SHOPPING . . . COST OF LIVING

"Spain is cheap but it's not free"

There are some things in rural Spain that are very reasonably priced indeed, a few things that are more expensive and some which are the same but of much higher quality - a prime example of the latter would be a good bottle of wine. The rural cave villages and surrounding areas are a more economical place to live, this can be very beneficial if you earn an English wage or have a UK pension. Converting the pound to the euro will make that euro stretch quite a lot further.

One major difference with caves is the equivalent "council" tax . . . at under ten euros (per annum) this is a far cry from over one thousand pounds a year in the UK.

Below are a few examples of what you can expect to pay (divide by 1.49 to get a rough conversion into sterling. All figures are just a guide and subject to fluctuation):

Running costs:

• Petrol 95 cents per litre
• Diesel 87 cents per litre
• Gas bottle 12 euros (this will last a gas oven 3 months)
• Electricity approx 38 euros per month
• Home insurance 18 euros per month
• Water 30 euros every 6 months
• Broadband Internet 45 euros per month
• Mobile phone (pay as you go) from 40 euros
• Vehicle tax from 20 euros (depends on engine size)
• ITV (MOT) 35 euros

Food & Drink:

• Wine from 45 cents per bottle
• 24 x 500ml premium lager 14 euros
• 200 cigarettes 21 euros
• 1 bottle premium Gin 9 euros
• Bread (French stick) 75 cents
• Large leg of fresh lamb 11 euros
• 6 Pork Chops 6 euros
• Large chicken 6 euros
• 14 lb Turkey 21 euros
• 1 kg fresh mussels 5 euros
• 1 ltr Fresh fruit juice 75 cents

Building:

• 1 bag cement €5.00
• 1 Bag yeso €3.50
• 1 Pallet bricks €60
• 22 ltr white plastic paint €26
• Interior doors (made to order) from €100
• Builders hourly rate between €5 and €15

If you are lucky enough to be mortgage free then it would be possible to live quite comfortably on €500 per month, this would obviously involve avoiding the big supermarkets and doing the bulk of your shopping in the local village shops and markets.