Cost of living in Seville, Spain Updated 2019 Edition.

cost of living in seville spain 2016 edition
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Plaza de Espana, Seville.

*Updated to reflect current 2019 prices*

Our cost of living in Spain, Seville specifically is here, and updated for 2019. I’m not sure if it’s because Summer is here and more people are thinking about moving to Spain or if it’s just to compare between Spain and their current country. I have been getting quite a few emails from readers wanting to find out just how accurate the prices listed on our 2015 cost of living article is.

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The number of search engine referrals to find the article has been on the rise as well. Now that we have found ourselves retired to the Spanish lifestyle, l will take the opportunity to update the prices. This will hopefully save time for everyone as l sometimes have trouble keeping up with the emails. The aim with this blog is not only to share our destinations with you, it is also to help people who are in need of useful information.

I know that before we made the decision to leave the U.S, there were many, many, many  hours spent in front of the computer in search of information about life in Malta, as that was our first destination. Forgive me if you were looking for another destination article. Put that thought aside this week. Instead, enjoy the ever so exciting cost of toothpaste and tomatoes 🙂 .

Update: Make sure to check the 2019  cost of living in Valencia since we moved cities to compare costs.

Living Cost in Seville 2019 Update:

Enjoying the sun in the old center of Seville.
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Enjoying the sun in the old center of Seville.

Cost of Rent in Seville:

An average Sevilla apartment in the city center: 1 bedroom, 1 bath will run you anywhere from €500 to €800 and up, the lower side being unfurnished. As expected, the further you get away from the center, the lesser it is. The neighborhoods to stay in Seville close to the center that are worth looking at include :

Triana

Macarena

Nervion

These three would be some of the best neighborhoods to stay in Seville for expats close to all the action.

On the outskirts, l would recommend neighborhoods along the single Metro line that Seville currently has. This would make it easy to get in and out of the city center. Areas include:

San Juan Bajo or Alto

Tomares

Furnished 2 br/1 bath for €425 close to Cavaleri station  and

A quick search on idealista produced a 3 bedroom/2bath bedroom apartment with terrace for €750 in Mairena del Aljarafe with community pool. So you see, there are still good deals to be had.

Life in Seville:

You long time readers know that we lived outside of the city center, 16 kilometers to be exact and paid €600 for our 3 bedroom, 1 bath house with pool. A good deal indeed and one that can still be had for approximately the same price.

Our rental house.
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Our rental house in a Seville surburb.

Seville Cost of Living Utilities breakdown

We get our electric bill here in Spain every 2 months and we pay approximately €80 per month. In the winter, we have paid as high €133/month because l tend to leave the portable heater on a lot 🙂 . The houses are not built with insulation , so it is often colder inside. In the summer, we mostly use fans and keep the front and back doors open for ventilation. Our trash is picked up daily and we pay €13 monthly.

Our water bill amounts to €21 per month. The house has a well which supplies the water for the sprinklers and the pool. One more reason we decided to stay here for a second year 🙂 . You can’t beat that price. Our cooking and shower is powered by gas canisters. Each canister cost is €13.17 as of 2019. They last on average 30 days (bath) and 55 days (cooking, and we use that sucker morning, noon and night).

Our morning cappuccino makes us health ;-) .
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Our morning cappuccino makes us healthy 😉 .

 Seville Health Care Cost:

Compared to what we were paying in the U.S, we are getting a really good deal as far as health insurance. We pay €142 monthly for both of us (currently €157). This covers eyes, teeth and medical at no copay. Federico has had to use it twice now for hospital visits, including a PET scan with no copay. It’s easier to get a prior authorization than it is to find parking at the hospital 🙂 . I haven’t had to use it and l resent paying that much..so l might look to getting one with a copay for cheaper.

Cash prices are also very reasonable, not like Malta of course where my trip to the E.R, a private hospital no less, cost less than $35! Insane..right? The cost that we pay is average cost for private healthcare in Spain. It would vary slightly based on the age, cheaper if younger and a tad more if older. Teeth cleaning for instance runs average €25 cash price.

 Internet and Cable:

We pay €35 monthly for our internet, land line and 2 cell phones. We get 100 minutes and 200 MB of data monthly each (up from 100 now that we have been with them a year). We rarely run over as we tend to use free wifi a lot when we go out and of course at home. Our cable bill was €67/month because we had the top of the line package so that Federico could watch his Italian league soccer. Since our cable company lost that coverage deal as of last October, we dropped to a middle of the line lower tier one that costs €36.

Finally on Spanish plates :-)
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Finally on Spanish plates :-), a small price to pay as part of our Seville cost of living prices.

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Transportation Costs in Seville:

We have finally registered our car here after six plus months. What an ordeal!. I will write a separate post on how to register your E.U car in Spain. Looking back, it is not as complicated as we originally thought. The process though, is very time consuming,  quite the undertaking if you don’t know the steps. We saved over €1600 by doing it ourselves. Searching online gives you pointers and then has you hand it off to a Gestoria, who is like a middle man for all things complicated 😉 .

I want to save others the heartache! Petrol is €1.13 per liter and we spend roughly €40 per month. Our road tax per year is €55. The full coverage insurance with no copay, roadside assistance, coverage across all E.U, even windscreen replacement is a whopping €281 (2019) for a whole year!!!! He kept  asking the lady if she meant per month! She must have thought he was crazy. If you remember how much we were paying in the U.S, you would know why we’re ecstatic 🙂 . The car is an 9 year old Fiat Punto with low mileage, but l doubt it would be much higher for newer cars.

Cost of living Seville fede-in-pool
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Seville monthly expense – Garden and Pool maintenance:

In the summer time,pool maintenance costs €80 per month. We usually just have the grass cut when it needs it, usually once a month and he charges €25 each time.

 


Beauty:

Since l am follicle deprived 🙂 , l just use Federico’s shaver. I wish it weren’t so, but c’est la vie. I do my manicure/pedicure myself and splurge on spa visits when we go away. A manicure at the mall is €12 and l think that is average in Spain. If there is a Chinatown, then its a bit cheaper.

Doing what they do best :-)
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Doing what they do best 🙂

Pet care Cost of Living in Seville, Spain :

We get the dogs groomed once a month at a cost of €45 for both. We have had to get the smaller dog’s teeth cleaned twice as she had a massive infection that has been ongoing since we rescued her. It goes away for a while and comes back. The cost has been €210 for both visits. It’s great, the vet’s assistant picks them up, and drops them back. We also pay her to keep them when we go on short trips for a fee. In between grooming, we brush them with a doggie brush.

Seville monthly expense breakdown
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That’s $1.71/lb!

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cost of living in seville spain 2016 edition shrimp
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Huge meaty shrimp for $5.10/lb 🙂

 

tomatoes mercadona
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Tomatoes at the grocery store Mercadona Seville

Tomatoes from 0.40 – $1.10 per pound. They are super fresh too. I pop the cherry tomatoes in my mouth like candy.

Seville Costs – Groceries:

I will list the current prices (as in May 2019 when l had friends send prices) for the items that we buy often. We shop mostly at  Mercadona. The prices are definitely lower than in the U.S. We just had friends visit from Berlin recently who confirmed that prices were less here. That’s saying a lot, as Berlin is one of the cheaper places in the E.U. Our last house sitters from Australia were also very happy with the cheaper costs of everything, especially seafood. We mostly buy Spanish brands, not U.S brands save for Philly cream cheese and Hellman’s Mayo. Compared to the Malta grocery list cost , it’s not bad at all.

Fresh Milk, 1 liter – 0.89 cents

Bread – 3 big baguettes €1 ( we rarely get sliced bread)

Toothpaste – 100ml Colgate €1.20

Toilet Paper – 12 rolls – €3.25

Spaghetti 2kg store brand €1.50

  • Barilla brand 1/2 kilo €1.50

Cherry tomatoes €1.05 cents/package

Prawns: €9.95/kilo

Calamari: €8.50/kilo

Mussels: €2.10/kilo

Chicken Breast: €5.95/kilo whole

  • €7.95/kilo (clean and sliced)

Chicken Wings: €1.99/kilo

Dog Food: €9.95 for 10 kilos

Butter: €1.15/package (250gm)

Sugar: 0.89 cents/kilo white

  • Brown: €1.44/kilo

Tuna in Olive Oil: €3.55/pack of 6x80gm

Water: €1.50/6 bottles of 2L = 0.25 cents each

Coke 2L – €1

Steak: €12.50/kilo

Potatoes: €1 for 5 kilos on sale which is often.

Coffee ground: €2.95/package (250gm)

Eggs: €1.30/dozen

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: €3.75/750ml

Rice: €1.30/2kilos

Shower gel: €1.30/1 liter

Beer: €1/1.1 liter local

€3.70/6x8oz Heineken

Cold Cuts: 0.90 – €1 for 100 gm (enough to make like 3 sandwiches). Insanely cheap!..

Buffalo Mozzarella: €1.70/125gm

  • Cow: 0.85 cents/125gm

Oxtail: €8.95/kilo

Wine: €3-3.50 for a bottle of good Rioja

  • Lambrusco: €1.95/bottle

Breakfast Oats: 0.90/lb

We spend on average €320/month. When we add household stuff like deodorant etc, it can be up to €360 on a heavy month. We eat lots of seafood 🙂 and steak like twice a month, so no skimping.

Lovely tapas average $3.50 each.
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Lovely tapas average $3.50 each.

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Bacalao, another favorite.
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Bacalao, another favorite tapas of Spain.
Federico actually said the burger here was good...no thanks. I won't try it anymore.
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Federico actually said the burger here was good…no thanks. I won’t try it anymore.

Entertainment:

A nice dinner out for 2 with wine will cost around €35-40

Tapas for 2 with beer: €17

Movies: €10

Gym: €30/month . This hurts, we were paying just €10/month each in Malaga. My only form of exercise is a 2 mile walk in the morning. Only Federico goes to the gym here.

Living in Seville, Spain Recap:

Rent: €600

Utilities (water, electricity,trash,gas): €130 – €180 (winter)

Telephone: €35

Internet: €36

Pets: €45

Pool/Gardener  €40 in winter to €120 summer

Health: €157

Transportation (gas,ins,road tax): €67

Entertainment: €110 (we mostly go for tapas or Chinese)

Groceries: €350

Total is €1570- €1795 with summer pool care and winter heating. At today’s exchange rate (July 2019) of €1 = $1.13,  the total is $1770 -$2024.

So, Is it expensive to live in Spain? It depends.

This is about €180 more than last year, thanks to the car and higher premiums for health insurance,  but it is still a very good deal in my eyes.

Pin it for later:

 

I think you can begin to see why a lot of British people and other expats from all over find Spain so appealing. It is hard to beat this cost of living. Spain still seems to be in the grips of the recession that took hold years ago, this might be part of the reason why. There is still high unemployment here, especially in Andalusia.

I would not encourage anyone in need of a job to move to Spain. It can be quite nice, however for early retirees, people with independent means and digital nomads who don’t rely on a real life, regular world job to survive. M.J, F, T, D, M, A, Da, and others who have written, l hope this helps with your decision, one way or the other. There you have it, the cost of living in Seville, Spain. :-). I think this would probably apply to the whole Andalusia region. If anything, it might be lower in other regions from what l have seen.

If you’re thinking about an expat life in Spain, you can purchase our eBook on Amazon with details on how to make it a reality.

How does this cost of living in Spain (Seville) compare to where you are? Are we getting a deal here, or can you beat this? I am very curious to know.

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89 thoughts on “Cost of living in Seville, Spain Updated 2019 Edition.”

  1. Interesting Kemkem.

    As you know we’re looking to come to Portugal and Spain later in the year. We travel a bit differently then you, staying in Airbnb apartments, usually for a month at a time. Looking at Airbnb apartments for September I see some nice rentals in the US1200 – 1500/ month range. We’re usually in the bottom end of that range in most places we’ve stayed (Croatia, Budapest, Prague). So it’s in the range. You’re paying less than that for a large house outside the center but that’s often the trade off right, a yearly lease vs a monthly furnished apartment (which includes those costs) ?

    I find your groceries really low, 350 Euros/month? We’ve been in Padova Italy for the last 10 days and have already spent 220 Euros on groceries…on what I don’t know because haven’t bought anything fancy. Coming from Eastern Europe that’s the first thing that’s struck me. Is Italy generally more expensive than Spain? And only 110 Euros/month on entertainment? You mention a typical meal with wine about 35 Euros so you go out 3 times month? Actually less because you also mention the cost of the gym in that figure. But Kemkem, you’re always eating great stuff on the blog ! 🙂 Is there a blogging slush fund you’re not accounting for?

    In any case, that’s not bad at all, I can see why you would want to live there 🙂

    Frank (bbqboy)

    Reply
    • Wow! Frank..the prices you are finding on Airbnb sound kind of high to me 🙂 . Did you click on the links in the post for the apartments? The center is expensive, but there are places quite close to it that are walkable for less, but maybe like you say…short time vs. long term makes a difference, even though l had no idea it was that much of a difference. Mairena, which is less than 3 kilometers from us has the 3 bedroom link for 700 euros, most are less. We only chose to not stay there because we wanted grass and a private pool. We could easily find a place for €500-600 for a furnished 3br/2b with community pool, sometimes less.
      Haha! I remember you saying the same thing last year about the grocery prices. We rarely spend more than 80 per week. Italy is more expensive for sure, and we are sometimes shocked when we visit his family. I can’t remember the last time we went out to a fancy restaurant (oh yeah..Cordoba – the Argentinian restaurant €40) here. What l show you on the blog are tapas restaurants mostly, they may look fancy, but the prices are not. 4-5 tapas usually will fill you up for lunch for 2, with 2 small beers which are just 70 cents each. The bill has never been higher than €17. I was just interviewing with 2 people in Lagos, Portugal and they were saying how much cheaper things are, about the same as here, maybe less. You guys are probably too posh for us then 🙂 . We eat out once a week, sometimes twice. Federico loves cooking, and l enjoy eating. He’ll copy the tapas we eat out..the solomillo for instance. Notice how cheap in the picture on the post. We prefer to use our extra money on travel, and splurge that way. You’re in the land of tapas my friend. Imagine in Granada, you get a full tapa with each drink!!! We only get olives here :-). You’ll soon find out for yourself 🙂 . It almost makes you wish that the crisis would last a while, which is wicked!

      Reply
      • That all sounds fantastic, we love tapas and we love inexpensive food. Those prices sound good.
        No, we’re not posh at all. Part of the problem is that we’re on this healthy diet so we buy fresh fruits and fish etc and it adds up. It was cheaper when we were making pasta and pizza and getting fat 🙂 But I’m a bit surprised by how costs have been adding up here in Italy, doesn’t seem any cheaper than Germany.

        There’s usually quite a bit difference between long term and short term, I’m sure the day we’re ready to have a base we’ll find it much cheaper. Depends a lot on the market, in Prague and Budapest we found month long rentals on Airbnb in the $800 -900 USD range. Same in Croatia off-season (June – Aug the exception).
        The problem is that unless you have time to look around for furnished apartments, Airbnb is usually the way to go. And we don’t travel with a car so we want to be reasonably close to the center or have easy transport links.

        It sounds that you live basically as you do except for the longer-term stay. We also usually cook in and go out a couple of times a week to the restaurant. And we love our wines 🙂

        Reply
        • I’m sure you’re right as far as the rental prices go. The long term lease here is minimum 6 months. You’re right, it would be a pain trying to find short term rentals that are furnished. The prices might come down since you would be here kind of off season. You’ll be glad to know in the Algarve region where Anita is, the prices are about the same as here 🙂 . As far as fruit and veggies, it does not get any fresher. Also because he supermarkets are closed Sunday, they will often sell everything fresh like fish for half price. We have often bought the mussels for €1 per kilo with is insane. If only we could remember:-) . I usually have a glass of Tinto when we go for tapas instead of beer at a whopping €1.40 average.. 🙂 . We have cut down on wine and beer a lot, l prefer to spend the empty calories on food .. haha!!!

          Reply
  2. I love this type of articles and I am surprised to see (once again) that the costs are so low and actually lower than what we’re spending here in Romania (since we don’t pay any rent). It proves that we’re certainly doing something wrong – and I’ve been thinking that’s the case for quite some time now :)) Food prices are similar to those in Romania, some of the things being a lot cheaper (like the seafood, but that makes sense). Great, very useful article!

    Reply
    • Glad you like it C! I think it’s good for someone to get a clear picture. I could have used it when we were researching Malta. It was still under budget, but it’s nice to be able to compare apples to apples like we both did on our older posts :-). I made it a point to go and get current prices at the grocery store. A lot of expats come here for a reason. They live on the menu al dia. I think what makes the difference might be seafood for instance. Since we love it, we tend to eat a lot of it. At €1.80 a kilo for mussels, a lot of it gets consumed..and shrimp..and fish..yummy 🙂 . I am sure the prices would be way higher in Barcelona for instance, but then the crisis doesn’t seem to have them in as much of a grip. I hope someone who lives there or Madrid can weigh in on their costs. I am curious. You guys must be eating out lots and at fancy places? Nice!!! 🙂

      Reply
      • That’s the thing – we rarely eat out and when we do, we go at regular places. I’m trying to eat a bit healthier because my body started to react to all the crap I fed it in the past and a very small part of our diet is organic, but still… I would expect it to be a lot cheaper, especially since many people around us spend just half as much as we do. I can’t wait to get to Budapest and see how much we spend there. I personally think it’s just Romania who’s trying to tell us: “go away!” :)))

        Reply
        • Maybe it’s more like Budapest saying.. “we want you here. You belong here..” haha! It’s a good thing you’re listening. It is very strange that it is so high compared to your neighbors..etc.. Are you sure no one is stealing your electricity again? 🙂

          Reply
  3. Less expensive than where we are. And the food looks much more amazing. Sadly, we pay extra for cable too, so my hubby can get the college basketball team games he likes to watch. (Also wanted to mention I enjoyed your last post but my computer brinked and so my comment didn’t go through. That computer is in the shop now. 🙂 )

    Reply
    • Amazing how they always add the sports to the top tier package. That way you get a bazillion stations all showing the same 100 shows in 10 languages.. 🙂 . We are amazed at the low prices too all the time. The food is definitely good..haha! Thanks. So glad you liked the movie review :-). Hope it’s not an expensive fix for the computer.

      Reply
        • Thank you Terri. I always appreciate your insights to the post and always look forward to your special brand of comments 🙂 . The movie is quite good and will be there if you ever get around to it 🙂 .

          Reply
    • Oh Kirstin, you should have heard the conversation 🙂 . He kept making her repeat that it was the whole year..and l’m mumbling on the side..tell her she has to email us the quote before l believe her. We thought it was a joke.. She’s like go for the full coverage as there was only a $40 difference, and we’re like..it’s a trick. After the email, we finally believed her. She really must have thought we were nuts! In Italy, my MIL was paying $900 per year for the same coverage (both cover you all over the E.U as well).

      Reply
    • See. I think it makes a difference when you are in a touristy area for sure. I have to admit that even in the city center here, compared to Madrid or Barcelona, it is quite a bargain still. We are living on like 1/3 of our U.S costs 🙂 .

      Reply
    • You really like that we got a deal on the house 🙂 . We are saving like 150 below comps in the neighborhood. I can see why it’s tempting. One of my old houses in the hills just went on the market, l found it by mistake..and for a second..l missed L.A 🙂 .

      Reply
  4. A great (and honest) recap on the costs of living in a foreign country that should answer a lot of questions. I especially liked your discussion of what it costs to live in the center of Seville versus the outskirts. And, like we discussed yesterday, not only is the food inexpensive but it’s so amazingly fresh and ripened before harvest which makes the taste incredible! We’ll have to do a side-by-side comparison between Spain and Portugal in a few months (maybe a collaborative post?) since many people seem to be researching these two countries with the idea of living in this area long term. However, I know we both agree that living in Europe can actually be cheaper when compared with living in the US and the lifestyle can’t be beat! Anita

    Reply
    • A side by side comparison collaborative post would be nice. I know it would be good, even for us. Federico would not mind moving closer to the water, and if the costs are so similar, we might have to reconsider at the end of the lease after a trip or two. I love the fresh fruit and veggies here. I was so surprised the first time l had cherries . I initially refused to try them ‘cos they tasted nasty to me in the U.S. I love them now and when in season, we’re there everyday at the fruit guy’s stall. Frank further down below is still an unbeliever haha! If you stick with Spanish brands which are just as good, it’s quite the bargain. If you’re looking for American or whatever you ate back home, then you have to be prepared to pay more 🙂 .

      Reply
    • Yeah, l wish we had found a detailed listing like this when we moved. Numeo has a general one for the whole country. Good for you..change is always good 🙂 .

      Reply
  5. You already know that the cost of living here in LA is ridiculous compared to Spain. Wow! Car insurance (and shrimp) are ridiculously cheap! And just over 300€/month for groceries is great considering that you guys eat most meals at home. Man, can we be your neighbors? ????

    Reply
    • Yep! Majorly ridiculous 🙂 . I was even comparing it to Houston which was already insane.. Dana, we both about fell over at the insurance quote. Luckily we checked, we had planned on keeping it in Italy because we thought that was already cheap..haha! Haha..come on down you two !!!

      Reply
  6. OMG, that townhome is huge and simply gorgeous! Let me convince my husband to relocate, lol. Your internet and phone service makes me feel like we’re being robbed. I pinned this post for reference!

    Reply
    • Haha! Trust me, for a moment l contemplated ditching this house and taking up that one. Furnished here means with everything too, pots, pans and plates so it’s tempting. I totally remember our old bills with the phone companies and the satellite dish..don’t miss them at all 🙂 . When are you moving..haha 🙂

      Reply
  7. Wow! Those are some great prices. I live in Dallas where to cost of living is not too bad, but those cellphone and insurance rates alone makes me want to hop on the next plane to Spain 🙂 Thanks for sharing Kem.

    Reply
    • Haha! We lived in Houston prior to moving here and l marvel at the difference. I never even like to compare it to L.A where we were before Houston..too painful ;-). Insane the price of the phone package, my phone was given free, l didn’t even want it 🙂 . Get on the plane 🙂 .

      Reply
    • Haha! Compared to what we were paying in L.A, it is ridiculously cheap…and did you see the link for the townhouse for just a hundred more? I was tempted too..hahah! Yeah..at this rate unless we find someplace equally as cheap, we just might move all around Spain 🙂 :-). One of these days, l’ll meet you somewhere..here or there.. 🙂

      Reply
    • It certainly is less than we pictured. I sometimes wonder if we would have lived in Malta had we seen a cost breakdown like this. You should visit 🙂 . Thanks for the compliment.

      Reply
    • Thanks. I was looking for the same before we left the U.S so l thought it would come in handy for others. I agree with you, it’s a great set-up for sure 🙂 .

      Reply
    • Right you are Ria 🙂 . The prices have been consistent in the year that we have been here, so l think it will help people nail down true costs.

      Reply
  8. I went to Spain for the first time last summer and absolutely loved it! I’ve been told Seville is lovely! It’s always interesting to hear about the cost of living in different areas of the world!

    Reply
    • It’s easy to love Spain, isn’t it? :-), and so far the cost of living can’t be beat, so who knows..we might just keep moving around Spain..hahah!!! I love finding our costs at places too.

      Reply
  9. Wait… 259 Euros for a whole year car insurance? What does it cover? Is it full two-way or just the bare minimum? That sounds ridiculously cheap!

    Reply
    • Yep! A whole year..we couldn’t believe it. I didn’t believe it till she emailed us the quote to make sure it was for a whole year! That covers everything..everything..and all over the E.U too!!! The cheaper one that’s required was just 40 dollars less…so we went for the full package.. 🙂

      Reply
  10. Seville is such a beautiful city! My post about it is on in the works. Needless to say, I just toured it for the day so your detailed info about the costs is interesting and new to me. The history is incredible!!

    Reply
    • It is an absolutely beautiful place, l agree with you there :-). So glad you enjoyed your day, l always say it’s chock full of history…and food..and more history 🙂

      Reply
  11. Hi there, wonderful and useful post. My husband and I are currently in Alicante ( Playa San Juan, which is full of huge apartment complexes, but you get used to it ) and paying E425/month for a 2 bedroom/1bath. Basic cable and internet included. 300 feet from the beach. We tend to run a tight ship ( ok, el cheapos ) so our luz is about E30, gas E11, water E20. All monthly. We use Lebara and spend about E25 for both phones ( combined, we get 700 minutes of anywhere plus 1gb ). We also use free wifi when available.The apartment is on the cool side so we just bundle up. There is no heat and we debated about getting a space heater but I was sure the cold wouldn’t last. Ah! My bad. Maybe we got super lucky but we have been getting buy on E1200/month. We have other expenses like storage back home, travel insurance, mail delivery service but I don’t count them in my Spain living expenses. We’re not economic refugees but we are frugal and decided to retire early so we are playing it super safe for about 2 years. Obviously, we’re not galavanting all over the place, but we have visited Madrid and have done day excursions. At this point, we spend much of our time learning spanish. We have no transport but we are 200 feet from bus and tram lines and the service is great (0.87 cents one way). We had not been without 2 cars for … hum, ever yet we find that we are not missing a car. Of course, we will likely get one in a year or 2 but for now, we’re fine without one. We mostly eat in and we have great fruit/veg places down the street. I bring back a good sized bag for anywhere between E4 and 8E, depending on what I buy of course. This winter, juice oranges were 0.58 per kilo and they are fantastic. We go out once or twice a week, nothing extravagant, tapas and montaditos mostly and rarely go over E20, it’s more like E12-14. Sadly, we move out end of June as the owner keeps the place for her summer vacation. We really, really like Alicante but we also think that we should move around and live in different cities so that we know when we’ve found that special place. Who knows, we may end up back in Alicante. We are now looking to the Canary Islands as it has supposedly the very best weather. Maybe for a year. We have been in Spain since Sept 1st. 2015 and, unless the Euro starts creeping up, we plan on staying long term. Of course, I would love to visit Sevilla but I hear the winters are cold and the summers really hot ?
    Yes, Spain is definitely affordable but more importantly, it’s a great place to live. The quality of life is very good. I find the Spaniards have such a strong sense of family, community and as I’ve told all my friends back yonder, the teenagers are very well mannered, which is quite a yardstick in my book!

    Reply
    • Thank you so much for adding your voice to the conversation. It’s so nice to hear from someone in a different area. I think it is quite surprising as people expect the prices to be so much higher. We certainly did. I keep wondering if we would have skipped Malta altogether and come directly to Spain when we left the U.S. Still glad we were there, l had just assumed that it would be cheaper there and not the other way around 🙂 . Your price is close to what we were spending in Malaga too. A lot of people also rent for just 9 month or so as they either keep the place for the summer or rent it out to vacationers which can be very profitable. I have a feeling that is why they recently changed valid leases to ones for 11 months as long term. Yep! The winters are pretty cold here. Amazing how the houses have no insulation..we use the portable heaters. The summers are hot, but not like Houston hot. It is really dry and windy, which makes it more bearable. You can’t beat the cheap food and wine for sure 🙂 . We don’t eat out much, but when we do, it’s rarely more than €16. Thanks a lot for the comment and adding the prices, it will be so useful for others 🙂 .

      Reply
  12. What a fantastic rundown of prices. We’re considering a move to Madrid, and I’m sure I can use this as a guide for there too. I haven’t been to Seville, but that’s the whole reason for moving to Europe!

    Reply
    • Thanks Laura. I’m glad you find it helpful. We often spend a day in Madrid on our trips to International destinations because Seville has a small airport. We find the prices pretty similar at the grocery stores. The rent however 🙂 l think is where the biggest difference is. Restaurants on the outskirts..like the Barajas area close to the airport also seem to be reasonable too, but in the center..much higher. Madrid is so nice..we wouldn’t mind living there either..haha! and only 2 hours train to Seville..

      Reply
    • I have family in Seville and am considering retiring there in 2 years.
      Would I need a residency visa ti stay there, if so, would that mean i would have to buy an apartment or can I rent with that type of visa? I can also get citizenship since my parents were born there but I’m not sure what to do.
      Any suggestions?
      What did everyone do when they moved there?

      Reply
      • Hi Suzy,
        How lucky that your parents were born there. I think the best path for you is to get a passport through their heritage and avoid all the other stuff. You would need their passports, birth certificate and submit that to the Spanish government and it should be an easy path for you. Most people do not have that luxury and have to have available funds nd apply for a long term visa, either student, business or non-lucrative which is the one most people qualify for. Good luck👍🏽.

        Reply
        • Hi Kemkem,

          Both my parents have passed away but I do have my mothers birth certificate.
          I will work on getting a copy of my dad’s.
          Do I apply through the Spanish consulate in New York where I am living now with all these papers?
          I don’t have their passports either.
          Thanks so much!

          Reply
          • Hi Suzy,
            Yes, I do believe you need to apply at your “home” embassy, in your case New York. The website should have a list of all that is needed. I think, but l’m not sure you should be able to do it with just one of their certificates, l think your moms should be enough. Good luck.

  13. Those prices are awesome. I wish my car insurance was that cheap for the year!The food and produce look so fresh. Another plus about Spain, it’s easier to get to Morocco.

    Reply
    • We were pretty happy about that price! Surprised and really happy 🙂 . I have memories of shopping for insurance trying to beat the increase and deductible..Oh…yeah Marrakesh was just an hour plus flight for us..pretty cool and damn convenient 🙂

      Reply
  14. That is a very comprehensive post on living in Seville. You worked hard on it! Thanks for sharing. I haven’t been to Seville but I have several neighbors in Panama who relocated from there. Looks beautiful.

    Reply
    • Awwh..thanks Melody. I had been searching for something like this when we left the U.S. I hope others looking can use it to get a closer idea to the true costs. I have to admit that l do find it beautiful here. Thanks for the comment.

      Reply
  15. I would love to write a post like this about living in Phuket… any chance I could borrow your format with credit back to you? You are so thorough and I didn’t even think about half of the things that you did! No worries if not, though 🙂
    I think we are about the same as you, I will have to check and actually see! Awesome post Kemkem!
    I

    Reply
  16. This is a looooovely deal KemKem and thanks so much for hosting us. 🙂

    Berlin is awfully cheap but I was amazed. Amazed! At the value you’re getting in Seville for a lovely Spanish-style apartment, beautiful fruit trees in bloom, and a private swimming pool & garden. It’s a bargain and as you say, if you’re of independent means, a digital nomad, or can fly back to the UK on an irregular basis, you should hop to it! My husband – The Music Producer – was shocked at how cheap the seafood was, and how good. I remember that meal well. Yum! Yum!

    I’m not sure that Berlin can beat this at all!

    Reply
    • You’re very welcome. It was fun having you guys visit finally 🙂 and we’re certainly glad you enjoyed the little bit of sun. Federico started making the shrimp The Music Producer’s way 🙂 . We are really loving the prices..hahah! It is a bargain for sure and like you say, if you have other means, it’s a good life. Berlin has its good points, not quite as cheap, but we really liked it as well. The language though.. 😉 !

      Reply
  17. This is so amazingly thorough! I remember reading your post last year, and it’s awesome that you’re making it a tradition. Here in Prague, the cost of living is much less than in the U.S., but the wages are lower, too. Nonetheless, because we don’t have a car here, we save more per month than we did back home where we earned more. It’s all relative!

    Reply
    • I think it will become a tradition. I know l would have loved to see something like that when we were doing our planning. Had l been able to compare the two countries, l still wonder if we would have come straight to Spain and skipped Malta seeing that it’s cheaper here :-). I can’t wait to visit Prague..it sounds and looks awesome. Yeah..the wages are much lower here too, and work seems so scarce 🙁 .

      Reply
  18. You are getting a good deal..a great deal, especially on the rent. Rent prices in Nairobi are ridiculous especially considering what the average wage is. One can choose to live somewhere central and pay ridiculously high rent or live in the outskirts of Nairobi, pay less for rent but then spend at least 3 hours a day in traffic commuting to work.

    Reply
    • Nairobi sounds so much like Lagos! It is impossible for working people to afford to be in the state..and they end up commuting 2-3 hours each and every day. Insane! Not even moving the capital to Abuja eased anything. Yeah..when we move, more than likely it will be to another part of Spain..hahah! 🙂

      Reply
  19. Fantastic piece and so timely for me – hubs and I lived in Mexico for a year and then took up housesitting to discover new places we may want to retire to. Spain is top of the list and your article tells me everything I need to know and we are in Spain as of next week to explore areas and see what appeals to us. Timing could not be better. Question though what health insurance company do you use?

    Reply
    • Glad to hear that it is of some help. I had been looking for something like that before we left the States, but couldn’t find any so l decided to do a Malta one when we got there and then a Spain one. We used Adeslas insurance. Any bank you open an account with is usually peddling an insurance plan so you can sign up with them :-). Only thing is you can not change it for the year as opposed to if you sign up with the company direct (for example zero copay to like 15 euro copay). We are thinking of signing up with Sanitas because they are cheaper. Hope this helps :-).

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  20. My 2 cents … My husband and I have been in Spain going on 2 years. The first year, we used World Nomads to satisfy visa requirements but it is only for urgent things I guess and expensive. Last summer, we changed and got DKV. We are both 59 and pay Eu151/month with zero copay ( for both of us ), again to satisfy visa requirements, which might have been overkill this time. They also have cheaper plans of course. I used it recently and, compared to the u.s., it was ridiculously simple to use ( as in name, dob, address, ins card and thank you. NO 14 pages of paperwork ), so we’re happy.We are thinking of getting a plan with a copay next summer to see if it’s that much cheaper. We really don’t “use” doctors that much and if we need one, we wouldn’t mind the copay I’m sure. Hope this helps a bit.

    Reply
    • Fantastic information thanks both of you. We are exploring Spain starting this week until June looking for areas we like. We are housesitting currently until April of Next year and hoping to settle in Spain then. Many British and Irish friends have absolutely loved Spain so we can’t wait to check it out.

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      • You’re welcome. I hope you have fun on your research trip. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask. There are so many lovely places, but for sure the Andalusia area is reasonable, more so than Barcelona and Madrid. 🙂

        Reply
    • Thanks for chiming in with your 10 cents 🙂 (worth more than 2 for sure..haha!). Yeah..to get your papers, you must have the plan with the zero copay. We’re thinking of switching to a copay also because it is cheaper. It literarily took 2 minutes for a prior auth, but more than 40 minutes to find a parking spot :-). I haven’t been to a doctor. I had the full work up in India and it’s just a waste of money since cash prices are so cheap. We just had our teeth cleaned for the cash price of €20 per person because the insurance only covers one cleaning per year.

      Reply
  21. I have gone through your Malaga and Seville cost of living posts and just wanted to say thanks for pulling all of that information together, it is super helpful!

    Reply
    • Thank you for reading Helene. It all came about when we were getting ready to move to Malta and l couldn’t find a definitive answer apart from Numeo so l figured it might help others. Getting ready to do this year’s cost in Valencia. Just a bit different though :-). Thanks again, it’s comments like this that makes it worthwhile :-).

      Reply
  22. Thanks for sharing this great article. We are planning to move to Seville – could you please share the name of the car insurance company, thanks.

    Reply
    • Thanks for reading Maria, and l’m glad it’s of some help. I started doing it while researching our moves. I knew there had to be more than the $500 a month, you can live in Spain crap :-). The insurance company is Linea Direct, and they have English speaking agents if you ask. On average, I think our rates have increased like 15 euro a month, so we’re still happy. Good luck!

      Reply
  23. my wife and I are looking to become expats in Seville, she speaks Spainish but I don’t how big of a handicap will it be for me, and do the people treat u bad for not speaking the language?

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    • You would need to learn because English really isn’t widely spoken but lucky that your wife speaks it because that will help… A LOT. No, people will absolutely, definitely not treat you badly for not speaking the language. Any little effort you put in will make them even more receptive, and they will help, not like other countries such as the U.S where they treat you badly and make fun of you sometimes.

      Reply

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