Costa Blanca lifestyle — Altea old town

Lifestyle

Living on the Costa Blanca

320 days of sun is the easy part. Here is the real detail of moving your life to Spain — what a month costs, how healthcare works, what schools charge — with the numbers, not just the postcard.

320

Days of sun a year

≈18°C

Annual average

≈17°C

Winter daytime

Apr–Nov

Beach season

Cost of living

What a month actually costs

A realistic monthly budget for a couple living on the coast — the figures our buyers actually report, not a brochure average.

Indicative — varies by area, property size and lifestyle. Full breakdown, with Swedish-krona comparisons, in the guide.

Full cost-of-living guide
Community fees, IBI, electricity, water€400–700
Groceries (home cooking + some eating out)€600–900
Restaurants & leisure€300–500
Transport (car + fuel, or bus)€150–250
Phone & broadband€50–80
Private health insurance€150–300
Typical total, a couple≈ €1,650–2,730 / month
Healthcare on the Costa Blanca

Healthcare

Public system, private option

Spain's public health service (Sistema Nacional de Salud) is high quality and, once you're in the system as a resident or pensioner, largely free at the point of use. Getting registered takes time and paperwork.

Most new arrivals bridge the gap — or simply prefer the speed and choice — with private insurance, typically €80–150 a month for a pensioner. The coast has a dense network of multilingual private clinics used by the Scandinavian community.

Schools & education

From free state schools to international curricula

State Spanish schools are free (materials aside) and integrate children fast. International schools — British, and others — cluster around the coastal towns. Typical annual fees:

International schools guide
State Spanish schoolFree (€200–500/yr materials)
Nursery (guardería, from 4 mo)€300–600 / month
International — primary€4,000–8,000 / year
International — secondary / A-levels€8,000–15,000 / year

Life on the coast

Every town, its own rhythm

From the marinas of Altea to the salt lakes of Torrevieja and the coves of Jávea — mild winters mean the golf, the coastal walks and the long lunches never really stop.

Explore the areas
Altea
Altea
Torrevieja
Torrevieja
Calpe
Calpe
Moraira
Moraira
Jávea
Jávea
Dénia
Dénia

Thinking about the move?

Tell us how you want to live — near a school, on a golf course, walking distance to the beach — and we'll point you to the right area and the right home.

Talk to us