Cost of Living in Spain

It's hard to give anything more than a very rough guide, but since this is one of the big questions when somebody is deciding whether to move to Spain, here are our sample costs from our experience here:

• Electricity bills:
  • bills are approx 130 euros per month unless we have guests
  • standing charge included in this is approx 20 euros
• Gas bills:
  • for at least five people with a gas hob and 2 boilers only 85 euros every 6 months!
  • Gas bottles are around 17.50 euros each (depending on where you buy it)
• Radio Telephone & fast internet bills with private company: are
  • 35 euros per month plus the calls you make.
  • 5 cents per minute to the UK, cheaper than the leading company Telefonica, often free to have installed
• Food and Cleaning materials for two people approximately:
  • 350 euros per month (eating out extra)
• A glass of beer or wine at a local bar:
  • is 1.50 euro.
• Tapas:
  • are between two and four euros each.
• Loaf of bread:
  • is between 1 and 2 euros depending on type
• Packet of bacon:
  • is 2.50 euros
• Semi-skimmed milk
  • 65c per litre
• Bottle of Spanish lager:
  • is 68 cents
• Litre Bottle of Smirnoff Vodka:
  • is 12 euros, cheaper brands from around 5 to 7 euros
• Decent Bottle of wine:
  • 2-3 euros. although less if you buy from the local bodegas
• Fuel here has risen quite a bit but it is still cheaper than in the UK. Here Diesel is cheaper than petrol. The prices fluctuate but at the moment (Feb 2014) Diesel is on average 1.35€ per litre
• Car tax:
  • Average of 100€ but depends on size of car and which town you live in
• Car Insurance:
  • About the same as the UK
• To Join a gym/Teakwondo for a month is 30 euros
  • 50 euros for 3 of us at the local gym with use of pool
• Meal of the day (Del Dia) in a restaurant:
  • 6 -14 euros (this is 3 courses usually including a drink)
• Suma: council tax from 120 per year
• No TV licence required

Rental for say an apartment on a long term rental in this area can be between 75 to 130 euros per week but this depends on how close to the coast you want to be - the closer the more expensive.

This is just a small sample of prices the list is obviously endless

Finding out what you can afford is one of the first very important steps to buying a property in Spain.If you require a mortgage you will normally be able to borrow a percentage of between 60 and 80 per cent of the professional-valuation price. Banks are now getting strict as the rate goes up and the risk is bigger due to the market and ecconomy so are double checking figures etc, but try this company for examples of mortgage calculations and also for a quote to give you some idea of the costs involved, You need to add between 10 and 12% to a property price when a mortgage is involved

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