Thread: Thinking of retiring to Spain

Hi everyone we are new to this site.

We will be taking early retirement soon and are a couple looking to move to a rural area of Spain and have a small holding and wondered if you could let us have your views on any problems associated particularly in terms of day to day living expenses, medical facilities, banking and accessing UK pensions.

Also interested in anyones views on retiring to Spain generally.

Thanks in advance.

Living expences like everywhere have risen in Spain but although not as cheep as they where a few years ago are still quite reasonable. Sinfull stuff like booze and cigs are still cheep here, you can get quallity wines from the supermarket for around 1.50 euros and a carton of 24 beers costs me 6 euros. Bread, fruit n veg are cheep (cheaper from the farm shops and roadside stalls). We are a family of 4 and rarely spend more than 100 euros on shopping thats including booze and not hunting for bargains.
Internet/telephone deals are not as good as the UK . I pay 39 euros for 6m adsl (great service constantly at 6m or above) inc telephone with free unlimited national calls and 1cent calls to UK and a free 0891 UK number so you can give this as your home number for friend in uk so they don't mind calling you , also great if you have business in the uk.
Electricity has gotten quite expensive and they liketo just pick a figure out of the air but its now posible to enter your meter reading online and apparently it makes a huge difference and the market is being opened up soon with things like Uswitch soon to be rolled out here.
Medical facilities will vary in different areas, we have the costa del sol hospital which is as good as any hospital i've ever seen and also we have access to a private hospital up the road with our health cover (about 120eoros a month for family). You will also be able to get a social security card which allows you access to health care in Spain.
Banks are pretty much the same as spain but be carefull with multiple accounts with the same bank. We have had backs draw money from our main or savings account because the mortgage account was 1 euro short of paying the mortgage and they can also do this if your wife/husband has an account with the same bank!! best to have different accounts with different banks IMO.
Pensions can be transfered to a Spanish bank easily but you get a better deal with companies like HIFX.
Spain is a great place to retire and so diverse. The location makes it easy to travel anywhere in Europe wich means visits to the uk or friends visiting is easy.
You also have sky TV here so all the UK channels and digital Spanish TV is quite good to with a little button to switch languages but also great for learning the lingo.

I too have been to Spain and I find it magnificent.It is true that although the cost of living is not what it used to be, Spain remains a destination for North-Europeans .
And why not, the food and the culture is great.