# The True Cost Of Moving To Spain Share Your Experience



## seasideman (Nov 8, 2015)

A lot of people I have spoken to have impressed their wishes to move to spain, however, there are a lot of articles out their that are misleading. So I thought for myself and all the other people out there it would be good for people to share the true cost of moving to Spain.

For example. The cost of using a Spanish Bank

Tax

Living Costs

Running a Car

Property Rental costs

I thought it would be a great idea for the people who have done the move to share their experiences with people looking to make the move


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## Leper (May 12, 2010)

Longterm property rental in a good resort:- A 2 bedroom apartment in a good location will cost you around €550.00 per month. Electricity will work out at about €100.00 per month.

Living Costs:- Eat what the Spanish eat and you will spend less than in the UK.

Spanish Banks:- Have more charges than the Old Bailey. We're charged €30 per month just to have an account that was never overdrawn and that is just one of the charges. Transaction charges etc are extra.

Running a Car:- Costs depend on what kind of car you are using.

Tax:- Depends on your income, but you will probably pay more in direct tax than in the UK or Ireland.

All of the above are just incidental compared to the efforts you will have to make in (a) finding work (b) choosing schools for your kids (c) adjusting to a new life (d) other worries.

A Bit of Advice (not asked):- Don't burn your boats in the UK and be prepared for a dignified retreat, if necessary. And . . . (I'm in good mood) . . . Very Best Of Luck.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

seasideman said:


> A lot of people I have spoken to have impressed their wishes to move to spain, however, there are a lot of articles out their that are misleading. So I thought for myself and all the other people out there it would be good for people to share the true cost of moving to Spain.
> 
> For example. The cost of using a Spanish Bank
> 
> ...


Just do a search of the forum & look through old & current threads - all off these have been discussed many times & still being discussed


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## seasideman (Nov 8, 2015)

xabiachica said:


> Just do a search of the forum & look through old & current threads - all off these have been discussed many times & still being discussed





xabiachica said:


> Just do a search of the forum & look through old & current threads - all off these have been discussed many times & still being discussed


Not being funny but for a Super Moderator you just don't get it. That Is why i have started this post, so the information is in one place instead of people spending hours searching the forum and the internet


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

seasideman said:


> Not being funny but for a Super Moderator you just don't get it. That Is why i have started this post, so the information is in one place instead of people spending hours searching the forum and the internet


oh I do get it - it* is* all in one place - on the Spain forum 

It isn't generally helpful to the majority, nor to the search function, to have too varied info in one thread - discussion forums work best with different threads for different topics & questions

We do have this sticky though, where we save useful info & links to commonly asked question threads http://www.expatforum.com/expats/sp...-living-spain/2725-faqs-lots-useful-info.html

I'm sure if you browse through that you'll find what you're looking for


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

btw - would you like me to edit the title of the thread? 

I think you meant the 'true cost', not the 'trust cost'?


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## seasideman (Nov 8, 2015)

*yes*



xabiachica said:


> btw - would you like me to edit the title of the thread?
> 
> I think you meant the 'true cost', not the 'trust cost'?


yes please

I feel this thread is very important especially with all the recent articles appearing online and in the paper, a lot with false info


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

What I think is possibly more significant and rarely mentioned is the cost of actually moving to Spain. Removal costs, paperwork when you first arrive, deposits, flights, buying a car, buying incidentals, transport to..... 

I would say that setting up costs for us were probably £5000 ish and then when we returned to the UK it cost probably more. 


Jo xxx


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

It cost us about €5000 to do the move. We drove everything down ourselves using a one way van hire. I would never never never never do that again. Electricity costs more here than UK, fuel is far cheaper, most foodstuffs but not all are far cheaper, we pay no charges at our bank and cannot go overdrawn - if there is no money in there we have no money!! Public transport is a fraction of the cost in UK, internet unless you live in a city is generally slower but more expensive than UK. Then there are our Spanish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Italian, Sudanese, Romanian, Moroccan and English friends we have met since living here, the weather....


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

We paid no tax at all for the first 8 years we lived here - but that was because we were living off savings and had no income to pay tax on! Now that we are receiving pensions we do pay more tax than we would on the same income in the UK, because the personal allowances are much lower. However, anyone receiving a Crown pension would still pay tax on that in the UK, so they would not be affected.

As far as Council Tax is concerned, I pay a quarter of what I would be paying on my old house in the UK, although the house here is a lot bigger and the services in the town we live in are a lot better than where we lived in the UK.

Our grocery costs are at least 30% cheaper than we spent in the UK, and we are not spending any more on food now than when we moved here 9 years ago.

We need heating for only 4 months of the year, and use bottled gas for it, and bottled gas for cooking. I normally buy a total of 10 gas bottles per year and as they now cost €12.68 each that's a total annual spend of less than €130. Electricity costs have gone up rather a lot over the past few years and standing charges are expensive compared to the UK, but my electricity bills are still only €45/50 per month. Our water bills are around €15 per month.

Public transport costs here are far lower than in the UK, and we don't have a car as we don't need one, we live in a town where public transport is very good. If you do have a car I believe petrol is cheaper, down to under €1 per litre in places, I understand, including 5 service stations in the town where I live:-

GasÃ³leo a menos de un euro en MÃ¡laga. EntÃ©rate antes que nadie dÃ³nde encontrarlo . SUR.es

We have broadband from a cable TV company which is quite cheap, €18 per month and no landline needed so no line rental to pay. We don't have to pay for a TV licence here.
We use PAYG mobiles, €3.50 for 100 mins of national calls, and Localphone for calls to the UK, very cheap.

Some other things are much cheaper here - my hairdressing bills are less than half, now, of what I was paying 9 years ago in the UK and that wasn't in a super expensive salon. My gym membership for a good health club with its own indoor pool is cheaper than I paid in the UK and membership fees haven't increased in 9 years. We find eating out, and having coffees/drinks out, much cheaper than in the UK, as are hotel costs when we go away for short breaks. If we want to take a holiday further afield, booking long haul scheduled flights from a Spanish airport is much cheaper than flying from a UK airport, the flights tend to be priced much the same in euros as they are in pounds so the exchange rate makes them much cheaper (if you are paying in sterling that is). Most things we need to buy by way of DIY supplies for maintaining the house are much cheaper - except for wood which is much more expensive than in the UK so things like replacement doors cost more.

We choose to pay for private health insurance and that is much cheaper than it would be in the UK - next year ours will be €120 per month for the two of us although my husband is now 66. For him as a pensioner prescriptions are more expensive in the UK (or would be if he had any) as they are free there but he'd have to pay 10% of the cost of the medicine here. For me as someone below retirement age, though, that works out cheaper than paying over 8 pounds per item in UK prescription charges.

But what is always said in threads which ask about living costs, and it's quite true, that everybody's spending is different depending on their individual circumstances, needs and tastes, some spend a little and some spend a lot. I can only say that for us on the whole life feels much cheaper here and we seem to have a better standard of living whilst spending less.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

seasideman said:


> Not being funny but for a Super Moderator you just don't get it. That Is why i have started this post, so the information is in one place instead of people spending hours searching the forum and the internet


No. She gets it. She also moderates (very skilfully) a site that is really no more than a meeting place where people share advice, life experiences, all kinds of stuff. All individuals, living in different places in different ways all over Spain, in Andalucia, the Basque country, Catalonia, Valencia.....Madrid...all different in many ways.
You know, you are asking a question with a million answers. Each individual 'meets' Spain in his/her own, unique way.
The cost of moving to Spain: depends on very many factors. Getting hundreds of different answers in one place is a confusing as surfing a hundred web sites.

Generally, a good rule of thumb may well be this: if you need to know the cost of moving to Spain to the last cent...perhaps you can't afford to move.


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## Tusabrat (Sep 25, 2014)

Totally impressed with Banco Sabadell - we have a bank manager! Who recognises us when we come in! And waves us over! And tries his best to crack jokes in his iffy English, which he insists on using even though we can get by quite well in Spanish... and we can still do our banking online... fantastic. (Sorry, I know that doesn't cover costs, but I had to get that out there  )


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

seasideman said:


> yes please
> 
> I feel this thread is very important especially with all the recent articles appearing online and in the paper, *a lot with false info*


Out of interest, how did you know it was false?


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Tusabrat said:


> Totally impressed with Banco Sabadell - we have a bank manager! Who recognises us when we come in! And waves us over! And tries his best to crack jokes in his iffy English, which he insists on using even though we can get by quite well in Spanish... and we can still do our banking online... fantastic. (Sorry, I know that doesn't cover costs, but I had to get that out there  )


Any bank is as good as the staff at the local branch.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

mrypg9 said:


> Any bank is as good as the staff at the local branch.


Which is why I do most of my banking on-line.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Another point that makes answering such questions of very dubious value....When we arrived here seven years ago the £/euro was at parity. When I changed money last the rate was £1=1.42 euros.
So...someone coming to Spain in December 2008 with an income of £1000 a month would have received 1000 euros. Last week that £1000 bought you 1420 euros.
But in six months' time some political convulsion could shake the financial markets and we're back down again...
The cost of moving to Spain varies according to region, type of dwelling, rent or buy, currency rate of exchange, future tax/IVA increases and your personal lifestyle tastes and habits.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

seasideman said:


> A lot of people I have spoken to have impressed their wishes to move to spain, however, there are a lot of articles out their that are misleading. So I thought for myself and all the other people out there it would be good for people to share the true cost of moving to Spain.
> 
> For example. The cost of using a Spanish Bank
> 
> ...


Whilst I can understand the idea of getting all this vital information into one document, and the need to do it, and the enthusiam behind such an initiative it is in practice almost impossible. As other people have said each one of these topics have been discussed at length, are complex subjects in themselves and each one could run to several pages on its own. Threads along these lines usually end up very anecdotal, which is great in one way because that's where your "real life experiences" come in, but you have to wade through a lot of interesting but not pertinent info to get to a life style like yours (are you pre retired, retired, single, with a family,working from home...)

So Spanish banking. A lot will depend on if you have a resident or non resident account, and then on the bank you use. and then on the branch. There are several threads on this subject

Living costs. Years ago there was a sticky on the cost of living started by stravinsky. I tried to up date it. Impossible! Given the regional differences and the differences in supermarkets and individual likes and buying habits... a nightmare. The only way it would work would be to make a shopping list including makes, brands and sizes and members volunteer to go out and do the same shop and compare prices.
1 carton Lauki semi skimmed milk
1 5 litre bottle olive oil cold pressed virgin
500g Campo Frio ham
etc, etc
Best to go to supermarket pages and try to do an online shop
Electricity prices vary greatly. So do rental prices. Petrol I think doesn't have so much of a price difference. Car tax and IBI charges also vary a lot from place to place as do people's needs and wants when renting/ buying.

And so it goes on

Good luck, hope you find the info you want eventually


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

mrypg9 said:


> When I changed money last the rate was £1=1.42 euros.


That's a good rate, isn't it?


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Pesky Wesky said:


> That's a good rate, isn't it?


It is, and it might get a bit better still when the ECB monetary policy committee meets on 3 December when it has been widely predicted that they will increase their quantitative easing programme. But then again it might not, lots of other things could happen between then and now which might send it the other way.

Mary is right, the exchange rate is the single biggest factor that affects the cost of living in Spain for those of us who receive our income in sterling. When lots of people were saying a few years ago that living in Spain had become very expensive and they were having to go back to the UK, it wasn't so much that Spanish prices for everything had gone up, but that their incomes had shrunk considerably in comparison to how much they'd had to spend when they arrived.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Lynn R said:


> It is, and it might get a bit better still when the ECB monetary policy committee meets on 3 December when it has been widely predicted that they will increase their quantitative easing programme. But then again it might not, lots of other things could happen between then and now which might send it the other way.
> 
> Mary is right, the exchange rate is the single biggest factor that affects the cost of living in Spain for those of us who receive our income in sterling. When lots of people were saying a few years ago that living in Spain had become very expensive and they were having to go back to the UK, it wasn't so much that Spanish prices for everything had gone up, but that their incomes had shrunk considerably in comparison to how much they'd had to spend when they arrived.


It's creeping towards the 1.60€ that i remember in the Good Old Days


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Pesky Wesky said:


> It's creeping towards the 1.60€ that i remember in the Good Old Days


If it ever gets back to that I think I'd be found in the street throwing €20 euro notes at everybody out of sheer euphoria - only until my OH drags me back inside though!


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## Madliz (Feb 4, 2011)

Imagine someone asking the same questions about living costs in the UK, how would you answer a question such as this about living in Britain? How on earth could you tell someone how much it would cost to live there unless you knew where they would be living, how many in the family, the type of accommodation required (whether rented or bought), the income they would have, the age and model of the car they would run, etc.? Nobody can tell you how much you would spend to live in the way you choose to live your life - there are too many variables involved.

However...you may find this site of interest with cost of living comparisons for Spain and the UK
Guest Info-graphic: Cost of Living in Spain vs UK

Good luck!


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Leper said:


> Spanish Banks:- Have more charges than the Old Bailey. We're charged €30 per month just to have an account that was never overdrawn and that is just one of the charges. Transaction charges etc are extra.


As you're not a Spanish resident, you won't be able to benefit from the fact that practically all banks now offer commission free accounts for residents who have a salary or pension paid into the account each month, with no charges for debit or credit cards either.

€30 per month seems incredibly high, though - €30 twice a year is the norm for non-resident accounts. If it really is €30 per month, whyever haven't you moved your account to another bank?


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

seasideman said:


> Property Rental costs


One difference to bear in mind between renting property in Spain and in the UK is that in Spain, the IBI (Council Tax) is normally paid by the landlord, as are community fees in the case of an apartment or a house on an urbanisation, whereas in the UK the tenant pays the Council Tax on top of the rent.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

When I lived in Spain 5 years ago, I used to use a rule of thumb that was the EURO costs of living in Spain equaled the POUND costs of living in England, but with the currency exchange, inflation, deflation I'm not sure it applies so well anymore. Not to mention that people do different things and tend to have a different lifestyle in each country

Jo xxx


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## seasideman (Nov 8, 2015)

*travel cost*



jojo said:


> What I think is possibly more significant and rarely mentioned is the cost of actually moving to Spain. Removal costs, paperwork when you first arrive, deposits, flights, buying a car, buying incidentals, transport to.....
> 
> I would say that setting up costs for us were probably £5000 ish and then when we returned to the UK it cost probably more.
> 
> ...


Hi, It would be great if you could share those costs


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## seasideman (Nov 8, 2015)

mrypg9 said:


> No. She gets it. She also moderates (very skilfully) a site that is really no more than a meeting place where people share advice, life experiences, all kinds of stuff. All individuals, living in different places in different ways all over Spain, in Andalucia, the Basque country, Catalonia, Valencia.....Madrid...all different in many ways.
> You know, you are asking a question with a million answers. Each individual 'meets' Spain in his/her own, unique way.
> The cost of moving to Spain: depends on very many factors. Getting hundreds of different answers in one place is a confusing as surfing a hundred web sites.
> 
> Generally, a good rule of thumb may well be this: if you need to know the cost of moving to Spain to the last cent...perhaps you can't afford to move.


The thread is for people who are looking to read experiences and find out about costs, it is not about one person. Maybe you do not get that.


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## seasideman (Nov 8, 2015)

mrypg9 said:


> Another point that makes answering such questions of very dubious value....When we arrived here seven years ago the £/euro was at parity. When I changed money last the rate was £1=1.42 euros.
> So...someone coming to Spain in December 2008 with an income of £1000 a month would have received 1000 euros. Last week that £1000 bought you 1420 euros.
> But in six months' time some political convulsion could shake the financial markets and we're back down again...
> The cost of moving to Spain varies according to region, type of dwelling, rent or buy, currency rate of exchange, future tax/IVA increases and your personal lifestyle tastes and habits.


I have said to everyone i have spoken to, to treat the euro as a pound, this way there are no hidden surprised. A lot of people have failed moving to spain because they have used the euro rate. Have spoken to a lot of people who thought they could afford a big property because the euro rate was good, and then when it dropped like a bag of spuds they were using all their savings.

By using the euro as the pound and pretending each euro is worth a pound then you will not make the same mistake. Yes when the euro is good you get a lot more but when the euro is bad, you will not get a shock and struggle


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## seasideman (Nov 8, 2015)

Madliz said:


> Imagine someone asking the same questions about living costs in the UK, how would you answer a question such as this about living in Britain? How on earth could you tell someone how much it would cost to live there unless you knew where they would be living, how many in the family, the type of accommodation required (whether rented or bought), the income they would have, the age and model of the car they would run, etc.? Nobody can tell you how much you would spend to live in the way you choose to live your life - there are too many variables involved.
> 
> However...you may find this site of interest with cost of living comparisons for Spain and the UK
> Guest Info-graphic: Cost of Living in Spain vs UK
> ...


If someone asked about the cost of moving to the uk then you would be able to answer as I have done many a time. You explain about the average cost of the internet, that you have to pay for council tax, the tv licence, etc.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

seasideman said:


> The thread is for people who are looking to read experiences and find out about costs, it is not about one person. Maybe you do not get that.


That being the case, it would be nice if you followed generally accepted "netiquette" and said thank you to contributors who have taken the time to provide the kind of information you are asking for - or we might think you have no manners and will be less likely to do so again.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

seasideman said:


> Hi, It would be great if you could share those costs


Removal costs - £1,500 ish ( deduced from several estimates varying hugely)

Flights - £100 each???

Car hire for 6 weeks - cant remember, but we struck a deal with the car hire company

Cost of buying incidentals - 1000€?? including duvets, pillows, kettle, toaster, garden furniture, heaters (we didnt realise how cold it was in Spain)

Deposits for school - 3 months fees x two children

Deposit for property 1 month + first three months rental

Cost of residencia/NIE - I cant remember

Based on 2008 prices, for two adults, two children and two dogs. Going from Worthing West Sussex to Malaga

Jo xxx


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## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

seasideman said:


> If someone asked about the cost of moving to the uk then you would be able to answer as I have done many a time. You explain about the average cost of the internet, that you have to pay for council tax, the tv licence, etc.


You wouldn't necessarily be accurate though. Would only be a guideline.

For rentals. Look at rental websites, similarly do a sample food shop online in both countries. Most stuff is researchable and more accurate than those comparison websites. It will be more personal to your needs. Most find Spain cheaper but it depends on a persons needs eg. Cheap booze is useless if you have to pay around €150pm for health care.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

seasideman said:


> If someone asked about the cost of moving to the uk then you would be able to answer as I have done many a time. You explain about the average cost of the internet, that you have to pay for council tax, the tv licence, etc.


You couldnt base your budget on knowing the cost of a TV licence though - yes we pay council tax, how much then?? yes we have utility bills, how much??? Food costs, rental, petrol, car costs..............

You cant put a figure on any of it - if only because prices vary soooo much, not only from county to county, town to town, but area to area.

All you can ever do is list the items that you may possibly have to pay for

Jo xxx


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## Rabbitcat (Aug 31, 2014)

The €30 a moth for banking charges quoted on this thread seems horrendous.
Surely there must be much cheaper banks?


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

seasideman said:


> The thread is for people who are looking to read experiences and find out about costs, it is not about one person. Maybe you do not get that.


But that is (part of) what the *entire forum *is about 

Why do you especially want it all in one thread ?

If someone wants to know about tax, they'll have to wade through posts about renting - if they want to know about electricity, they'll have to wade through posts about tax & so on

Surely it's so much easier to look for specific threads?


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

seasideman said:


> The thread is for people who are looking to read experiences and find out about costs, it is not about one person. Maybe you do not get that.




And maybe you aren't into reading carefully what I and other posters have tried to tell you, which is that yes, it is indeed about individuals. 
Why? Because Spain is a big country and you would need to read as many different and varied experiences as there are would- be immigrants and their differing incomes, needs and tastes.
You have been given pointers to follow but you are best advised to go to the part of Spain you are considering as your location and do your own research basd on your needs and resources.
Because that's what sensible people do.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

hmmm - I just had what I call a lightbulb







moment...

The last time we had someone come on the forum wanting everything in one thread, they turned out to be a lazy journalist who couldn't be bothered to look through the info already there

He wanted us to do everything but actually write the article for him


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## Rabbitcat (Aug 31, 2014)

Getting costs are important - especially for those of us who are poor. Indeed if it wasn't for mrypgs kind offer of a free holiday I wouldn't be going to Spain.

Seaside -this is a great forum with very knowledgable and patient members-every aspect you are concerned about IS covered. 

I would however echo the sentiment that when it comes to such a life changing decision as moving to a foreign country - if you need to know costs virtually down to the last cent, it's doubtful if the move will be affordable for you.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

seasideman said:


> If someone asked about the cost of moving to the uk then you would be able to answer as I have done many a time. You explain about the average cost of the internet, that you have to pay for council tax, the tv licence, etc.



I wouldn't go on a Forum to ask those questions. I would go to a more authoritative source. More importantly I would visit for myself and find out at first hand.
But the things you mention wouldn't figure in my decision- making, to be honest. They are peripheral.

Now ...how would ithelp if I told you that one poster here lives ith his wife and her mother very comfortably on less than 700€ a month whereas my partner and I fork out 1500€ before anyone eats?
Others may well find they need much more to live the lifestyle that they are used to.
In some parts of Spain you can rent a house with pool for 500€ a month. In others you'd pay €2000 for a similar property.
These are the important things to know, not how much the internet is....and the cost of that can vary too.
As someone else said, how couldyou tell someone how much it would cost to live in England? Do you plan to live in a mansion in Highgate or an ex- council,flat in Brixton? Do you eat caviar and drink Veuve Cliquot or beans on toast and brown ale? Is your idea of a good night out dinner at The Ivy or a pie and a pint at the local pub?
The answer to the cost of living in England depends on the individual's preferred lifestyle.
As it does in Spain.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Rabbitcat said:


> The €30 a moth for banking charges quoted on this thread seems horrendous.
> Surely there must be much cheaper banks?


Moths? Are they charging for those now?

Seriously though, as I said in my post in reply to Leper, I would be very surprised if it really was €30 per month. The normal charges for a non-resident account (which is what Leper will have as he/she does not live in Spain full time) are in the order of €30 charged twice a year, plus a fee for a debit card.

For those who are resident, as I said pretty much every bank now offers a commission free account with no fees for debit or credit cards either, if you have a salary or pension paid into the account. Some give the same deal for keeping a minimum balance in the current account instead, and some banks (the Santander 123 account for example, also give cash back on direct debits and pay interest on credit balances up to a certain level - Santander pay 3% on balances up to €15,000).


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

If Xabi is correct we won't here from Seaside man again.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

xabiachica said:


> hmmm - I just had what I call a lightbulb
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Not a definable question at all - even for an Editor lol

Jo xxx


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## Rabbitcat (Aug 31, 2014)

I think we should just put all this behind us and contribute €20 each to the get- Rabbitcat- to- mrypgs- place -fund, as a reminder of what a great forum we are.


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

Moving costs 25K
Weekly food 850pm
Bills 1200pm
Entertainment 765pm
other costs 3000pm

Basically

Why would I share with someone on the internet my personal info broken down. SO I typed these as its all rubbish, I could say anything would you make a move to another country based on a bunch of strangers opinions on the cost of living


Some can live on 1000 euro and below a month
Others spend that on fun
Others get that in interest
Others spend double

Get my drift The information is out there, people can tell you anything they like on here it makes no difference. Basically like for like. We based it on what we could live on in the UK was the same here.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Rabbitcat said:


> I think we should just put all this behind us and contribute €20 each to the get- Rabbitcat- to- mrypgs- place -fund, as a reminder of what a great forum we are.


Oh dear....I've just read that all flights to Spain from Kiribati have been suspended because of renewed seismic activity of the previously dormant Mount Wakibaki volcano....
It seems that when this ancient volcano stirs from its slumbers, it could belch forth fiery rocks and molten lava for years on end.
All sea activity in the waters around Kiribati has similarly been suspended due to underwater turbulence causd by the volcanic eruption.
Neighbouring states have closed their borders with Kiribati due to an outbreak of the deadly Bonkalota plague, for which there is at present no known cure.
The inhabitants have resigned themselves to living on a diet of homegrown spaghetti from the famous Kiribati spaghetti plantation and the local homebrew, a potent concoction of. ewe's urine and rhubarb juice.
Entertainment has been provided courtesy of an RAF airdrop of DVD s of the much- loved British tv series 'Crossroads'. and copies of 'The Home Life of Our Queen' for those of a literary bent.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

mrypg9 said:


> Oh dear....I've just read that all flights to Spain from Kiribati have been suspended because of renewed seismic activity of the previously dormant Mount Wakibaki volcano....
> It seems that when this ancient volcano stirs from its slumbers, it could belch forth fiery rocks and molten lava for years on end.
> All sea activity in the waters around Kiribati has similarly been suspended due to underwater turbulence causd by the volcanic eruption.
> Neighbouring states have closed their borders with Kiribati due to an outbreak of the deadly Bonkalota plague, for which there is at present no known cure.
> ...


But is it cheaper to live there than in Spain? I think we should be told.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Lynn R said:


> But is it cheaper to live there than in Spain? I think we should be told.


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

Yes it is, no it isn't, yes it is, no it isn't - look behind you... it's pantomime season...


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## Derek H (Dec 7, 2008)

cambio said:


> Moving costs 25K
> Weekly food 850pm
> Bills 1200pm
> Entertainment 765pm
> ...


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

Derek H said:


> cambio said:
> 
> 
> > Moving costs 25K
> ...


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

FWIW
I don't think the OP is a journalist trying to weedle info out of the forum under false pretenses. I think he just asked a question that wasn't well thought out.
Nothing wrong with that and something I'm willing to bet that most of us have done.
=
Give him some slack.


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## seasideman (Nov 8, 2015)

jojo said:


> Not a definable question at all - even for an Editor lol
> 
> Jo xxx


Jo Jo, I may be wrong, but isnt your job to help people and not make silly remarks. Not be funny, but seems very silly. I am not sure if you live in spain or not, and to be honest that does not interest me, but a lot of people out there have many questions and having it in one place is much easier


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

seasideman said:


> Jo Jo, I may be wrong, but isnt your job to help people and not make silly remarks. Not be funny, but seems very silly. I am not sure if you live in spain or not, and to be honest that does not interest me, but a lot of people out there have many questions and having it in one place is much easier


this isn't her job - nor mine

moderators are volunteers - & moderators make sure people follow the rules of the forum - it certainly isn't our job to answer questions 

when we post, unless we specifically say that we are posting as a moderator, as I am now - we post as people with our own opinions & if we choose to make what you consider to be silly remarks, that's our prerogative

as moderators, we know the best way for the forum to run - & that genuinely isn't to have half a dozen questions in one thread

now why not take a look at the FAQs thread I gave you a link to, & have a look around the forum to see if the questions you have have already been answered, before starting any more threads

because that's the other thing moderators know about running a forum - it doesn't help to have lots of threads about the same thing running at the same time


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

seasideman said:


> Jo Jo, I may be wrong, but isnt your job to help people and not make silly remarks. Not be funny, but seems very silly. I am not sure if you live in spain or not, and to be honest that does not interest me, but a lot of people out there have many questions and having it in one place is much easier


That isnt a silly remark, that is my answer and my opinion - your question isnt definable.

Yes you are right, a lot of people out there do have many questions and the forum addresses them when asked in a post all in one place, right here http://www.expatforum.com/expats/spain-expat-forum-expats-living-spain/ - so it achieves its goal to help people

Jo xxx


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## Rabbitcat (Aug 31, 2014)

seasideman said:


> Jo Jo, I may be wrong, but isnt your job to help people and not make silly remarks. Not be funny, but seems very silly. I am not sure if you live in spain or not, and to be honest that does not interest me, but a lot of people out there have many questions and having it in one place is much easier



Very harsh on Jojo.

Have always found him/her very decent/ helpful as a mod and a good contributor as a member.

As regards anyone injecting a bit of humour I see no harm as long as they are not offensive/ crude or ruin the topic


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