Over the past few months I've had a few emails/PM's from folks asking about Spain, as in cost of living, house prices etc. I also know a few folks who have already moved to Spain from Turkey and a few others are looking at Spain as their next destination so thought I'd make a few obserations as to what I see as the advantages/disadvantages of Spain, an EU country versus Turkey as I know it. Feel free to add your thoughts.
I can really only talk about our neck of the woods, Cadiz province, which stretches from just after Estepona on the Costa del Sol in the east along to Cadiz and Jerez in the West. Prices and processes vary from province to province, and local councils often have their own little quirks to add to the adventure.
House prices: There is no doubt that property prices are higher in Spain than Turkey, a two or three bedroom apartment in a decent area will cost from €40,000 or thereabouts. We've seen them for less, but these tend to be out in the periphery of towns, often in high rise blocks. A three bed apartment (80-100 m2) in a nice block close to the centre will be closer to €60,000.
If you're willing to do a bit of work, in most towns and cities there are a lot of cheap properties - the current trend appears to be that Spaniards prefer living outwith the city centre where they can have a garden and parking isn't such an issue. You see the evidence on a Sunday afternoon with folks dropping the granny/mother back in town before battering off to their 75m2 little box in the suburbs.
I know of several properties (houses) in our neighborhood, all 250m2 plus, that could be purchased for circa €120,000. Ok, they will need work but with a good builder (and they are out there) you'll end up with a cracking property.
Alternatively, there are a lot houses in the 150m2 category for sale, ready to move into for circa €100,000. Many of these will have roof terraces and internal patios, essential for summer temperatures here.
For the try before you buy experience, rentals are cheap - one or two bedroom apartments start of around €250/275 per month for a simple apartment rising to around €500 for a modern apartment with integral garage. Houses vary depending on location and facilities, but kick off from around €400.
The buying process has similarities with Turkey in that very often folks do it themselves without using a lawyer. Its all done at the notars office as opposed to the deeds office and the money is handed over then - certified bank cheque only in Cadiz, no cash allowed! In my opinion, the overall process is pretty straightforward and if you do engage a lawyer, he
will act in your best interest as they are far more strictly regulated than in Turkey.
Utilities: Definitely more expensive than Turkey. Council tax (I.B.I.) rates are set by each local authority and are a percentage of your properties cadastral value (rateable value). We pay €391 per annum for a 400m2 property so its a lot less than the UK but a lot more than Turkey.
Electricity and water again vary from region to region. In Jerez the water company also has responsibility for rubbish collection so we are paying roughly €25 per month just now, €11.50 of that is for waste removal, the rest our water consumption which is obviously variable. Electricty is a killer, we were €86 for December in a two bed flat, 'nuff said I reckon.
Community charges (aidat) are fairly low - ours is €30pm which includes all communal electricy, cleaning of communal areas and the repair and servicing of the garage lift and the lift between floors. I know folks that pay a lot less in buildings without lifts.
Transport: Like Turkey, secondhand cars are expensive when you have your UK head on - something that you'd look to pay £750-£1,000 for in the UK will set you back €3,000 here! New cars are cheaper than their UK counterparts list prices and there are always promotions and incentives available - we're not sure what we're going to do when we get rid of our UK car in a few months time, given the prices and the issues with parking in Jerez we might not bother with a car and simply hire one as necessary.
Fuel prices vary quite a bit, we paid €1.07 (before our discount) last week for diesel, unleaded was €1.15. You can save by using loyalty cards, we get 8% off by using a Carrefour Club Card or fill up when close to Gibraltar, £0.87 for diesel - cant remember what unleaded was.
Insurance appears to be cheap, you insure the vehicle not the driver - that said, a new car may be a lot more than we're paying for our old banger!
Public transport is cheap and, as long as you're not going to or from the airport (surcharges apply), taxis are cheaper than the Fethiye area, but more expensive than Istanbul. Local trains are pretty reasonable but for longer distances, just like in the UK, the further ahead you book it the cheaper it is. A return from Jerez to Sevilla can vary between €11.50 to €17.00 depending on when you book and when you travel - journey takes about an hour and is about 90km. Trains are clean and usually pretty punctual - seats are allocated automatically when you buy a ticket, no standing allowed apparantly.
I'll do food and drink in a couple of days, I've just got a hold of the latest Carrefour brochure for Turkey so will have a look at that and compare with the one for Spain - not very scientific I know, but a decent indicator I reckon.
Heading off now for a couple of tapa and a glass or two of a nice Ribero del Duro (€1.50 a pop) at our local bar - that'll take care of one comparison
JF