Cost of Living for Retirees on the Costa Blanca

Couple's monthly budget — three lifestyles

Cost of living by town (comfortable couple)

Groceries — what €100 actually buys

Mercadona is the price benchmark Spaniards use; Lidl and Aldi undercut it by 10–15% on staples; Carrefour and Consum sit slightly above. Local markets (most towns have one twice a week) beat all of them for seasonal produce and fish.

• ✦1 kg fresh tomatoes — €1.20–€2.50
• ✦1 kg chicken breast — €6–€8
• ✦1 kg fresh fish at the market — €8–€18
• ✦Loaf of bread (panadería) — €1–€1.80
• ✦Bottle of decent local wine — €4–€8
• ✦500 ml olive oil (Spanish, supermarket) — €6–€9 (price has roughly doubled since 2022)
• ✦Café con leche in a bar — €1.50–€2.20
• ✦Menu del día (3 courses + wine + coffee) — €13–€18

Utilities — what to budget

Where the money goes that surprises people

• ✦Pool maintenance — €120–€220/month if you outsource
• ✦Air conditioning in August — easily +€80 on the electricity bill
• ✦Car ITV (MOT equivalent) — €40–€60 every 1–2 years
• ✦Annual health insurance hikes after 70 — 6–10% per year is normal
• ✦IBI rises after a town's catastral revaluation — can jump 20–40% in one year
• ✦Bank fees on UK/US pension transfers — use Wise to avoid €30–€50 per transfer