- Groceries – If you buy your food at specialist shops like English supermarkets, you may not notice much change in your grocery bills but, if you shop like your Spanish neighbours, you will notice a huge difference. Spaniards buy produce from local markets and meat from their local butcher. Meat such as beef can be expensive but pork is popular and cheap. Wine and beer are much cheaper in Spain than in many countries.
- Clothes – Local markets have a good selection of clothes and shoes and chain stores like H&M, Zara and Dorothy Perkins can be found in most cities. You will make a real saving if you shop at the markets.
- Local Taxes and Charges – Local town halls set the costs of car tax, property tax and charges like rubbish collection, so your spending on these taxes will depend on where you live. However, costs are likely to be much less when compared to countries like the UK.
- Property – Although property values in popular coastal areas and cities have risen quite steeply, property prices are still low when compared to other European countries like the UK. Many people buying a home in Spain can purchase it outright, without having to have a mortgage, and thereby cutting their cost of living in Spain.
- Water – Your spending on water will depend on your circumstances and whether or not you have a pool. Water on the whole is cheaper than many countries but in some places it is not safe to drink and bottled water needs to be purchased, adding to the cost of water.
- Electricity - Your electricity bills will also depend on your circumstances and whether you use air conditioning and electric heating.
- Heating - Northern Europeans will notice a reduction in heating bills if they move to coastal areas or southern Spain – winters are much shorter and milder. Your bills will depend on what source of heating you use.
- Gas – Mains gas is only available in some cities and areas of Spain, most people use cheap bottled butane gas for cooking, hot water and heating. Gas bottles are very economical as they seem to last a long time.
- Eating out – If you choose to eat in local Spanish bars and restaurants you can enjoy tapas or a menu del dia for a fraction of the cost of eating out in the US or the UK. Alcoholic drinks are much cheaper too.
- Transport – Although fuel costs have risen recently, they are still much cheaper than in countries like the UK. Road tax tends to be cheaper and so are new cars. Used cars hold their value and can be quite expensive in Spain. Public transport is efficient and cheap.
As you can see, the cost of living in Spain is much cheaper than many countries. However, you need to ensure that you have some kind of income – do not rely on savings.
