The Real Cost Of Living In Spain

As more and more Europeans look to areas such as Spain for their retirement and employment prospects, it seems that one of the sticking points for many is clarifying the actual cost of living in Spain. How does it compare to the UK? Are the services as good? What can you expect for your money?

A recently snap poll compiled by spanish property portal Kyero.com, looked at a wide range of locations in Spain, assessing the cost of living, standard of services and exactly what you can expect for your money. While the results show a mixed bag of pros and cons, the overall picture is one which will attract more and more people to seriously consider Spain as their new home and confirms why is still the top destination for overseas retirees.

On average it seems that a couple are able to live on around Euros 644 a month, which works out at approximately £500 a month, or US$1,000 (excluding rent or mortgage payments on a Spanish property). However the picture is a little mixed when you start to compare the cost of services to the cost of food, etc. Click to visit Kyero.com for a breakdown of typical living costs.

On average food and drink prices in Spain compare very well, often costing at least one third less than in the UK, which is a good start. However, the cost of services such as the telephone, electricity and petrol are spiralling in Spain as they are in the UK, with internet connectivity often more expensive due to the domination of Telefonica – and the lack of a competitive marketplace.

Interestingly, when you consider these figures, there is scope for living a good life at a cost substantially less than that in the UK, though the survey includes areas such as Barcelona and Madrid where you would pay more for superior infrastructure in comparison to some of the less well known provinces. The only possible downside is the employment situation and the fact that overseas residents may well struggle to find work immediately in some areas of the country – however the ex-pat community will always be on hand to assist!