The also coastal Andalusia ranked first, with around 88,230 British residents making this southern area their homes in 2021. The number of British citizens that lived in Spain was slightly over under 314,000 as of January 2021.
The Costa del Sol is one of the most important tourist areas in Spain, especially for people flying in from the U.K. and one of the best places to retire in Spain by the sea.
SPAIN's Costa del Sol has always been one of the most popular destinations for British expats. But which are the best areas? Around 60,000 British expats live in Spain's sunny Costa del Sol. But when it comes to choosing a destination to settle in, there are a couple of areas that deserve attention.
Madrid is loved internationally. Thousands of expats from all over the world flock to Madrid every year. This city has rapidly made its way out of the recession that hit Spain (and the rest of the world) and is offering some of the most attractive employment opportunities for expats looking to live and work in Spain.
The most popular islands for expats are Tenerife and Gran Canaria, as they offer cheaper living and housing costs. These larger islands are also home to International schools, some of which follow the British curriculum, while the Spanish state schools also have a good reputation.
How much you'll pay. Once registered for healthcare, basic state services are free. There are some things that you may need to pay a percentage of the cost for, such as orthopaedic services. Spain uses a co-payment system where residents usually pay between 10% and 60% of the cost of prescription medication.
Can I still move to Spain now that the Brexit transition period has ended? Yes, you can still apply for residency in Spain like other non-EU nationals.
In the past four years, the British community in Malaga has grown by 9,000 residents. They are the largest group of international residents in the province followed by Moroccans, then Italians.
Expats in Spain are selling up as a result of Brexit and new immigration rules. There has been a huge drop in the number of Brits living in Spain due to more stringent immigration rules, which have been brought in as a result of Brexit.
Currently, economic stability is also on everyone's minds, and these countries offer a strong economy and high standard of living for a much lower price than the UK. Another major draw of these nations is favourable climate, attracting expats from the rainy British Isles with promises of sunshine all year round.
Popular coastal cities like Malaga or Palma de Mallorca are pricier, but lesser-known towns like Cadiz or Almería in west and east Andalucia respectively are equally as attractive and more economical. Although there's no definitive answer as to where is the cheapest place to live in Spain, you certainly have options.
When it comes to the cost of living, retirement in Portugal is even cheaper, but in the grand scheme of things, both countries offer affordable living compared to other countries in Europe. Spain is also known for living a healthy lifestyle thanks to the Mediterranean cuisine and outdoor lifestyle.
On average, the cost of living in Spain is 114% cheaper than in the UK. The biggest differences in cost are in cost in rent, utilities, and daycare.
Leading Spanish cities with highest rental house prices in 2022. Barcelona, Madrid, and Donostia - San Sebastian were some of the most expensive cities to rent a house in Spain in August 2022. Barcelona, which is the capital of Catalonia, led the list with an average price of 17.6 euros per square meter.
The heat can be a huge drawback, because it's often so extreme that you can barely go outside during the hottest parts of the day (12-8pm), so you're limited to getting things done in the early morning or late at night.
San Sebastián, Spain
However, it's people – perhaps somewhat eclipsed by their impeccable tastebuds – are officially, according to our readers, the friendliest in Europe.
Can I live in Spain without speaking Spanish? Sure. If you're living in a major city, studying a course taught in English, interning or working at a company that requires English, or are living in expat areas such as Costa del Sol or Malaga, you can get by with just English in Spain.
Valencia, Spain, is the No. 1 city for expats to live and work abroad in 2022, according to a survey of more than 12,000 respondents from InterNations, an online expat community with more than 4.5 million global members.
Tied with Mexico for the purest Spanish in Latin America, Colombia is an obvious choice for the best Spanish speaking country for language study.
In some instances, authorities require at least 3 months of bank statements. If you have a fixed deposit in a Spanish bank of approx 35.000€ (ie. 5 times annual IPREM for the 5 years of your residency) that was deposited less than 3 months ago, then a Balance Certificate may be accepted.
Spanish healthcare is established widely throughout the country. It is public, free, and available to every Spanish resident. People who work pay monthly social security contributions to uphold the public healthcare system.
Retirement in Spain also tends to be fairly low cost. You can retire comfortably on about $2,000-2,200 a month, about $25,000-27,000 a year. If you choose to live a bit further away from the big cities, you can retire at approximately $1,700-1,900 a month, which is about $20,000-22,000 annually.