Spain compared to England?

Hi i am new on here, we are finally gona move out to spain. Just curious what the cost of living is "compared" to the UK?

Thanks in advance

Hi there, when we bought our place in 2003, Spain was certainly cheaper than the UK. When we actually got the keys to the house in Nov 2005, things were beginning to change, and now, I think Spain in about the same or slightly more expensive.

People reading this might jump on me, but this is my experience. When i look at my electric bills, water bills, etc, food bills (things like Bananas are hugely more expensive here), elecgtrical goods (televisions, computers) and of course furniture.

My brother lives in the UK and constantly gives me UK prices, I cant beleive how cheap food is there)

Still rather be here though!

Thanx for your reply ava. great info, thank you

Such a difficult one. It depends so much on the individual, and their lifestyle etc. There was a time when I would have jumped on Eva but it's true the difference doesn't seem so great anymore. However, a lot can be attributed to the exchange rate. Certainly electrical goods are currently cheaper in the UK, but I don't consider TVs and computers as part of the cost of living. Bananas may be more expensive, but strawberries may be cheaper. (I really have no idea!) If you buy imported goods you'll pay more - especially if you insist on brands you recognise from "home". If you buy Spanish products and brands.......Electricity is probably dearer in Spain, but if you live on or near the coast, you won't need much heating, and unless you're American, you can live without aircon, or at least use it sparingly. And if you use a tumble drier you've probably forgotton why you left England.

Like I said though, a lot depends on your chosen lifestyle. Running a car should be cheaper here, and unless you live somewhere out of the way, you'll probably use it less anyway. Why jump in the car to nip to the shops when you can walk in the sun? Clothing may or may not be cheaper / more expensive, but you'll probably need less than you did in the UK .

At the end of the day, you should probably work on the basis that your overall cost of living will be much the same as in the UK.

I have tenants in my house in Spain - only one couple without children - but I have been shocked about the rising bills.  The last electricity bill (March) was far higher than any previous ones - over €300 for a quarter.  Looking at the € = £1 scenario, the electricity bills are far more expensive there than here.  The only glimmer of hope about this is that I have read that Iberdrola have been issuing large bills in error - so I will have my fingers crossed!! I have a choice between air-con and dimplex - so think that I will have to seriously explore different systems.  The water bill is also on the rise. 

Electricity prices went up I think 6% on Jan 1st.

Many people have had probelms with excessive bills due to the change from bi-monthly to monthly billing, with alternate months being based on estimated meter readings, which have been (deliberately and fraudulently) mis-calculated. This is now being addressed.

As an expat for many (???) years one thing you have to stop doing is converting to your "previous" currency!  Where you are living is what you are living, basically!  Once you start converting "back" to your "old" currency is when you should start thinking about why you moved in the first place.

Leave sterling/usd/aed/whatever behind when you move to a new country and live within the currency of the country.  If you have to convert all the time to live in another country, then maybe it's not the time for you to move there!  You should be able to comfortably live in your chosen country without having to convert back all the time!

I hope that makes sense, without being too concise!

Thanks for that info Roberto.  Just a quick point about our Spanish Electricity bills, and that is that they have always (well, at least during the four years that we've had the house) been quarterly.  However, my Spanish penfriend has sent me realms of stuff to read about Iberdrola, which I'm ploughing through ,at present, to see if there is a chance that I can contest it!! 

Hi Pitby

Well, I'm still living in England - and probably will for the rest of my life.  The problem is that I have to pay a part of those electricity bills, and have to send money over to Spain to do so, every now and then!!  So the currency thing is very relevant to me, as you can guess!!

Don't know if the same applies in your area then. I thought all Spanish electric companies billed bi-monthly, and now monthly. Maybe that just applies to Endesa. Strange, because according to Iberdrola's own website, bills used to be bi-monthly, now monthly! Quote: "customers...will receive their bill monthly, instead of every two months, as established until now".

Pitby - good point, but how do you explain the Spaniards who still convert everything into pesetas?????

Hi, abbbb1 - sorry, my post wasn't aimed at anyone specifically, but just at the thread, and the posts I had read. 

I know what it's like when you don't live in the country - we are having to convert expenses from here in Dubai to cover our Spanish home.  But my post was directed to those that had "made the move" to Spain or were planning to.  In that you have to live within the currency of the country - if you get my meaning!

Roberto, they're converting into their cherished coin!!!  Deerrrrrr!!  I think that's just called "obstinate"!!!

Edited to say : and I do believe that the Euro is here to stay in Spain!!  The Peseta won't return!!  I suppose that can be called obstinate too!!

Hi Roberto

Just spotted your post.  Just checked my bill again, and was billed on 15.12.08 with €243.82 and then on 19/3/09 for €306.39 - but another amount has appeared on my bill dated 27/3/09 for €21.95!!  Not sure what that amount is for!!  Maybe a new type of tax has been invented!!

I am with one of the electric companys and they seem to have sorted things out now just keep giving them your meter reading as much as possible to avoid big bills.

abbbb1, no idea what's going on with your bills. Each bill should clearly show the date of meter readings (previous and latest) and whether they are actual or estimated. Taking one figure from the other gives your consumption for the period between those dates, and the rest of the bill should be fairly self explanatory. There'll be a fixed charge on each bill for the service, then an amount for the consumption, tax and possibly a small amount for the rental of the meter (unless you own your own).

Hi Roberto

Have just e-mailed Iberdrola, through their internal system, and have given them until the end of the week to reply.  Not sure if this is a reasonable time, considering all the complaints that I keep reading about that must be mounting up within their system.  I prefer to try and do things in writing - so as there's no mistaking exactly what is meant!!  If I don't get a reply by then I'll ring them up.  I can call up a detailed description of the larger bills, but am unable to access the smaller ones - not sure just why.

Hi guys

According to a source in the electricity industry (can't give name or company as on a public forum) there's two reasons why the bills may be so high, especially after the conversion to monthly bills.

1.Iberdrola have increased their consumption charge from around 9 cents per unit (and a load of numbers behind the decimal point) in the Autumn of last year, to around 11 cents per unit.

2. And this is the cunning one, when they switched from every othe rmonth to monthly they reduced the consumption allowance level. It was about 1300 units every 2 months with the old system, they have now reduced this to 500 units per month under the new.

Big deal I hear you say, please bear in mind that we've got used to 650 units per month and this was just about adequate, here's the shocker (to me anyway) every single unit above the allocated unit level is charged at 28 cents and a few other numbers per unit!!!! that's nearly 3 times the rate and less allowance!, no wonder 2 coach loads of Spaniards camped outside the office in Murcia protesting!!!

This is all information passed on to me from extremely reliable sources, I don't get involved in 2nd hand chat usually but this is credible.

Myabe this answers some of the bill issues, try contesting it, it apparently has some standing but not a huge financial recompense.

Hope this helps

Glen

But if you use over 500 units in one month, as long as you don't exceed 1000 over 2 months, you should not incur excess charges:

"A surcharge for excess usage occurs when the average daily usage in a period between actual readings exceeds the equivalent to 500 kWh a month. Thus, a low estimate will never result in a penalty for excess usage, since usage will always be calculated based on the last two actual readings taken". (Iberdrola website)

I am loving London city fully, and think that we, spaniards need to learn many things:

For example:

- Clients care attention

- Respect to queues

-Thanks, please, I am sorry, excuse me

- Lower tone of voice

..... they might seem trivial things but they are so necessary and important for the day/to day living together.

Don't worry about it Maria, otherwise you will become like me forever apologising "sorry,sorry,sorry". You will notice it on the Siesta Show. As a Gibraltarian, Justin gets so annoyed with me.

Susan

Hi Maria, I know what you mean regarding a certain respect.

For instance my parents & my husbands parents brought us both up to be respectful, to respect our elders, to say 'sorry', 'please', 'thankyou' etc & to wait to be asked to speak if we walked into a room where our parents were with others after we'd said 'excuse me'. Sometimes my dad would make me wait for what seemed forever as a small child & I'd say 'excuse me' again & then he'd say 'we heard you the first time, wait !' but it taught us valuable lessons that children these days often don't seem to have.

In England if we wanted the bill we'd say 'Could we have the bill, please ?' but in Spain when we say 'la cuenta por favor' (the bill please) we are told the Spanish don't add 'please' when they ask for the bill so 'la cuenta'should be said which seems rude to us.

Edited to add as I forgot: Glad you're enjoying London, Maria. We live just over 2 hrs drive from London or would've come to meet you as you keep asking if we can meet sometime & in Spain we are so far away BUT my OH tells me he will drive down to visit your area sometime as we are now spending longer periods in Spain.

Maria, I wish I was there to show you around.

Susan

Maria:

- Clients care attention Well, I had a call from our new bank manager (BBVA) this week, inviting us to pop into the branch to meet him and "have a chat". The bank has a policy of moving staff on every couple of years (so they don't get too friendly with their customers  ) but I was very pleasantly surprised that the new guy wanted to introduce himself - made us feel like valued customers. My UK banks make me feel like dirt, and if I wanted to talk face to face it would mean a lengthy trip to Bangladesh no doubt.

- Respect to queues Ahhh. Never gonna happen! We had to explain to a lady at the meat counter in the supermarket the other day that her ticket number 01 came after our number 98, plus a couple of other customers. She couldn't get this, and if anyone reading this doesn't either - get to the back of the queue! It will forever be an enduring mystery why Spaniards are always in such a hurry to go nowhere and do nothing, and must be first, but I guess that's part of the charm!

-Thanks, please, I am sorry, excuse me Just a cultural and liguistic difference really. Spain is not unique here. Swedish has no word for please (which is why, if forced, they may say "pass the salt thanks", but generally won't bother with the thanks) but this doesn't necessarily mean they are rude. However - why oh why can Spanish drivers not thank you with a little wave or other gesture when you give way for them to pull out? Again, too much of a hurry to go nowhere with little or no respect for other road users.

- Lower tone of voice I had something to say about this but I forgot - can't seem to concentrate becuse the men in the cafe next door are making so much noise! I never can tell if it's an argument or just a friendly chat.

So glad you're enjoying our Capital city and that you don't find it hostile and unfriendly as so often it can seem like that to visitors.  Say "Hi" to the Queen from us if you see her!

Hi Maria,

Good to hear that you are enjoying London.

I presume you were attending the big legal Seminar in London , all held in Spanish!!

I really hope the problems that soooo many people are/have experienced with the legal system in Spain were discussed. A mutual lawyer friends partner told us, that on a visit to London's Inns of Court (Lincolns Inn I think) last year that the Spanish also have a great deal to learn from the English legal system.  I understand he was unable to attend the meeting as he had two big cases to be heard in the Spanish Courts. Maybe you will tell us if anything was discussed about the current problems people have encountered regarding refunds of monies on illegal/non-build properties in Spain.

Dear Tish:

The conference was for Spanish lawyers to understand a bit more the Commun Law system, but I certainly had the oportunity to talk about those problems you are refering  with someone at the Law Society and wil be certainly putting Suzanne of the Spanishpropertyscandalptition in conection with that person. They are interested on knowing more.

Have a great weekend,

Maria

Hi Maria,

That's wonderful news!  A BIG THANK YOU!  You had a great agenda..I hope you enjoyed London.

Have a great week-end too.

Kindest regards,

Tish.

I am just trying to connect Suzanne with the relevant people there. SHE HAS ALL THE MERITS, ALL!

Thanks Suzanne.

Maria