Yes it definitely seems to be 'swings and roundabouts' now when comparing the costs of living UK v Spain..
I've been watching and researching the various costs between the two countries over the last year, and now with the pound at such a low state, it is difficult to see much difference between food costs and utilities etc.
I am aware that some items such as wine and fuel are still much lower in Spain, but they appear to be compensated by such items as cheaper clothing, toiletries and general household items, telephones etc. in UK.
Having spent equal times in both countries ,over the past 12 months, I have been able to keep records of all of our purchases, and find now that there is really very little difference. Obviously I've based it on our personal purchases, and everyone is different with what they purchase, but I based my figures on staple items .We seem to buy very much the same types of items in both countries, and we shop at Carrefour, Mercadona, Lidl, Aldi, local village shops and markets in Spain..In Uk are shopping is done in Tesco, Morrisons, Lidl, Aldi, and local 'corner shops'.
There are bargains to be had in both countries, but the totals really seem to balance out for us , at least.
I am posting this just as a guide for anyone who may be interested, I hope that it is of help.
I wonder if anyone has found the same , or do you think that it is still cheaper in Spain ?
Swings and Roundabouts
It probably balances out on most things but I think technology is definitely cheaper in the UK. I bought an all in one printer from Tesco in January for £14.95 on sale at ½ price but even at full price it was considerably cheaper than the equivalent item here - and the perfect size for hand luggage bringing it back 
The other thing that makes it expensive here in Spain, for me, is the fact that I'm a vegetarian. It means if we eat out it tends to be the more expensive restaurants or yet another salad but that's my choice so an unfair comparison and to a lesser extent my choices are still limited in the UK.
The real killer for us though has been private medical insurance. As early retirees we have been forced to take this out, or live with the worry of what if, and that costs offsets the savings we make on things like council tax. I know you can say we should have researched it better but it's more a case of life getting in the way of plans I had.
Ah well, it's only money and you can't take it with you
The other thing that makes it expensive here in Spain, for me, is the fact that I'm a vegetarian. It means if we eat out it tends to be the more expensive restaurants or yet another salad but that's my choice so an unfair comparison and to a lesser extent my choices are still limited in the UK.
The real killer for us though has been private medical insurance. As early retirees we have been forced to take this out, or live with the worry of what if, and that costs offsets the savings we make on things like council tax. I know you can say we should have researched it better but it's more a case of life getting in the way of plans I had.
Ah well, it's only money and you can't take it with you
As I stated it was based on our personal spending, and obviously it does depend where you live and the size of your property etc. It did include electricity, heating etc., and as I said there are many other differences, but they seem to balance out.
If you have lived in Spain for any length of time it would be difficult to compare, I've based our figures on the last 12 months in both countries..
Gordon..
If you have lived in Spain for any length of time it would be difficult to compare, I've based our figures on the last 12 months in both countries..
Gordon..
Benidorm to get people on here to be realistic, compare like for like you would have to put them on the rack 
Say after me 2000 times that "Spain is cheaper" and you may believe it. heating costs, ugly gas fire in andalucia, full central heating in the UK...all the same innit The only way it is cheaper in Spain if you live in a (very) rural area, no mains water and dodgy electricity and exist on ciggies and booze...save you thousands.
Someone posted on here recently that it cost them 1000 euros a month to run their central heating...yes in Spain. Lets not bother about this info' though when you can get a caña for 1 euro
Say after me 2000 times that "Spain is cheaper" and you may believe it. heating costs, ugly gas fire in andalucia, full central heating in the UK...all the same innit The only way it is cheaper in Spain if you live in a (very) rural area, no mains water and dodgy electricity and exist on ciggies and booze...save you thousands.Someone posted on here recently that it cost them 1000 euros a month to run their central heating...yes in Spain. Lets not bother about this info' though when you can get a caña for 1 euro
katy wrote:Benidorm to get people on here to be realistic, compare like for like you would have to put them on the rack
Someone posted on here recently that it cost them 1000 euros a month to run their central heating...yes in Spain. Lets not bother about this info' though when you can get a caña for 1 euro
Katy seems to have forgotten the concensus that we all came to recently.....that everyone lives differently, but all views are as valid as each other!
For my family, we have been over here a few years now, so can not compare recently, but we do know that in the uk we spent one persons wages to pay the mortgage & council tax, whereas here, we can live very comfortably off one persons part-time wage, in a beautiful house that is all paid for! Council tax - change from 20€ a year!
In our view, this tells us that yes, it is much cheaper (and happier) for us here in Spain!
Oh and Katy, the "ugly gas fire" you talk about, is a beautiful cast iron main focal point in our villa! In our eyes, its just beautiful!
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mirandamac
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Thanks Benidorm - yes it is useful for those of us planning a move. And you did make the point that we're all different and spend on different things. Quite interesting stuff though - it does help us with our thinking. However different our spending might be, it's a guide so worth doing.
Yes, I also thought the "innit" from Katy didn't seem in character!!! Are you going to enlighten us or was it just an un-Katy moment? Made me smile anyway so you've done your good deed for the day now.
Yes, I also thought the "innit" from Katy didn't seem in character!!! Are you going to enlighten us or was it just an un-Katy moment? Made me smile anyway so you've done your good deed for the day now.
I have 3 kids and life in the UK was expensive, here they cost me nowt, they are always outside enjoying themselves. In the UK try £80 for the 5 of us to swim INSIDE at an indoor water park, watch the money drain from your pocket at £12 per ride at a theme park, ride = 5mins........I took the kids to Chester zoo last autumn, I can't remember the cost but it was nearly £100 BEFORE food, these disproportionate charges have been accepted as normal in the UK, not for much longer as the crunch bites!
Eating out? For family of 5 in the UK good food is just not affordable for a normal earner like myself. Yes, I can pay £3.95 for a pub "eat all you can" buffet, trouble is, it's crap and I don't want my kids to eat it. Here we can eat out weekly in a place where they actually COOK the food!
"Life" is expensive in the UK and in the UK's currrent fashionable theme/corporate/chain world it is pitifully poor value for dismal quality product too. Yes, I can buy a shirt at Primark for £3 but again, it's crap and it'd make me feel crap too.
Basic living costs might not be much different and if all you have to pay for are food and utilities and you want the cheapest food & clothes then there might not be much difference in living costs. But a quality life is available much cheaper in Spain.
Eating out? For family of 5 in the UK good food is just not affordable for a normal earner like myself. Yes, I can pay £3.95 for a pub "eat all you can" buffet, trouble is, it's crap and I don't want my kids to eat it. Here we can eat out weekly in a place where they actually COOK the food!
"Life" is expensive in the UK and in the UK's currrent fashionable theme/corporate/chain world it is pitifully poor value for dismal quality product too. Yes, I can buy a shirt at Primark for £3 but again, it's crap and it'd make me feel crap too.
Basic living costs might not be much different and if all you have to pay for are food and utilities and you want the cheapest food & clothes then there might not be much difference in living costs. But a quality life is available much cheaper in Spain.
well as i have said before,most people if they have to work forget that the wages are crap,5 euros an hour is the norm,i for example have run my own hotels,pubs,restaurants in the uk and a bar here for 7 years,i have been cooking for over 20 years,a friend last year asked me to stand in for a day as the chef was off and he had a large group of golfers coming
'sure' i said and after the 8 hour shift where i had cooked 100 or more meals he told me that the going rate for a cook was 6.50 and hour but he would give me 60 as it was so busy and when i asked about the tips he gave me 5 euros
he would have got 60 euros in tips so thats how i was paid,needless to say next time i said no
anyway if you can find a job the wages will be low,be aware that the unprofessional idiots that call themselves bar owners and restauranteurs out here in general treat their staff like *beep* as they have never done it before
'sure' i said and after the 8 hour shift where i had cooked 100 or more meals he told me that the going rate for a cook was 6.50 and hour but he would give me 60 as it was so busy and when i asked about the tips he gave me 5 euros
he would have got 60 euros in tips so thats how i was paid,needless to say next time i said no
anyway if you can find a job the wages will be low,be aware that the unprofessional idiots that call themselves bar owners and restauranteurs out here in general treat their staff like *beep* as they have never done it before
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ICCSL
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Cost of living
I live in an obscure mountain village in the middle of realistically nowhere. However, I do have all the mains services, technology etc. Things are getting more expensive but one thing that seems to be prevalent here is that the Spaniards tend to conserve things such as water, electricity and fuel. Most of them still cook on open fires despite having beautiful fitted kitchens because it is cheaper to cook on the fire and in a sense it is like having a permanent barbecue.
They normally take showers, rather than baths because water is precious to them. They use their washing machines once a week and would never consider a tumble dryer. There are very few of their homes that have central heating, mainly because of the cost, I would imagine. They close doors in the house and tend to live in one room during the winter which is either heated by the same fire they cook on or with a brasserie under the table using ashes from the fire.
They use light bulbs designed to converve energy and are awed by the amount of lights I leave on in the house.
So maybe if we conserved more, like they do, our bills would not be so high.
They normally take showers, rather than baths because water is precious to them. They use their washing machines once a week and would never consider a tumble dryer. There are very few of their homes that have central heating, mainly because of the cost, I would imagine. They close doors in the house and tend to live in one room during the winter which is either heated by the same fire they cook on or with a brasserie under the table using ashes from the fire.
They use light bulbs designed to converve energy and are awed by the amount of lights I leave on in the house.
So maybe if we conserved more, like they do, our bills would not be so high.
Tina
We drove through your part of the world Tina on the way back from Murcia last year - we entered a really strange bar that was like something from an old film, old dusty bottles on the right as you went in and big old keys for sale, you probably know it. Strange thing is that the GPS picked it up as an eating place, but it was quite a drive off the motorway really. There was a big white cat on the doorstep as we went in and it was quite eerie, the area had a haunted feel to it. We couldn´t wait to get out!! We laugh about it now, bought a big key as a souvenir.
I used to be indecisive but now I´m not so sure.
Yes, Some good points in your replies, but as I stated , this was a report on my findings over the last year, and I wasn't including extra entertainment, etc.
With regard to clothing, you can buy good quality clothing in UK at prices lower than Spain, including many top labels.Most of the clothing on sale in both countries is produced in the Far East, and you can buy very cheap casual clothing on the Spanish markets, but the quality and selection is not fantastic. The same ranges are also on offer at the UK markets, for similar prices, but for top quality items UK is still cheaper.
Prices for decent childrens clothing is particularly higher in Spain than UK, and always has been, as far as I can remember.
I did import clothing from UK and Northern Europe for over 12 years to sell in my shops, and even after high transport costs I was able to compete well with Spanish outlets, and most of my customers were Spanish..
As for eating out, well I think it depends on where you live, I do know where to eat well in Spain at reasonable prices, but for general quality and price , I have found that UK is as good , if not better.
With regard to days out and attractions, I haven't noticed much difference in cost between the two countries, I think if you take children out for the day to any 'attractions' , anywhere, well then you are going to have to spend 'big bucks' .
I really have done a lot of research into the various costings, and as I say , I've found very little difference between the two countries, on balance.
I must point out that I am not trying to 'knock ' either country, just reporting the facts that I have found.
You also have to remember that if you are funded from the UK, it does have a great bearing on the costs of everything in Spain.If you are working in Spain, your wages are most likely to be much lower than UK, so it is difficult to be 100% accurate.
If the UK had already adopted the Euro, then I think everyone would be shocked at the real costs.
All I have reported is of course just my opinions and findings, others may 'beg to differ'..
Some good points made about how the Spanish make more effort to conserve resources, than British do, very true, Thank You ICCSL, for pointing that out..
Whatever the outcome I hope that you all have a good life...wherever you are....
Hasta Luego....Gordon.
With regard to clothing, you can buy good quality clothing in UK at prices lower than Spain, including many top labels.Most of the clothing on sale in both countries is produced in the Far East, and you can buy very cheap casual clothing on the Spanish markets, but the quality and selection is not fantastic. The same ranges are also on offer at the UK markets, for similar prices, but for top quality items UK is still cheaper.
Prices for decent childrens clothing is particularly higher in Spain than UK, and always has been, as far as I can remember.
I did import clothing from UK and Northern Europe for over 12 years to sell in my shops, and even after high transport costs I was able to compete well with Spanish outlets, and most of my customers were Spanish..
As for eating out, well I think it depends on where you live, I do know where to eat well in Spain at reasonable prices, but for general quality and price , I have found that UK is as good , if not better.
With regard to days out and attractions, I haven't noticed much difference in cost between the two countries, I think if you take children out for the day to any 'attractions' , anywhere, well then you are going to have to spend 'big bucks' .
I really have done a lot of research into the various costings, and as I say , I've found very little difference between the two countries, on balance.
I must point out that I am not trying to 'knock ' either country, just reporting the facts that I have found.
You also have to remember that if you are funded from the UK, it does have a great bearing on the costs of everything in Spain.If you are working in Spain, your wages are most likely to be much lower than UK, so it is difficult to be 100% accurate.
If the UK had already adopted the Euro, then I think everyone would be shocked at the real costs.
All I have reported is of course just my opinions and findings, others may 'beg to differ'..
Some good points made about how the Spanish make more effort to conserve resources, than British do, very true, Thank You ICCSL, for pointing that out..
Whatever the outcome I hope that you all have a good life...wherever you are....
Hasta Luego....Gordon.
Babby....Very true, but then again some people still look scruffy when they wear designer clothes..
The most 'cringeworthy' British Tourists are the typical family unit of four who spend all of their holiday dressed in their favourite football club strip..Amazing when you consider how much they cost, they could have afforded top designer clothes for the same money..Just my opinion ..of course, written in jest....
The most 'cringeworthy' British Tourists are the typical family unit of four who spend all of their holiday dressed in their favourite football club strip..Amazing when you consider how much they cost, they could have afforded top designer clothes for the same money..Just my opinion ..of course, written in jest....
Benidorm, I think your price comparisons are based on the tourist thoughts.
with all your too-ing and fro-ing over the last twelve months, and the poor exchange rates then yes you won't get as much for your money as you did last year or several years ago.
For the working person in Spain being paid in euros and buying in euros at the local rate, he/she would see a general increase in prices due to inflation.
However with his local Spanish wage, if he went to the uk for a holiday or to live, the cost of living to that person would seem astronomical surely
with all your too-ing and fro-ing over the last twelve months, and the poor exchange rates then yes you won't get as much for your money as you did last year or several years ago.
For the working person in Spain being paid in euros and buying in euros at the local rate, he/she would see a general increase in prices due to inflation.
However with his local Spanish wage, if he went to the uk for a holiday or to live, the cost of living to that person would seem astronomical surely
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