Thanks! for all the great info and tips coming from your real experiences. We are living in California along with my wife’s 90 year old Spanish-born mom… all things considered we think moving to Spain for her end of life and a new beginning for us is a great opportunity… we hope to check in with you for a coaching session in the near future will be traveling back in April
Thank you for the helpful video and tips on the car rentals! You just helped me save almost $200 on my car rentals through your affiliate link with SkyScanner. Appreciate that! I used to live in Valencia and am considering retiring there or somewhere else in Spain and have really enjoyed your content. Will be in Spain in September and Valencia for a few days. If you're in Valencia between September 13th-16th or 26th-30th, please let me know. My wife and I owe you a drink or two!
Thank you so much for all of these great tips. Going to this area in a few weeks with the intent of finding a tiny affordable holiday home and going to now spend time in Pego based on your videos; if you know of a great agent I would love to have this information.
Hi Tammy! The agent I used for my first purchase retired a few years later. My other two purchases were actually without an agent, and that's what I'll be doing going forward. If you can purchase directly from an owner, you'll only need a real estate attorney and can save a lot of money that way. That's not to say that it can't be helpful to have an agent, but it's not as necessary as it is in the US, and the agent commissions aren't as straightforward.
$1-10 per day for car rentals is crazy, I must be missing a trick!! In Madrid I find anything from $40-100 a day from the major car rental companies (car sharing like WiBLE, Zity etc are much cheaper because you can pay by the minute or hour), and I can't figure out why the prices can vary so much 🤔
Oooh, I'll have to check out car sharing! That's cool. I'm not familiar with it. I have also found specifically that booking in 2 to 3 weeks chunks is where I see the lowest rates. If I look at one month or more, it's always significantly higher. So, sometimes I go through the hassle of returning a car and getting another one, just because the savings are worth it.
Thanks Nicole, great content and advise. On one of your videos, you mentioned an app to transfer funds between us and the bank account in Spain that works really well and its affordable, but now i can't find the video, do you mind sharing the app name again?
Hi there! Thanks for reaching out. My affiliate link for the transfer service I use is here: wise.prf.hn/click/camref:1101ljCXh This is for sign-ups from the US. If you're signing up from the UK, let me know and I can send another link. Thanks!
Hi Nicole Thanks for your great work. I’m very impressed with the price you mention for laser hair removal! May I ask where you went? I’m considering moving to Valencia, but even without moving, the price for a return ticket Copenhagen-Valencia/Alicante including the treatment you mention, would cost me less than having the treatment back home 😅
Great questions! I don't know the specifics of those just yet, but I'll look into it. I've had dental work done in Portugal, and I'd say it was about 1/4 the cost of what I'd pay in the US. I would imagine Spain is similar. I also have a friend in Spain who is from the UK, but he just had his entire mouth redone in Turkey for like $5k. That included his flights, a stay at a beautiful resort, and the facilities for dental care were top-notch. It saved him about 15 grand.
Hello and thanks for useful info. Many years, we used our flat in Torrevieja as a vacation home, but are planning to spend more time there. Can you give some more information about health insurance. Are there available insurances that cover existing health problems?
Hi there! 👋 This is a video I did about health care for non-residents and travelers: th-cam.com/video/iz6qEChHIEs/w-d-xo.html But I'll have to do some research for a video about insurance and pre-existing conditions. I do believe if you qualify for public healthcare (as a resident), your pre-existing conditions are covered. But if you're required to get private health insurance, I don't believe those agencies offer coverage. I'll look into this more and see if I can't do a video on it soon. 🙂
I am British born, long-term resident(18 years) living on the coast about 20kms north from Torrevieja. Some 5 years ago a friend of mine relocated from U.K. to the Mazarron area, about 140 kms south from me. He took out Private Health care insurance here at a cost of over 90E's per month, but was deeply unhappy with the service offered, for example, the Dr. they stipulated for him to use, was 40 kms away and his cover had a number of exclusions, such as Ambulance etc.. He was complaining bitterly to me one time and I suggested he should see if he could apply to join the official Spanish National Medical system. Upshot of it all is that he joined the state medical system here, paying 50 Euro's per month with virtually No exclusions. His local "Salud"/Clinic is 2 kms from his home, on a large "Urbanizacion", instead of 40 kms away. Because I worked here legitimately, with contract and all deductions paid for 3 years. I automatically qualified for State Medical Aid. The only "downside" is that in the Spanish system, ENGLISH is Not widely spoken, so an Interpreter may be needed... Still think it might be an option worth your investigating, though...
What about the taxes for expats. Can you do a video explaining about how taxes work for expats in Spain, is there double taxation?As an American do we have to do taxes in both countries? Thanks a lot for your videos!!
Hi there! Thanks so much for watching! I've done a video recently about homeowner takes in Spain, but I'm not an expert on income tax since I'm not a resident. My friend Jonny from @millennialswithmoney recently posted this video that might be helpful: th-cam.com/video/uo0wuiP5Xo4/w-d-xo.htmlsi=YQsaebB8PtcNeL6z 🙂 I do know that there are tax treaties that prevent you from having to pay income tax twice, but who gets paid what amounts, I'm less sure about. 😅
@@anai1895 Spain and the US do have a double taxation treaty, I'm not familiar with the specific details and would always consult with a tax professional to understand specifics and how they apply to your case. I have a video in the works (hopefully coming out at the weekend) that covers the general principles of double taxation treaties that may give you a good first overview😊
Well, I initially signed up via Luko, which I really liked. They were bought out by Tuio. The biggest difference for me is that it's made it a lot more difficult as an American. Unfortunately, their website (for over a year) can't let you login without sending a text to your phone number, and they can't seem to get US based phone numbers to work. So, anytime I need to update something, I have to reach out to them, and the site is only in Spanish now, where previously, English was an option. If you speak Spanish and have a Spanish phone number, I think you may find it to be a lot easier. I can't say that I'd recommend them at this point, but for some people, it might be a really good option. 🙂
Groceries in Spain are on a par with UK prices and some items more expensive. Fuel is cheaper in Spain than UK. Property is cheaper but wages in Spain are not good. I'm not even sure they have a minimum wage, if they do it must be quite low. Spain is a great place to retire to but not a great place to try and earn a wage and save money.
Sadly northern Americans are driving up the prices in Spain. Spain is and was affordable due to low salaries but now locals are outpriced by digital nomads, North Americans and Northern Europeans. Everything is cheap to Americans but not so for southern Europeans.
Yes, there is a lot of conversation lately about over-tourism and housing prices that seem to have been exacerbated by so many people buying investment properties, especially in tourist areas. I did a video a couple of weeks ago, trying to cover as much as I know about the topic in a way that highlights many of the different dynamics.
You forgot wine! The winter I lived in Valencia, I witnessed an abuelita absolutely tearing into a Carrefour manager because the 3 Euro bottle she had bought off the discount rack was not up to her (high) standards. Canadians pay big government prices for mediocre wine. (The bottle that infuriated granny probably would have been $15 Canadian, and bitching at civil servants just attracts the security guard.) If you drink wine everyday, as I do, the difference can be thousands of dollars per year.
Right! You are so right! I do love a good red wine! Do you have any specific recommendations? I usually enjoy a Merlot or Malbec, but I haven't found my go-to Spanish wine just yet.
@@traveltomoney I have not lived in Spain for quite some time, so I am out of touch with the specific brands. But when I was there, I generally had good luck just picking stuff at random off the discount rack. The super low prices generally mean you will get a reasonable Cost to Value deal. And since its granny-policed, your downside is not that great. I would not try this strategy in non-European countries, though - there is some real bad wine out there if you just blindly bottom-fish...
hey, thx for the information ur providing, but I was wondering what's ur take on the mass illegal immigration and the safety in spain. some ppl say that spain isn't safe and crime rates r high and crimes r mostly committed by illegals, I dunno whether they r trying to push an agenda or it's true. I would like to have ur take on the matter as someone who's experienced the country
Hi there! That's a great question. In my opinion, Spain is very safe. I think crimes like theft can be high, especially in tourist areas, but violent crime is limited mainly to domestic violence. I feel much safer in Spain than I do at home in the US. That being said, Spain is very relaxed in culture. I feel like the times I've seen the police involved in things, they tend to be very passive, and there is a lot of bureaucracy to have any amount of law enforced. I think part of that is because culturally, people generally have respect for the laws of the land. Like, there is a large emphasis on community, and it's expected of people to do what's best for their community. Thats just how they operate, and they aren't used to people who operate in an individualistic way. I'm not super familiar with any illegal immigration issues, though. I haven't noticed any problems firsthand. I hope that helps! 🙂
Hi there! Yes, I sure do. It costs me about 40 euro per quarter. When I first got there, it was 30, but it has gone up by 5 euro every couple of years. I bank with Sabadell, and I like them a lot. Easy to use app. I'm not aware of any free banks for foreigners. 🙂
Superclaro. It is what it is.
Thanks for this useful information
Thanks! for all the great info and tips coming from your real experiences. We are living in California along with my wife’s 90 year old Spanish-born mom… all things considered we think moving to Spain for her end of life and a new beginning for us is a great opportunity… we hope to check in with you for a coaching session in the near future will be traveling back in April
Wow! Thank you so much! I really appreciate the encouragement and your generosity. 🙂
I'll be in Spain in April. Maybe we'll be able to meet in person!
I’ve been to Spain several times and I do agree that groceries and eating out is much more affordable than the US. Thank you for a great video.
Thanks so much for watching! 😁
Thank you for the helpful video and tips on the car rentals! You just helped me save almost $200 on my car rentals through your affiliate link with SkyScanner. Appreciate that! I used to live in Valencia and am considering retiring there or somewhere else in Spain and have really enjoyed your content. Will be in Spain in September and Valencia for a few days. If you're in Valencia between September 13th-16th or 26th-30th, please let me know. My wife and I owe you a drink or two!
Wow! I'm so glad you got some savings! I will be in Spain throughout September, so if I head up to Valencia, I'll definitely let you know! 🙂
Thank you so much for all of these great tips. Going to this area in a few weeks with the intent of finding a tiny affordable holiday home and going to now spend time in Pego based on your videos; if you know of a great agent I would love to have this information.
Hi Tammy! The agent I used for my first purchase retired a few years later. My other two purchases were actually without an agent, and that's what I'll be doing going forward. If you can purchase directly from an owner, you'll only need a real estate attorney and can save a lot of money that way. That's not to say that it can't be helpful to have an agent, but it's not as necessary as it is in the US, and the agent commissions aren't as straightforward.
I'm in Galicia and coffee doesn't cost 1 euro anymore. I'm in a small coastal town, and a small coffee is 1.40euro,and a large coffee is 1.60euro.
Yeah, that makes sense. It seems inflation has raised everything a bit. Thanks for sharing the prices you're seeing. 🙂
In the Netherlands its 3,20 to 4,00 for a simple coffee without milk now so i'd still consider it cheap
Thank you for the video and great tips.
Thank you so much for watching! 🙂
Thank you for video, I think to moving in Spain many times . But I have not know enough. ❤
Thank you for watching! I'm glad it's helpful. ❤️
$1-10 per day for car rentals is crazy, I must be missing a trick!! In Madrid I find anything from $40-100 a day from the major car rental companies (car sharing like WiBLE, Zity etc are much cheaper because you can pay by the minute or hour), and I can't figure out why the prices can vary so much 🤔
Oooh, I'll have to check out car sharing! That's cool. I'm not familiar with it.
I have also found specifically that booking in 2 to 3 weeks chunks is where I see the lowest rates. If I look at one month or more, it's always significantly higher. So, sometimes I go through the hassle of returning a car and getting another one, just because the savings are worth it.
These are great tips
Thank you! 😁
Thanks Nicole, great content and advise. On one of your videos, you mentioned an app to transfer funds between us and the bank account in Spain that works really well and its affordable, but now i can't find the video, do you mind sharing the app name again?
Hi there! Thanks for reaching out. My affiliate link for the transfer service I use is here: wise.prf.hn/click/camref:1101ljCXh
This is for sign-ups from the US. If you're signing up from the UK, let me know and I can send another link. Thanks!
Going out one night in Valencia we found wine was less expensive than bottled water.
Yes! Haha. Last time I was in Spain, I'd get a shandy with almost every meal because the price was almost the same or less than bottled water. 😅
Hi Nicole
Thanks for your great work. I’m very impressed with the price you mention for laser hair removal! May I ask where you went? I’m considering moving to Valencia, but even without moving, the price for a return ticket Copenhagen-Valencia/Alicante including the treatment you mention, would cost me less than having the treatment back home 😅
Hi there! The location is in Gandia, and the name of the business is SinVello! 🙂
@@traveltomoneyThanks Nicole!
Great comparison! Keep it coming please. What about the cost of dental care, namely dental implants? And also hearing aids?
Great questions! I don't know the specifics of those just yet, but I'll look into it. I've had dental work done in Portugal, and I'd say it was about 1/4 the cost of what I'd pay in the US. I would imagine Spain is similar. I also have a friend in Spain who is from the UK, but he just had his entire mouth redone in Turkey for like $5k. That included his flights, a stay at a beautiful resort, and the facilities for dental care were top-notch. It saved him about 15 grand.
Where the linkes to rent car thankes for your answer
Hi there! Here is the affiliate link I mentioned for Skyscanner: skyscanner.pxf.io/c/3502554/1027991/13416
Hello and thanks for useful info. Many years, we used our flat in Torrevieja as a vacation home, but are planning to spend more time there. Can you give some more information about health insurance. Are there available insurances that cover existing health problems?
Hi there! 👋 This is a video I did about health care for non-residents and travelers: th-cam.com/video/iz6qEChHIEs/w-d-xo.html
But I'll have to do some research for a video about insurance and pre-existing conditions. I do believe if you qualify for public healthcare (as a resident), your pre-existing conditions are covered. But if you're required to get private health insurance, I don't believe those agencies offer coverage. I'll look into this more and see if I can't do a video on it soon. 🙂
@@traveltomoney thanks a lot. Will watch it.
I am British born, long-term resident(18 years) living on the coast about 20kms north from Torrevieja. Some 5 years ago a friend of mine relocated from U.K. to the Mazarron area, about 140 kms south from me. He took out Private Health care insurance here at a cost of over 90E's per month, but was deeply unhappy with the service offered, for example, the Dr. they stipulated for him to use, was 40 kms away and his cover had a number of exclusions, such as Ambulance etc.. He was complaining bitterly to me one time and I suggested he should see if he could apply to join the official Spanish National Medical system. Upshot of it all is that he joined the state medical system here, paying 50 Euro's per month with virtually No exclusions. His local "Salud"/Clinic is 2 kms from his home, on a large "Urbanizacion", instead of 40 kms away. Because I worked here legitimately, with contract and all deductions paid for 3 years. I automatically qualified for State Medical Aid. The only "downside" is that in the Spanish system, ENGLISH is Not widely spoken, so an Interpreter may be needed... Still think it might be an option worth your investigating, though...
What about the taxes for expats. Can you do a video explaining about how taxes work for expats in Spain, is there double taxation?As an American do we have to do taxes in both countries? Thanks a lot for your videos!!
Hi there! Thanks so much for watching! I've done a video recently about homeowner takes in Spain, but I'm not an expert on income tax since I'm not a resident. My friend Jonny from @millennialswithmoney recently posted this video that might be helpful: th-cam.com/video/uo0wuiP5Xo4/w-d-xo.htmlsi=YQsaebB8PtcNeL6z 🙂
I do know that there are tax treaties that prevent you from having to pay income tax twice, but who gets paid what amounts, I'm less sure about. 😅
@@traveltomoney Thank you so much!!
@@traveltomoney thanks for recommending my content Nicole, very kind of you!!
@@anai1895 Spain and the US do have a double taxation treaty, I'm not familiar with the specific details and would always consult with a tax professional to understand specifics and how they apply to your case. I have a video in the works (hopefully coming out at the weekend) that covers the general principles of double taxation treaties that may give you a good first overview😊
@@MillennialsWithMoney Thank you😀
Who is your home insurance though ? As I’m paying average 200-270e depending on unit.
Well, I initially signed up via Luko, which I really liked. They were bought out by Tuio. The biggest difference for me is that it's made it a lot more difficult as an American. Unfortunately, their website (for over a year) can't let you login without sending a text to your phone number, and they can't seem to get US based phone numbers to work. So, anytime I need to update something, I have to reach out to them, and the site is only in Spanish now, where previously, English was an option. If you speak Spanish and have a Spanish phone number, I think you may find it to be a lot easier. I can't say that I'd recommend them at this point, but for some people, it might be a really good option. 🙂
depends what kind of insurance you have I pay 650 euros for year
Groceries in Spain are on a par with UK prices and some items more expensive. Fuel is cheaper in Spain than UK. Property is cheaper but wages in Spain are not good. I'm not even sure they have a minimum wage, if they do it must be quite low. Spain is a great place to retire to but not a great place to try and earn a wage and save money.
Sadly northern Americans are driving up the prices in Spain. Spain is and was affordable due to low salaries but now locals are outpriced by digital nomads, North Americans and Northern Europeans. Everything is cheap to Americans but not so for southern Europeans.
Yes, there is a lot of conversation lately about over-tourism and housing prices that seem to have been exacerbated by so many people buying investment properties, especially in tourist areas. I did a video a couple of weeks ago, trying to cover as much as I know about the topic in a way that highlights many of the different dynamics.
You forgot wine! The winter I lived in Valencia, I witnessed an abuelita absolutely tearing into a Carrefour manager because the 3 Euro bottle she had bought off the discount rack was not up to her (high) standards. Canadians pay big government prices for mediocre wine. (The bottle that infuriated granny probably would have been $15 Canadian, and bitching at civil servants just attracts the security guard.) If you drink wine everyday, as I do, the difference can be thousands of dollars per year.
Right! You are so right! I do love a good red wine! Do you have any specific recommendations? I usually enjoy a Merlot or Malbec, but I haven't found my go-to Spanish wine just yet.
@@traveltomoney I have not lived in Spain for quite some time, so I am out of touch with the specific brands. But when I was there, I generally had good luck just picking stuff at random off the discount rack. The super low prices generally mean you will get a reasonable Cost to Value deal. And since its granny-policed, your downside is not that great. I would not try this strategy in non-European countries, though - there is some real bad wine out there if you just blindly bottom-fish...
hey, thx for the information ur providing, but I was wondering what's ur take on the mass illegal immigration and the safety in spain. some ppl say that spain isn't safe and crime rates r high and crimes r mostly committed by illegals, I dunno whether they r trying to push an agenda or it's true. I would like to have ur take on the matter as someone who's experienced the country
Hi there! That's a great question. In my opinion, Spain is very safe. I think crimes like theft can be high, especially in tourist areas, but violent crime is limited mainly to domestic violence. I feel much safer in Spain than I do at home in the US. That being said, Spain is very relaxed in culture. I feel like the times I've seen the police involved in things, they tend to be very passive, and there is a lot of bureaucracy to have any amount of law enforced. I think part of that is because culturally, people generally have respect for the laws of the land. Like, there is a large emphasis on community, and it's expected of people to do what's best for their community. Thats just how they operate, and they aren't used to people who operate in an individualistic way. I'm not super familiar with any illegal immigration issues, though. I haven't noticed any problems firsthand. I hope that helps! 🙂
De verdad estás comparando España con EEUU?...madre mía¡¡¡¡
Hello Nicole! Do You pay for having a bank acount in Spain ? (For paying your bills and so on)
Hi there! Yes, I sure do. It costs me about 40 euro per quarter. When I first got there, it was 30, but it has gone up by 5 euro every couple of years. I bank with Sabadell, and I like them a lot. Easy to use app. I'm not aware of any free banks for foreigners. 🙂
I pay zero euros as a retired person in Sabadell bank. for my bank acount.