# Moving to Spain HELP!!



## Annette50 (Jan 4, 2016)

Hi All, my name is Annette and we are starting the process or retirement and relocating to Spain.

We have a number of areas in mind but nothing definite as yet, would appreciate any advice or help this forum can offer. Have to admit after working most of my life l find the prospect of retiring quite scary.

A little concerned regarding the cost of living, obviously we have been living off two wages and now that will decrease to our pensions which should total about £1600 a month.. is that enough to live off ??? We intend to buy the property outright so would be mortgage free, but apart from holidays , which you pay back over months and live the high life for a week, l have no idea what amenities charges are or day to day expenses. 

Thanks in advance Annette


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## Elyles (Aug 30, 2012)

It all depends upon personal taste. There are many larger expat British communities down south but we prefer the solitude of the Pyrenees in Aragon.


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

We can live on less than your budget, run two properties and a car, holidays an nights out are extra.

However we are in the Canary Isles, somewhat different to the European part of Spain.

Go for it wherever you choose, enjoy your well earned retirement, we are


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## sdj101 (Apr 11, 2015)

We are planning to retire as soon as our house is sold and will have a similar budget and no mortgage. We have looked into various expenses and believe we will be okay with the budget we have.

Good luck with your plans.


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## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

Hepa said:


> We can live on less than your budget, run two properties and a car, holidays an nights out are extra.
> 
> However we are in the Canary Isles, somewhat different to the European part of Spain.
> 
> Go for it wherever you choose, enjoy your well earned retirement, we are


Have friends who have just returned from a month in Tenerife and they found food more expensive than the UK. They said even tomatoes were more expensive and not as good quality as Morissons!


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Isobella said:


> Have friends who have just returned from a month in Tenerife and they found food more expensive than the UK. They said even tomatoes were more expensive and not as good quality as Morissons!


I wonder if this was based on looks rather than taste?

The Spanish don't seem to mind what they look like so long as they taste great.


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

I was in a similar situation in finding a place to live without being in Spain, living in Canada. It sounds like you're starting from scratch, and there's lots you find on the internet....

Here you can find information on general costs, like amenities and rent. You just punch in the city. You can put it in whatever currency you like. You can also run a comparison with where you're living:

Cost of Living

You can find information on any city in these places:

Wikipedia
Google Images
Google Maps
City Hall (ayuntamiento)

Then you can ask here on the forum - like I did - more specific questions when you have a better idea of what you're looking for.

I live in Malaga in a one-bedroom apartment in the central district on about 1000 euros a month and I'm comfortable on that, but it's tight. I have a much better quality of life here in Spain that I did in Ontario, Canada, where the cost of living is much higher.


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## Annette50 (Jan 4, 2016)

thanks so much , bit of a mountain to climb organising everything, nice to know others are in the same boat, good luck, and l am more than happy to share any info we have.

kind regards Annette


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## Annette50 (Jan 4, 2016)

Hepa said:


> We can live on less than your budget, run two properties and a car, holidays an nights out are extra.
> 
> However we are in the Canary Isles, somewhat different to the European part of Spain.
> 
> Go for it wherever you choose, enjoy your well earned retirement, we are


thank you, looking forward to it "l think" good to know others are living the life.


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## Annette50 (Jan 4, 2016)

sdj101 said:


> We are planning to retire as soon as our house is sold and will have a similar budget and no mortgage. We have looked into various expenses and believe we will be okay with the budget we have.
> 
> Good luck with your plans.


Grateful for the quick reply, have a bit to do before we finally move and its good to know that what we have is adequate, always a concern. Happy new year to you Annette


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## Elyles (Aug 30, 2012)

We have a budget around 2380 GBP a month, own our own flat, have a significant travel budget, pay 200+ a month for health insurance, and have a ski budget as well. We live very nicely and haven't touched our investments.


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

Isobella said:


> Have friends who have just returned from a month in Tenerife and they found food more expensive than the UK. They said even tomatoes were more expensive and not as good quality as Morissons!


We find our food to be a lot better quality, fresher and cheaper, than the U.K.. We do however export tomatoes, pineapples, bananas and other fruits, to Tenerife, U.K. and other countries in Europe.


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## ptjd (May 27, 2015)

Cannot remember if I got this from a poster here or at another website. She does a great job of pricing things around Malaga, have a look.
Cost of Living | East of Málaga


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## DeeBee6961 (Nov 19, 2007)

Hi,

It depends where you move to in Spain.

It’s much expensive to live in the holiday part of Spain (the south and east coasts) – houses are much more expensive but you do have a lot of British (and I should image other countries) food, entertainment, newspapers, birthday cards etc. there. My son lives there and, when I visit, it’s like being in England. You don’t need to speak Spanish, as you are caught up in an English lifestyle. The weather is always good and I often wonder where the household water comes from.

My husband and I live in the north-west area of Spain (Galicia), which I liken to the English Lake District. We’re in a valley, with a view of the river and this region has a real winter but a hotter than English summer and autumn. There is nothing English here (other than Cheddar cheese, TUC biscuits and the very smallest of packets of teabags) and you might have to get in a car to find another English person.

The length of the country from north to south is fourteen hours by car.

I hope this helps./SNIP/
Best Wishes.


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## Justina (Jan 25, 2013)

*Moving*



Annette50 said:


> Hi All, my name is Annette and we are starting the process or retirement and relocating to Spain.
> 
> We have a number of areas in mind but nothing definite as yet, would appreciate any advice or help this forum can offer. Have to admit after working most of my life l find the prospect of retiring quite scary.
> 
> ...


If you have the money to buy a flat or house and still have 1600 euros, for the moment, left to live on, then you are a lucky couple. Once again, it depends on your lifestyle. Some forum members insist that they spend as much here as in the uk, which I think is nonsense, but each to his own. 
As everyone says here, rent for a few months and trot around. Nobody can tell you exactly on this forum what you are looking for, cos you possibly haven't decided yourselves.
Spain is a glorious country but the difference between the north and the south in terms of weather and wealth can be quite startling.


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## Justina (Jan 25, 2013)

Sorry, just noticed pounds and not euros


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## expatgal (Mar 4, 2013)

Annette50 said:


> Hi All, my name is Annette and we are starting the process or retirement and relocating to Spain.
> 
> We have a number of areas in mind but nothing definite as yet, would appreciate any advice or help this forum can offer. Have to admit after working most of my life l find the prospect of retiring quite scary.
> 
> ...


Hello Annette.
I'm not in Spain, but, I made the move to Germany by myself. 
Hopefully next year I'll join my sister in Spain.
I'm retired and when I contemplated a move to Germany, I read the forums forever, took all the advice which was offered.
I visited the area I was interested in many times in different seasons. I was fortunate to have a friend and was offered a place to rent for as long as I needed. 
You may consider renting first, keep your money close, you will never be able to make it again and won't have the years you had to save. 
I pared down everything in the states, and I then lived on less than the budget I would have once I made the move. 
I don't have children to spend on, and I don't smoke or drink, that saved quite a bit.
I live for my holidays, which is travel, it's closer here.
My biggest expense is private health insurance, rent, electric and food.
Food expense is what you make it. I don't eat anymore than I did in the states, less in fact, less meat.
Life is what you make it, as long as you have a roof and aren't starving, and have your health.
I'll share something with you, many won't and many haven't been touched by it.
What hit me hard the first year was lack of familiarity, lack of friends and the spoken word....english!
You'll need to prepare for what is asked of you, this forum will help, there's many bright and generous posters here and no dumb questions.
Be ready for the difference in culture, it is after all foreign. 
After the intial honeymoon, I made a schedule for myself, not a tight one, but one where I was productive. 
You have such an adventure ahead of you, what a lucky goose.


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## Annette50 (Jan 4, 2016)

Many thanks for your honest reply, being a German living in England I know what you mean.

We have a big mountain to climb but looking forward to the adventure. 
Annette


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## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

snikpoh said:


> I wonder if this was based on looks rather than taste?
> 
> The Spanish don't seem to mind what they look like so long as they taste great.


Good point, although in their case they are well travelled, lived in S.Africa for years and Spain for 8 years so I assume they know their tomatoes Tomatoes were just an example, they said most products were expensive. I have no idea about Tenerife, went once years ago and hated it.


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## Elyles (Aug 30, 2012)

Annette, pay attention to what others here say about moving slowly. With the Spanish economy still in the crapper, you can rent long term cheaply anywhere except in the Costa del Sol and larger cities. Although many of us would love to share the culture and beauty of where we live, it is a PERSONAL choice. Spain and traveling in Spain is an adventure. One can always travel to the larger cities to see things or to the mountains or beaches. I totally agree with Expat Gal's suggestion to rent first. This allows you to really see the communities from your own eyes. Spain is an enchanting place in all. 

Some things we did, like Expat gal, was to pare down all our belongings. We got down to 16 boxes, a road bicycle and two pair of skis. We traveled specifically in the Northern part of the country looking for potential retirement sites. After two years, we sold our vehicles, real estate and a ton of personal stuff and made the leap. We rented for a year and developed community ties as well as church ties with a small Protestant church here. We searched for a flat that was sufficient for us, in a quiet area of a resort/ski/mountain community and found one. By the time we found what we wanted, we had connections here to help us with the purchase process.

We elected to not have the liability of automobiles here as well, which is a huge financial drain. Public transport is cheap and readily available. Here, as well as in other cities and the country as a whole, the transportation system is friendly to retirees, offering great discounts. In the States we drove EVERYWHERE but here we walk or bicycle. Truly ask yourself what you can live without and invest in the satisfaction of travel, etc.


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## Annette50 (Jan 4, 2016)

A thought provoking reply, as l said to others we have a mountain to climb, but were not going to rush to it, more a leisurely stroll. Yes we will definitely sell up here and rent for a while whilst we decided were we would like to live. Kind of like the idea of living between the sea and the mountains, where we could swim or ski. Thanks you so much for these replies they are really helpful.

annette


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## Elyles (Aug 30, 2012)

The best and most economical ski resorts are close to here. One can pay US resort prices to ski near Granada but Why? The beaches are a few hours from here. Zaragoza would be interesting to look at, halfway between here and beaches and economical to live in. The resorts here are owned by the cities and are family oriented. Jaca is kind of like a few thousand year old Park City. It is in a valley of the Pyrenees that hardly gets snow but 12-15 km from here are great resorts.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Justina said:


> If you have the money to buy a flat or house and still have 1600 euros, for the moment, left to live on, then you are a lucky couple. Once again, it depends on your lifestyle. Some forum members insist that they spend as much here as in the uk, which I think is nonsense, but each to his own.
> *As everyone says here, rent for a few months and trot around. Nobody can tell you exactly on this forum what you are looking for, cos you possibly haven't decided yourselves.*
> Spain is a glorious country but the difference between the north and the south in terms of weather and wealth can be quite startling.


Definitely not "everybody!" A number of us planned our moves thoroughly so that we knew precisely where we wanted to be and why. So we sold up and moved lock, stock and barrel into our own homes which some of us bought for cash and can live mortgage-free.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

expatgal said:


> Hello Annette.
> I'm not in Spain, but, I made the move to Germany by myself.
> Hopefully next year I'll join my sister in Spain.
> I'm retired and when I contemplated a move to Germany, I read the forums forever, took all the advice which was offered.
> ...


Get out there and greet everybody you see in the street/park/bar "Hola, buenos días" - unlike many other countries, most Spanish people will greet you in return. many will start to speak to you in Spanish but try to listen - there will be many words that you recognise, listen to the tone of voice, you will get to know which are questions or statements requesting an answer. If they end with a question in the negative form, answer "Sí" or if they end with a question in a positive form answer "Nó" for example "Hace mucho calor. ¿Nó? (It's hot isn't it?) then answer "Sí" (Yes.) If they start gabbling on, just say "Lo siento, soy inglés, no entiendo" (I'm sorry, I am English, I don't understand). Now you may have been really fortunate and found somebody who can speak some English and he/she wants to practise so will try to translate, even better he/she might want really get on with English and may want to set up regular meetings (bar/café) to help you and for you to help her/him.


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## Elyles (Aug 30, 2012)

Well said. It is a fool who doesn't bother learning the language of where they live. I thought I could speak Spanish upon arrival but quickly learned my deficiencies. Although probably never able to speak fluently, I try. The Spanish are very helpful and forgiving for an effort to speak the language.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Elyles said:


> Well said. It is a fool who doesn't bother learning the language of where they live. I thought I could speak Spanish upon arrival but quickly learned my deficiencies. Although probably never able to speak fluently, I try. The Spanish are very helpful and forgiving for an effort to speak the language.


They aren't just fools, they miss out so much of the wonderful country to which they have moved.

Try going to Pueblos de España it not only covers most of the villages and hamlets in Spain but also small towns. There are discussions, photos going way back and you may find your next-door neighbour on there or the person across the street and you will learn more about where you are, the local people and why things are the way they are. Get involved, become a part of your new community, stand up and be counted. Because SWMBO is the local English Academy teacher, she gets called upon to be a judge at the Cherry Festival and, at Christmas, judge of the _belenes_ around the village.


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## expatgal (Mar 4, 2013)

baldilocks said:


> Get out there and greet everybody you see in the street/park/bar "Hola, buenos días" - unlike many other countries, most Spanish people will greet you in return. many will start to speak to you in Spanish but try to listen - there will be many words that you recognise, listen to the tone of voice, you will get to know which are questions or statements requesting an answer. If they end with a question in the negative form, answer "Sí" or if they end with a question in a positive form answer "Nó" for example "Hace mucho calor. ¿Nó? (It's hot isn't it?) then answer "Sí" (Yes.) If they start gabbling on, just say "Lo siento, soy inglés, no entiendo" (I'm sorry, I am English, I don't understand). Now you may have been really fortunate and found somebody who can speak some English and he/she wants to practise so will try to translate, even better he/she might want really get on with English and may want to set up regular meetings (bar/café) to help you and for you to help her/him.


As usual, all excellent advice. I did take german language courses before I left the states and continued when I arrived.
As you mentioned it is cultural, what may be difficult in Germany, may not be as difficult in Spain.


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## Elyles (Aug 30, 2012)

You will see many on here who are expats in larger communities where English is just another language. Many Spaniards like to visit New York because many there Speak Spanish. Some of us came here only for the cultural experience. I used to get slightly bent when illegal Mexicans in the US continued to live in their subgroups and refuse to learn English. I got just as irritated last summer when a large group of Americans we toured with here tried to force American culture on the Spanish. But, what it all comes down to is whether it is here or Germany and we refuse to embrace cultural differences, we fail. I truly embrace the cultural difference here of women without swimming tops. And they said there was no hope for me!


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Elyles said:


> You will see many on here who are expats in larger communities where English is just another language. Many Spaniards like to visit New York because many there Speak Spanish. Some of us came here only for the cultural experience. I used to get slightly bent when illegal Mexicans in the US continued to live in their subgroups and refuse to learn English. I got just as irritated last summer when a large group of Americans we toured with here tried to force American culture on the Spanish. But, what it all comes down to is whether it is here or Germany and we refuse to embrace cultural differences, we fail. * I truly embrace the cultural difference here of women without swimming tops*. And they said there was no hope for me!


and the being kissed by all the ladies, including the nuns! not so keen on kisses from men, though.


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## expatgal (Mar 4, 2013)

Elyles said:


> You will see many on here who are expats in larger communities where English is just another language. Many Spaniards like to visit New York because many there Speak Spanish. Some of us came here only for the cultural experience. I used to get slightly bent when illegal Mexicans in the US continued to live in their subgroups and refuse to learn English. I got just as irritated last summer when a large group of Americans we toured with here tried to force American culture on the Spanish. But, what it all comes down to is whether it is here or Germany and we refuse to embrace cultural differences, we fail. I truly embrace the cultural difference here of women without swimming tops. And they said there was no hope for me!


I worked in the travel industry for many years and was surprised by those who wouldn't learn a few phrases of the language of the country they were touring. Those who did practice a bit before their trip, enjoyed themselves and had funny stories to share when they returned. 
My father is from Spain and I never learned the language, but..then I was never around him or his family. 
If it hadn't been for my friend here, it would have been really difficult. I made a point to accept every invitation offered, whether it was to attend a church service, or coffee at a cafe, it makes a world of difference. 
I see topless men all the time...no big deal!


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

I love my Spanish friends and family, so I agree that it's important to have them in our lives when living in Spain. But I think keeping ties with people back home is really important too, because they really know you. I also think having immigrant friends is really important, because you can talk about any difficulties in immigrating. I have immigrant friends both here and in Canada, and they've been so very helpful. I think speaking your native language to people living in Spain is also important, so you can easily have in-depth conversations.


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## CampelloMan (Jan 19, 2016)

Annette, if the ski/beach thing is important then check out the area around Granada - Almuñecar is a great beach resort and not far from Sierra Nevada. It's also cheaper than the areas around Malaga and (IMHO) more authentic, not so swamped with us expats.

I live on the coast just above Alicante and life here is pretty idyllic too - just nowhere to ski!

best


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## Annette50 (Jan 4, 2016)

thank you so much for taking the time to answer, will definitely check this out

annette


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