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We get asked many questions regarding living and working in Spain but the most popular questions is “what is the cost of living like?”, so here, we will try to give you an idea of how it pans out as it can be a very complex answer. Obviously the costs will change according to the way you live, but some of the basic ones will never vary much.
As a general rule, the cost of living is about 30% less than in England so I suppose you could take that figure and work on that, but if you are following a different lifestyle then things will change automatically. One figure that will change is housing especially if you are moving from a house in England to a caravan or mobile home in Spain. It would be unusual to have to pay any Community charge for a start so that is a big immediate saving, but the main costs you will have after your initial purchase, are the monthly rent, electric, gas and food and drink.
Rental Costs
The rents on each site do vary according to the period of time that you actually are staying on the site for. Short term rental on any of the sites will be more expensive as a “per day figure” than long term. As the price can also vary from month to month you really need to consult the office or reception of the site you are wanting to stay on. Taking the figures on the current price lists of the eight we have consulted in this area, if you are looking at a full years rent, the equivalent figure per month would vary from £225 on the lowest priced site to £310 on the highest. Obviously these are guide prices, check with sites direct for up to date tariffs. To get most local campsites details from their own websites click here.
Electric Costs
Most sites have meters fitted to each plot so you only pay for what you use. Our own electricity account averages out through the year at 44 euro’s (£31) a month. This is higher than most people we know, so that should probably be a maximum figure for you.
Gas Costs
The gas supply is usually bottled, which you can obtain easily at many places. Garages, supermarkets, shops, gas depots, etc, have supplies. The cost over a year for our personal usage is about £10 per month. This is using it for our full size cooker and heating in the winter. Costs again can alter according to the way you use it.
Food costs
These costs can again vary. If you still want English brands then you will have to pay more for them. You must remember, you are in Spain, and you should try the Spanish versions. Different makers of beans do taste different so try more than one make. What we did was try a least two Spanish brands per week in our shopping and soon moved over to them entirely. A big trolley load we recently purchased from one of the local supermarkets has cost us £75 and this will last for more than a week. That is not only good from a monetary point of view, but also some of the local food can taste better. The fruit and vegetables from certain places certainly do, and eggs have a fuller flavour like they always used to have.
Eating out
Sometimes you may find it cheaper to eat out rather than cook. A “Menu of the Day” can consist of a three course meal with a half bottle of wine per person for as little as £3.50 (and no washing up). I understand it is a legal obligation for a “Menu del Dia” to be offered at a low price by every restaurant so its worth checking all menu’s small print to see if there is one available.
The rents on each site do vary according to the period of time that you actually are staying on the site for. Short term rental on any of the sites will be more expensive as a “per day figure” than long term. As the price can also vary from month to month you really need to consult the office or reception of the site you are wanting to stay on. Taking the figures on the current price lists of the eight we have consulted in this area, if you are looking at a full years rent, the equivalent figure per month would vary from £225 on the lowest priced site to £310 on the highest. Obviously these are guide prices, check with sites direct for up to date tariffs. To get most local campsites details from their own websites click here.
Electric Costs
Most sites have meters fitted to each plot so you only pay for what you use. Our own electricity account averages out through the year at 44 euro’s (£31) a month. This is higher than most people we know, so that should probably be a maximum figure for you.
Gas Costs
The gas supply is usually bottled, which you can obtain easily at many places. Garages, supermarkets, shops, gas depots, etc, have supplies. The cost over a year for our personal usage is about £10 per month. This is using it for our full size cooker and heating in the winter. Costs again can alter according to the way you use it.
Food costs
These costs can again vary. If you still want English brands then you will have to pay more for them. You must remember, you are in Spain, and you should try the Spanish versions. Different makers of beans do taste different so try more than one make. What we did was try a least two Spanish brands per week in our shopping and soon moved over to them entirely. A big trolley load we recently purchased from one of the local supermarkets has cost us £75 and this will last for more than a week. That is not only good from a monetary point of view, but also some of the local food can taste better. The fruit and vegetables from certain places certainly do, and eggs have a fuller flavour like they always used to have.
Eating out
Sometimes you may find it cheaper to eat out rather than cook. A “Menu of the Day” can consist of a three course meal with a half bottle of wine per person for as little as £3.50 (and no washing up). I understand it is a legal obligation for a “Menu del Dia” to be offered at a low price by every restaurant so its worth checking all menu’s small print to see if there is one available.
Living Costs
