[Travel] Cost of living in Spain

[Tim Over Whelmed]

Been living here 10 years now. Situated inland but only 20 mins from Malaga Airport. It's a Spanish town, no English bars etc. Very friendly neighbours and very quiet - except for barking dogs! That's always a problem in Spain. Costs, well we live in a large house, 6 beds, 4 bathrooms, pool. Outside we have a mix of 30 orange, lemon, grapefruit, avocado, fig, mango, plum & peach trees, the IBI (rates) on this are 750 euros a year. Rubbish is collected from outside our gate 3 nights a week. We are fully incorporated into the Spanish health system and our town/village has a 24 hour health centre. Appointments for this can be made either by phone, in person, by email or using the phone App. Normally seen the same day or within 24 hours. We don't use bottled gas (hate the stuff as it's 'wet' fuel and causes mould in most houses), but cook etc using electricity. Water is solar via an energy panel. Winter heating - yes Spanish houses get very cold in the winter - is by pellet burner & wood burner. Electricity, with Nordic Energy, averages 70 euros a month but that includes pool pump etc.

Our village/town has some great ventas offering menu del dia for 7 euros inc a bottle of wine, and the most expensive one is 8.50. Living costs have risen drastically since 2016 caused by the £ devaluation, but it's still good value.

Local transport is cheap, compared to the UK, with plenty of buses and super high speed train connections to the rest of Spain, and beyond.

Television is now served with providers like TVmucho or a Firestick with a good VPN, plenty of options now.

Do I miss anything? Yes. The Albion & real ale!

What is the Spanish property market like, i.e. do the Estate Agents over inflate prices on Zoopla etc and negotiate or are prices fairly realistic? Here's an example that we like the look of https://www.zoopla.co.uk/overseas/d...h_identifier=3f044071e6eeffc6c07444fa1df03d55

 

[Boroseagull]

What is the Spanish property market like, i.e. do the Estate Agents over inflate prices on Zoopla etc and negotiate or are prices fairly realistic? Here's an example that we like the look of https://www.zoopla.co.uk/overseas/d...h_identifier=3f044071e6eeffc6c07444fa1df03d55

Not overpriced by any stretch. I think it's possibly on the same urbanization as ours, Pinos de Alhaurin. A very nice area, much in demand. The houses higher up the urbanization mostly have outstanding views inland. Ours has a vista of mountains from Sierra Nieves to Sierrs Nevada. We can walk into the town in 20 mins, a little longer in the summer - need a bar stop! And usually an ice cream on the way home at night.

Anything else I can help with - it would be a pleasure.

 

[BensGrandad]

Added to what will be at least another 5 hours door to door twice a week

A lot of peoiple do nearly that every day living and working in the UK.

 

[Rugrat]

A lot of peoiple do nearly that every day living and working in the UK.

Not on top of a 13 hour working day they don't