Torrevieja Forum and Discussion Board

Anyone agree with this. I do.

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bil ... jE3MDY0NDQ

Not necessarily, depends what you are buying. Alcohol, cigs, fuel, housing (not the cost of buying or selling) and eating out is cheaper, tea is definitely not. Would like to know where they brought the tea.
I think it was Which who did a shopping comparison last year for basics, and it was £10 cheaper in the UK.
As one who travels back and forward a lot, there are times when I find things like chicken and potatoes are cheaper in the UK

Swings and roundabouts

We have better weather.

It all depends on your lifestyle I suppose.

It's not all about the money

Living in Spain is good for the soul.

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Lincoln45 wrote: 28 Jan 2024 14:38 Not necessarily, depends what you are buying. Alcohol, cigs, fuel, housing (not the cost of buying or selling) and eating out is cheaper, tea is definitely not. Would like to know where they brought the tea.
I think it was Which who did a shopping comparison last year for basics, and it was £10 cheaper in the UK.
As one who travels back and forward a lot, there are times when I find things like chicken and potatoes are cheaper in the UK

Swings and roundabouts

I have been living in Germany for a couple of months last year and there are some food items more expensive than in the UK and the other ones are the same like in the UK. I thought food should be more expensive in the UK, because of Brexit and all the extra paperwork but no it is not. And yes chicken is cheaper in the UK.

If you're not retired, Or need to work,
It's easier to get a job in the UK.

Well we have lived here for nearly 25 years and very rarely go back to the UK, so we can't make a personal comparison.

My main critcism is the size and cost of brandy in pubs in the UK. One measure only just covers the bottom of the glass, although I've noticed some restaurants have started doing it here. !!

Equivalent council tax is cheaper, I pay £3k in the UK per year, £208 in Spain plus rubbish collections per year. That is the point that stands out in my mind the most. Maybe on a negative to offset that, tax code starts at under €6.000 PA there, £12500 here. If under 67 then you need health insurance in Spain. Another point, quite major for me, if I rented my house out here in the UK, then that would see me retire to Spain if I done that. Add some other income then it might seem appealing and as someone said, it's not all about money but I must admit, when my son finishes uni after 6 years in May 2025 I then have that option open to me.

All in all, I’d say it has to be cheaper in Spain.
In NI, we don’t pay council tax or water rates yet. We do pay rates of about £2,000 per year and we have a large garden and big house. Heating is costly in the winter and as I use a tumble dryer to dry the washing, that’s bound to be costly. Petrol is similar to Spain.
Car insurance is massively more. Groceries for 2 retired people isn’t expensive compared to what it was years ago. I often think that groceries are far cheaper at home. Food gas increased massively in Spain. Salmon is very pricey. Solomino or fillet steak is similar to home.
The biggest saving for us is dining out. It’s so cheap compared to home. A meal out with drink at home is £120 for 2 of us and that’s not a lot of drink!! Coffee out at home is £3.30 each. It’s only a third of that in Spain. All in all, it’s the wonderful lifestyle that’s so affordable. There’s a lot to be said for taking care of a compact house!! Less polishing, dusting and vacuuming not to mention window cleaning. The kitchen here is smaller than our utility yet I can produce delicious meals.
Spain as a second home is worth every penny.