What a family month on the Costa del Sol actually costs

Nothing gets asked more often than this figure. And the honest answer is: it depends where exactly you live — the difference between an inland town and a flat with a sea view is bigger than the difference between Spain and Germany. There is still plenty that can be said concretely.

How our spending is structured

For five people our month breaks down roughly like this:

• Housing is by far the biggest block, a good third for us. Proximity to the coast costs; an inland town centre is considerably cheaper; the same size in a complex with a pool sits somewhere in between.
• Energy is the item with the widest swing. Almost nothing in spring, several times that in January and August.
• Food is our second-biggest block, as it is everywhere with five people. This is where you can steer the most; more on that below.
• Transport — one car, fuel, insurance, ITV, municipal car tax. Without a car this coast only works if you live in a town centre.
• School and children — manageable with a state school: materials, trips, comedor, two or three afternoon activities per child.
• Health — free for children in the public system, plus private top-up cover in our case.

Clearly cheaper here

• Fruit and vegetables. At the weekly market we pay a fraction of what we paid in Germany — and the quality is better, because much of it is local.
• Eating out. The menú del día at lunchtime is an institution: three courses, a drink and bread for the price of a single main dish in Germany. For a family, eating out at lunch stops being a special expense.
• Children's sport and leisure. The single biggest difference. Club sport, swimming lessons, dance — fees are low and municipal sports facilities are good and cheap.
• Doctor visits and medication. Free for children in the public system, and medicines are inexpensive.
• Internet and mobile. Fibre plus mobile costs noticeably less than in Germany, at better speeds.
• Hairdressers, tradespeople, services. Cheaper across the board.

What costs more

• Electricity. The clear front-runner. See our winter piece.
• Dairy, bread, cold cuts. Everything that is everyday at home and imported or niche here: German cheese, wholemeal bread, muesli. We changed how we eat, and that was cheaper than the German supermarket.
• Cars. Used cars are dearer than in Germany and the choice is smaller.
• International schools. The item that can tip a family budget. Four figures per child per year, times three.
• Anything German. The German supermarket on the coast is both a blessing and a trap.

The items people forget

• Basura — the municipal refuse charge, once a year.
• IBI — property tax, paid by the owner, but worth checking your contract for houses.
• IVTM — the town hall's car tax, annually.
• Tax return — the declaración de la renta in spring. Income in two countries means you need advice, and advice costs.
• Flights home. Two adults, three children, holiday dates. That isn't a minor item, it's a trip per year you have to plan for.
• The move itself. Deposit, furniture, connections, official fees, double rent in the transition month. Budget considerably more for the first three months than for later.

Where we land

We get by on slightly less than in Germany, but the difference is smaller than the cliché of the cheap south promises. What has really changed is the ratio of spending to quality of life: an afternoon at the beach costs nothing, lunch out with the whole family isn't a special expense, the children do three sports because they can. In return we look at the electricity bill in January and at holiday childcare in August.

If you're calculating tightly, plan two things: a buffer for the first six months, when everything costs twice, and one for the summer holidays. With those two in view it works very well here for a family of five.

Common questions

Is life cheaper here?

For a family: slightly, but not dramatically. We spend noticeably less on leisure, healthcare and food, and more on electricity and one-off purchases. On balance we come out a little lower — with considerably more quality of life per euro.

What's the most expensive budgeting mistake?

The summer holidays. Eleven weeks without school means childcare, trips and activities. Not planning for it leaves you with a hole in August.

How much do rents vary?

Enormously. Between an inland town centre and a coastal location in Marbella, the same size property can easily differ by a factor of two or three.

Everything here is our own experience, not legal advice. Authorities change rules, prices and forms constantly — always check the official site of the relevant office before an appointment.