pension get a lot more than British people who rely only on the state pension.

That is the big difference. In the UK, you MUST also have a private pension if you do not want to live in poverty

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

Wasn't being offensive at all, it's how I assume from what I have read. Having an opinion isn't being offensive. OK I will add price of a coffee/Fanta etc. The one from me was a response. Any one reading through the thread indicates they attach importance to cost of living for being there. First few posts were sensible were sensible but it turned into the usual pissing contest:thumbdown:

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

Actually, I think the pensioners who are worst off in Britain are those who have just enough private pension and/or savings to prevent them receiving Pension Credit. If they can't get Pension Credit it precludes them from getting other things like not having to pay Council Tax.

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

Hi, I really cannot understand why anyone has to compare people who have money or those who have not any money! People live how they like to live. If they have hair do's every week it does not matter does it?
I have several pensions and awaiting my government pension and yes, I do get my heating allowance, but I dress how I like!
I hate eating in fancy places and would sooner eat in an English pub style diner.
Brits love just sauntering along in the lovely weather and those who do are not just 'hard up' or 'lost souls'
Please allow everybody to live their own lives how they want to and never expect anything!:frown:

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

This is why it's so difficult to make cost comparisons. There is a chance I'm heading back to Madrid in the Autumn (if management negotiations have a positive outcome), and I expect that nearly all day-to-day costs will be cheaper in the Spanish capital than in London eg accommodation, public transport, food drink & eating out etc.. although some costs may be similar. The only real cost that may be more expensive would be internet connection. But, I won't be driving a car, nor sending children to school. So it's hard to compare costs when often people are moving from different backgrounds (often from a high cost city environment to a more sedate place) or their lifestyle requires certain services. Additionally, the cost of x flights back to the UK may have to be added into the equation.

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

Seems to me that there is no real answer to the cost of living question. It depends on your circumstances and what you want to do with your money.

If someone can retire TEN years earlier, for financial reasons, by moving to Spain then for them, it clearly has a lower cost of living.

Another person may not see it this way, for example, they may be concerned about medical costs and take out an expensive private medical policy...

Others may enjoy eating out and drinking and perhaps be able to do it more times a week in Spain than UK.... but maybe not ....... it depends what they eat and drink! For sure I can get a bottle of 'marque' champagne in a resto much cheaper even than in France.... wish I could drink it more :)

Finally ones tax situation may make a huge difference to the equation. That's why I bang on about getting professional tax advice before coming to a country. If it costs less but you are paying more in taxes... its more 'expensive'... vice-versa etc.

For my lifestyle, I find Spain and Portugal (we live right on the border and the closest resto is actually in Portugal)... has a lower cost of living. Certainly than Brussels where we live.... but when we go to the UK for a couple of weeks we find it more expensive than a couple of weeks in Spain/Portugal.

This is not any sort of detailed financial proposal, just making the point that the answer depends on ones circumstances..... for us retiring to Spain would be the cheapest option overall (TODAY - who knows what will happen as a result of this crisis!)

Jon

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

Well they do get their rent and council tax free if on basic, plus a top up to around £200 pw fot a couple even if they never worked:blink:

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

Actually Jon, I have still found it possible to retire 10 years early by coming to live in Spain even though we have needed to pay for private medical insurance here for 6.5 years out of that period (the first 2 years we were covered for state health care by our S1 forms, and my OH becomes a state pensioner 18 months before the 10 year period of early retirement is up so we will then be covered again). Private health insurance is not that expensive in Spain, we currently pay €106 per month for the two of us.

Of course not everyone may want to live in the same kind of house as I do, not to use a car, not smoke, not drink very much (I don't think one bottle of wine a week is excessive even by doctors' standards:lol:). I didn't do any of those things in the UK either by the way, and I still find it a good deal cheaper to live here than I did there.

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

wot? here on BE Spain :confused:
more false snobs here than anywhere else on the rest of the BE site.
:rofl:

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

I don't think I can get down to that level, at times it is a bottle a day :eek:
but at times that is what I drank back home - its only a couple of glasses (well the glass I use)

hic

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

Only one of us in the household is that abstemious, Dom - that's why he pays for it out of his "pocket money" and not the housekeeping!:sneaky:

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

Wow, Lynn that's great... so in your case the numbers are very clear. I used the medical insurance thing just as an example - but you can easily stand that as well. For me personally health cover is very important, and one of the advantages of Belgium which for me has the best I've seen. But I would pay a 'gold policy' to get that in Spain if we moved permanently. Ive seen some expensive ones, but it looks like at the sort of cost - that you are paying - its not a horrible price (IMHO, for my personal requirements)

I wonder if more people couldn't also enjoy that - with a bit of creative thinking - who are unhappy in the UK. If they have similar circumstances to you.... or even more expensive ones for a few things, it could still work. As your specific case is a no-brainer.

Especially now with the cheap property prices in Spain to get something much nicer with the same cost as one would have done a few years back.

Fantastic that you've been able to retire early.... in a part of the world with a culture you really appreciate :thumbsup:

Jon