# Moving to Barcelona



## owen.convey (Sep 7, 2012)

Hello expatforum!

I have already read through the whole FAQ and gleaned a lot of useful information however I still have a few questions that I was hoping you friendly people could help me with! 

I have been offered a job in Barcelona working for an IT company, we are currently negotiating monthly pay but it will be between 1900 - 2100 a month after tax. Would this be considered a good amount to live on per month? I am 25 and have no dependents.

My other question is about the IBI tax (Impuesto sobre Bienes Inmuebles), I have seen it mentioned but can't find any information. Basically I am looking at an apartment for rent in central barcelona for 800 euros that includes gastos de comunidad. Does that include IBI? Is it the responsibility for the tenant to pay IBI? If so could anyone estimate how much it would work out? 

Roughly how much should I budget for in terms of utility bills also?

I'd be incredibly grateful for any help! 

P.s. thanks for all the internet knowledge threads, think I'll have saved myself some money there! :clap2:


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

owen.convey said:


> Hello expatforum!
> 
> I have already read through the whole FAQ and gleaned a lot of useful information however I still have a few questions that I was hoping you friendly people could help me with!
> 
> ...


:welcome:
and well done on the job

you only have to worry about IBI if you *own* a property - it's a property tax & would usually be included/hidden in the rent


for utility bills, if you budget more or less what you do in the UK you won't go far wrong - if you rent an all-electric apartment or house it _might _even be a little higher


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## zkady (Sep 8, 2012)

Hi Owen, 

I am now back in Barcelona after 15 yrs. abroad. Barcelona is a great place to live in, and even though there is a very tough recession in Spain, Barcelona seems less affected due to the thriving tourism industry.

Answering your questions: 

_- 1900 - 2100 a month after tax. Would this be considered a good amount to live on per month? I am 25 and have no dependents.
_

It´s definitely above average in the spanish local market, but not a huge salary. You will probably find it tight living off 1000€ a month (after rent). 
You will find it difficult to find better paying jobs in this market though, so the only thing you can do is try to minimize your fixed monthly costs. 
Barcelona can be very expensive (or very cheap) depending on your lifestyle. 



_- rent in central barcelona for 800 euros that includes gastos de comunidad. Does that include IBI? Is it the responsibility for the tenant to pay IBI? If so could anyone estimate how much it would work out? _

Rentals have IBI included. IBI is a property that must be paid by the owner. Some LL will try to charge for it, but it´s definitely negotiable and not the renter´s responsibility. 
800€ seems reasonable for a flat. The property prices have dropped almost 50% since 2007, and the rental properties are dropping at about 10% yearly. 
It´s a great moment to negotiate a good rental price, since many landlords are desperate for money.... and for tenants that continue paying with no delays. 
A trick is to pay 6 months in advance in exchange for a 20% price decrease (only do this when you have been living in your apt. for some months and you know the LL! ) 
I reduced the monthly rental for my business by 30% with this trick. 



_Roughly how much should I budget for in terms of utility bills also?
_
Electricity: 50€ / month 
Gas (heating / cooking): 40€ / month 
Broadband: 30€ / month


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## owen.convey (Sep 7, 2012)

Wow thanks a lot xabiachica and zkady! Very useful stuff 

I have a few questions for zkady (knowing Barcelona well is a huge help to me!).

My new job is going to be near Jaume metro. I've been looking at flats in Born and Raval (Gotic seems too touristy). I'm leaning towards Born, I haven't really considered eixample. What are your opinions on the areas? Should I consider any other areas? I'm looking for central,younger crowd but would like some security/cleanliness. 

There is a flat I like in Born for 800 a month, do you think I could try and negotiate quite hard? I have around 9000 euros saved so potentially pay 6 months in advance from the get go. Do you think I'd be able to get discounts etc? Or should I try negotiating regardless of upfront payments?

I think I live pretty cheaply overall and like to save. I'm mainly looking forward to learning the language, making new friends and spending my free time sat outside or on the beach! 

Thanks again for all your help!


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## zkady (Sep 8, 2012)

owen.convey said:


> Wow thanks a lot xabiachica and zkady! Very useful stuff
> 
> I have a few questions for zkady (knowing Barcelona well is a huge help to me!).
> 
> ...


Hi Owen, 

Glad I can be of help  

City districts: Avoid Raval at all costs! It´s full of prostitutes and criminals! Born is much better, even though it can get too loud. 
If you are looking for safety and a decent price don´t discard Eixample. 
A cool & upcoming area is PobleSec / Villa Olimpica, which has a mixture of residential and factory units. The area around carrer Marina is very nice: right next to the beach, good public transport and right next to the center (but not so loud).

Jaume I metro station is very centric, and is very accesible from all districts mentioned above. This website tmb.cat/ca/home shows all public transport possibilities and will come in handy while looking for a flat. Just enter your origin and destination and it will calculate the fastest route using public transport. 



First thing you need to do as soon as you have an address in BCN is get a www . bicing . cat card. It´s the best way to get around the city and super cheap! 


Regarding flat rental discounts: save your money for now and don´t try to negotiate an advanced payment yet. Once you have found your ideal flat and you have lived in it 4 or 5 months, then you can approach your landlord with a pre-pay offer. 
Some of my employees live in rental flats and all tell me the market is getting a lot better: larger flats for less money. It´s definitely a buyer´s market now, so don´t rush any decisions. 

Another option could be to share a flat with others. One employee of mine is living in a flat with 2 swedish exchange students. Apparently they organize huge parties with many girls, and he seems quite happy  

You can also try to rent via Airbnb for a while before you decide what part of town you like best for living. 

You will definitely get a lot of time to hang around at the beach and meet new people. Catalans are friendly people and like to meet new cultures. We are very used to a cosmopolitan life and welcome tourists / foreigners. 

As a tip: you should find a local catalan for language exchange lessons. Everybody here wants to learn English and pays through their nose to attend private language schools. I am sure that many locals would love to hang around with you and speak 1 hr spanish / 1 hr english while drinking a few beers.


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