# Average family income in Barcelona ?!?!?



## rodap (Feb 13, 2013)

I see a lot of info for singles but nothing on families ! 

Can anybody tell me what is a good family income in Barcelona ? Thinking buying a 2 bedroom , 100 mp flat , home cooking in general with some meals out on the weekends , regular activities out like biking, walking, hiking, beach, festivals, some shows , light weekend travel around Europe . 

Thank you !


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## amespana (Nov 10, 2009)

What is an average family?


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## rodap (Feb 13, 2013)

I mean the average income per month for a family ( of 3 in my case ) ...


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## Helenameva (Aug 15, 2014)

You've asked a pretty nebulous question (Barcelona city or province? Mortgage payments or not? Car owner or public transport? Smokers or boozers? Etc). So here's my set-up, 2 adults, one young child, one dog, two cats, lots of fish, 100€ per week on food. Largish house about 45 minutes from the centre of Barcelona, no rent or mortgage, landline, gas, electric, broadband and water approx 50€ per week. Car owner spend about 40€ per week on petrol and 60€ per week toll charges. Cheap hobbies like walking, hiking, swimming and gardening (not so cheap at the moment because I'm totally gutting and starting again). Fly to England at least twice a year and have another holiday abroad in the summer. Don't drink don't smoke. No mistress, no fancy wardrobe. 1500€ per month is plenty.


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## bob_bob (Jan 5, 2011)

Is that two adults and one child or two children and one adult?

How long will you be staying for? Do you have your Visa sorted? Do you have or need to work?

Why on earth are you intent on buying when the property market is still in the dumps and renting is so cheap?


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## rodap (Feb 13, 2013)

Thanks for the response and info ! 

Here is more info . Barcelona ( Pedralbes area or surroundings ) , child 11 year old boy, no mortgage , no car so public transport , no pets , no smoking , average drinking ( a bottle of wine and a dozen beers every 2 weeks or so ) . 

Thanks again .


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## rodap (Feb 13, 2013)

Why waste 18000 euros / year when I can buy ? Are the prices still going down ?!? 

Two adults , one kid. EU citizens. Work needed but not moving until have one.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

rodap said:


> Thanks for the response and info !
> 
> Here is more info . Barcelona ( Pedrables area or surroundings ) , child 11 year old boy, no mortgage , no car so public transport , no pets , no smoking , average drinking ( a bottle of wine and a dozen beers every 2 weeks or so ) .
> 
> Thanks again .


 well the best way to know is to try it - not easy to do, but no one really knows how you would live. Personally from what I know, your child would need to go to an international school, so the cost of that would need to be on top, health insurance?? But the basics would be food/household and drink??? for those alone it could be around €200 a week, maybe???

Jo xxx


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## rodap (Feb 13, 2013)

jojo said:


> well the best way to know is to try it - not easy to do, but no one really knows how you would live. Personally from what I know, your child would need to go to an international school, so the cost of that would need to be on top, health insurance?? But the basics would be food/household and drink??? for those alone it could be around €200 a week, maybe???
> 
> Jo xxx


Thanks jojo, yes, we have school finances sorted out ( savings ) . Health insurance yes, we need that, is it around 200- 300 / month for the three of us ? ( we are healthy in fit, no preexisting conditions ) 

Thank you !


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## Elyles (Aug 30, 2012)

rodap said:


> Why waste 18000 euros / year when I can buy ? Are the prices still going down ?!? Two adults , one kid. EU citizens. Work needed but not moving until have one.


It depends on where you live in re to prices. Barcelona is pricey in general but one can live in an outside pueblo economically. Here, for example the prices are nowhere as low as in some areas of Spain. To live like we did in the US would cost 500.000€ to buy but we bought a flat for 130.000 and sunk a bunch into it. Here in Jaca, it is a resort town in the Pyrenees. Prices have settled but are still rather high. We looked a long time and everything under 130k was crap and the nicer places were around 180k+. The South of Spain offers some good deals and pueblos outside of larger cities do as well.


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

rodap said:


> Thanks jojo, yes, we have school finances sorted out ( savings ) . Health insurance yes, we need that, is it around 200- 300 / month for the three of us ? ( we are healthy in fit, no preexisting conditions )
> 
> Thank you !


You said you'd be needing a job and you'd have one before you move here. So assuming you work legally (with a contract) your whole family would be covered for state health care. And if you work self-employed (autónomo) your whole family would also be covered.


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

As for an "average" income, that is really hard to say because every family's lifestyle is different. Some families can't imagine life without fiber internet, a complete cable TV package, Netflix and mobile phones for everyone with mega data packages. All of that alone would set you back several hundred euros a month. Other families want none of that. 

Having said that, my family (2 adults, 2 university students) spends about 90€/month on landline phone/internet/mobiles/TV.

As for food shopping, you say you'll mostly eat in...but you can buy all local ingredients and cook everything from scratch, or you can buy lots of heat and eat foods, or lots of imported foods - which can set you back plenty because they're expensive here. But to give you an idea, I mostly cook from scratch and I spend about 120€/week on food. 

Eating out can be cheap (a few tapas and a beer 5€), or it can be really pricey. There's no way to put a price on that one. Totally depends on your choice of restaurant.

Transportation can be expensive! It's a major expense in my house. We live 6 km outside of Seville, and we run 3 cars, plus there are metro and bus passes for my kids to get to university. That comes to about 300€/month, which doesn't even count car insurance or maintenance. 

Utilities can vary wildly in cost. Totally depends on how you use electricity, water, etc. If you "have" to have your house a nice, toasty warm temp in the winter or nice cool temp in the summer, obviously you're going to pay for that. Electricity is really expensive in Spain and there are plenty of people on this forum who were stunned when they got their first bill. You are warned. Search the forum for lots of discussions about this. 

You say you've budgeted for your son's school fees. Keep in mind that there are lots of "extras" aside from the fees. 

You also say you'd have no mortgage. No rent, either? 

Soooo, given all of that, I'd say you'd need a minimum of 1500€/month, but that depending on your family you could make it on less or very well might need more. How's that for not being very precise?


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## rodap (Feb 13, 2013)

Elyles said:


> It depends on where you live in re to prices. Barcelona is pricey in general but one can live in an outside pueblo economically. Here, for example the prices are nowhere as low as in some areas of Spain. To live like we did in the US would cost 500.000€ to buy but we bought a flat for 130.000 and sunk a bunch into it. Here in Jaca, it is a resort town in the Pyrenees. Prices have settled but are still rather high. We looked a long time and everything under 130k was crap and the nicer places were around 180k+. The South of Spain offers some good deals and pueblos outside of larger cities do as well.


Even though we gonna miss our big house here we wanna move to stop spending time and money on a house plus we grew up in Europe so we are ok with a small flat and we are very handy so we can make renovations ourselves. 
Thank you for your opinion, we appreacite it .


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## rodap (Feb 13, 2013)

kalohi said:


> As for an "average" income, that is really hard to say because every family's lifestyle is different. Some families can't imagine life without fiber internet, a complete cable TV package, Netflix and mobile phones for everyone with mega data packages. All of that alone would set you back several hundred euros a month. Other families want none of that.
> 
> Having said that, my family (2 adults, 2 university students) spends about 90€/month on landline phone/internet/mobiles/TV.
> 
> ...



Great info ! 

We don't have cable so we are ok with that but probably we gonna need good internet. Phones not sure but probably just a regular cell to have n us for emergency reasons mostly. 

I am cooking from scratch and we eat meat 2-3 times/ week only . Our diet is veggies, fruits, grains, dairy and fish/seafood mostly . 

Eating out here once a week or so for $ 50-100 ! &#55357;&#56853;

Transportation will be metro and bus only .

Utilities - we like heat so the major expense I see is heating ( my house is 23 celsius in the winter ) . Electricity and AC not a big isue ( our house is 26 -28 celsius in summer but out is 35-40 TX weather with 100 % humidity ) and in general we don't waste energy or water.

I asked the school for the extra expenses and waiting for a response. 

No mortgage and no rent, buying cash .

Again great info and thank you , we really appreaciate it .


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

rodap said:


> I asked the school for the extra expenses and waiting for a response.


As well as the actual cost of international schooling, you will need to pay for books at around 300-500€ per child per year (although some areas have started a 'book bank' now), writing pads, pens etc. etc. plus the school trips (they all mount up). School dinners can be around 7,50€ per day per child.


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## rodap (Feb 13, 2013)

snikpoh said:


> As well as the actual cost of international schooling, you will need to pay for books at around 300-500€ per child per year (although some areas have started a 'book bank' now), writing pads, pens etc. etc. plus the school trips (they all mount up). School dinners can be around 7,50€ per day per child.


I guess more then I thought is covered by this school  

1. Is school lunch included in the tuition ? What about the school bus ? Yes, the lunch is included but not the school bus.

2. Any other expenses per month ? The tuition fees include half-board, books, school material, excursions, private insurance, guidance department and school workshops. School trips(such as skiing or foregin exchange), uniform and school bus are not included.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

rodap said:


> I guess more then I thought is covered by this school
> 
> 1. Is school lunch included in the tuition ? What about the school bus ? Yes, the lunch is included but not the school bus.
> 
> 2. Any other expenses per month ? The tuition fees include half-board, books, school material, excursions, private insurance, guidance department and school workshops. School trips(such as skiing or foregin exchange), uniform and school bus are not included.



We had to buy the books, paper and stationary at my kids international school. The bus would have been extra, as were school trips. And as for the cost of the uniform - I'm still reeling 5 years on. My daughters school skirt was *€98* , she was only 12 - It was a specific style and pattern!! then there was the rest of it - including PE home and away kits

Jo xxx


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

rodap said:


> Great info !
> 
> Utilities - we like heat so the major expense I see is heating ( my house is 23 celsius in the winter ) . Electricity and AC not a big isue ( our house is 26 -28 celsius in summer but out is 35-40 TX weather with 100 % humidity ) and in general we don't waste energy or water.


Good luck with that. Spanish housing is built to stay cool in summer, not warm in winter. 

My house right now is at 17ºC...and we're having a warm winter. Polar fleece is my friend.


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## Elyles (Aug 30, 2012)

kalohi said:


> Good luck with that. Spanish housing is built to stay cool in summer, not warm in winter. My house right now is at 17ºC...and we're having a warm winter. Polar fleece is my friend.


Rod ap, you mean Texas? On the Gulf?


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## rodap (Feb 13, 2013)

kalohi said:


> Good luck with that. Spanish housing is built to stay cool in summer, not warm in winter.
> 
> My house right now is at 17ºC...and we're having a warm winter. Polar fleece is my friend.


Hmm, what kind of heating your place has ?


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## rodap (Feb 13, 2013)

Elyles said:


> Rod ap, you mean Texas? On the Gulf?


Yes, Houston area.


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## Elyles (Aug 30, 2012)

rodap said:


> Yes, Houston area.


My family built Oak Ridge North on hwy 45 across from the Woodlands. I lived around Houston 30+ years till I left for the mountains of Wyoming for the last nine years of my career.


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## rodap (Feb 13, 2013)

Elyles said:


> My family built Oak Ridge North on hwy 45 across from the Woodlands. I lived around Houston 30+ years till I left for the mountains of Wyoming for the last nine years of my career.


😊 ... and now you are in Spain....what made you move there ?!??


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## Elyles (Aug 30, 2012)

rodap said:


> dde0a ... and now you are in Spain....what made you move there ?!??


 Love the culture he re. Of course family and universities made me move toHouston and skiing to Wyoming


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

rodap said:


> Hmm, what kind of heating your place has ?


The house has no central heating (as is typical in Seville). We use a small portable electric heater in our family room and another one in the bathroom, only as needed. That's about it. The A/C unit in the living room has a heat pump and sometimes we use that, but it doesn't do a very good job so it doesn't get turned on much. The bedrooms are nice and chilly for good sleeping with electric mattress pads.


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## rodap (Feb 13, 2013)

kalohi said:


> The house has no central heating (as is typical in Seville). We use a small portable electric heater in our family room and another one in the bathroom, only as needed. That's about it. The A/C unit in the living room has a heat pump and sometimes we use that, but it doesn't do a very good job so it doesn't get turned on much. The bedrooms are nice and chilly for good sleeping with electric mattress pads.


Ohh, ok, I read about that problem but we intend to buy a flat with natural gas heating or some kind of central heating . We saw some buildings have that in Barcelona. 

I know that we not gonna have the same comfort like here though and it's ok , we can adjust  

Thanks for your opinion .


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