Cost of Living: East of Málaga, Spain – April 2013

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Marianne under Axarquía, Cost of Living, Slice of Life

Edited to add: When you’ve read this article, make sure you also look at my up-to-date Cost of Living in Spain: (Málaga edition) for July 2015, now available HERE.

Whenever I travel, I´m always interested to know how much things cost and, every day, people from around the world find my blog by searching for the cost of living in Spain.

Back in August and November 2012, I posted some receipts for groceries I had bought here in southern Spain, which proved to be very popular articles.

But I wanted to do something a bit different, so I decided that rather than post the prices of random items of shopping that you may, or may not be interested in, I would come up with a list of standard grocery items, which I will update the prices of, two or three times a year. This list can easily be changed, so if there are any other basic items you would like me to include, please let me know in the comments section, below. This way, if anyone else wants to do something similar, we can have a direct comparison between countries.

To make such direct comparison simple, I have once again used the Spanish Supermarket – Mercadona in Torrox Costa.

This month’s prices are a bit of a mixed bag, with some prices remaining stable, yet others increasing or decreasing.

So, here´s the Standard Grocery List I used previously. The first prices are as they were in August 2012 – the second prices (in bold) are as they were last November, with this month’s prices in RED alongside.

Standard Grocery List

Milk (semi –skimmed UHT, own brand), 1 litre 0.54 € 0.54 € 0.53 €

Loaf (white, baguette 250g) 0.45 € 0.45 € 0.45 €

Eggs (12, own brand caged, medium) 1.35 € 1.35 € 1.35 €

Chicken breasts (1kg, boneless, skinless) 5.50 € 5.50 € 5.80 €

Apples (1kg, green, Golden Delicious) 1.35 € 1.00 € 1.65 €

Oranges (1kg) 1.39 € 0.89 € 0.79 €

Bananas (1kg) 1.25 € 1.15 € 1.35 €

Potatoes (1kg) 0.92 € 0.89 € 0.96 €

Lettuce (1 head, Iceberg) 0.85 € 0.85 € 0.85 €

Water (1.5 litre bottle) 0.45 € 0.36 € 0.42 € (for a 2 litre bottle)

Domestic Beer (1 litre bottle, Cruzcampo) 1.29 € 1.20 € 1.20 €

Fish (1kg Salmon steaks) 8.75 € 8.75 € 9.50 €

Toilet rolls (pack of 6, own brand) 1.95 € 1.95 € 1.95 €

Washing powder (Box, 35 washes, Elena brand) 5.94 € 4.87 € 4.87 €

Olive oil (1 litre, extra virgin, own brand) 3€ 2.75 € (5 litres 12.99€) 2.99 € (5 litres 13.99 €)

Coca-Cola (1.5 litre) 1.09 € 1.00 € 1.00 €

Butter (250g, own brand) 0.98 € 0.98 € 0.98 €

Sugar (1kg, white) 0.95 € 0.93 € 0.93 €

The following two items were only introduced in November’s grocery list:

Coffee (ground, 250g, Santa Cristina) 1.79 € 1.89 €

Beef mince (Store brand, pre-packed, 1kg) 5.43 € 3.80 € (for 700g)

New items added to the list:

Red Peppers (1kg, loose) 2.29 €

Green pointed “Italian” Peppers (1kg, loose) 1.99 €

Tomatoes (1kg, loose) 1.19 €

Currency Conversion from XE €1 = 1.31 USD
0.85 GBP
1.24 AUD
1.33 CAD
1.53 NZD
11.66 ZAR

Other household expenses

Gas: We don´t have mains gas here – we use bottles of butane gas. In August, a 12.5kg bottle of Butane gas cost 16.45 € – falling to 16.10 € in November. They are now 17.15 € . One bottle used to last (on average) 21 days (for two people… though around 4 weeks in summer) for all hot water, showers and cooking on a gas hob. Last September we had a new gas water heater fitted and, even though it has a larger capacity for water heating than the previous one, it appears to use significantly less gas. It´s early days yet, but the first bottle lasted five weeks (rather than three weeks). I´ll keep my eye on how that goes.

Electricity: For a 3 bedroom/2 bathroom detached house in the countryside with a swimming pool, we pay an average of 100 € per month. The cost of consumption for us is slightly lower in winter with heating/lighting, as opposed to air conditioning/lighting/swimming pool pump running for 8 hours a day, in the summer months.

Water: We are not connected to mains water, so when we bought our house part of the purchase cost was for a share in a local water company. We have a 14,000 litre water deposit in which to store our house water. Our water share gives us an allowance of up to 17,500 litres of water each week at reduced cost, though if we use more than this, the price rises steeply. Needless to say, we don´t use this amount of water, even allowing for swimming pool top-ups and garden irrigation. The water company, Patamalara, doesn´t always sent out their bills regularly and much of the cost appears to depend on the amount of repairs that have been undertaken on the system, but over the past twelve months our annual water bill has amounted to 92 €.

IBI – Council Tax: Paid yearly to the local council. Last year´s bill was 338€

Internet: 29 € per month with unlimited downloads (within reason). Speeds up to 3 Mbps

Petrol/Gasoline: In August 1 litre of 95 octane petrol was 1.49 €. In November 2012 the price had fallen to 1.40 €. The price is now 1.48 €

Vehicle excise duty: We have a Peugot 307 and pay 51 € per year.

Eating out: Glass of wine or beer, including one tapa is 1 € – 1.50 €. Menu of the day (three course meal, served at lunchtime, including bread and one glass of beer, wine or a bottle of water) 8 – 10 €

How do prices compare where you live?

You might also enjoy these articles:

Menú del Día: Great food at a budget price

Cost of Living: East of Málaga, Spain – August 2012

Cost of Living: East of Málaga, Spain – November 2012

Goats on the road: I kid you not

Wild Orchids

Posted on April 3, 2013 by Marianne under Axarquía

“When two friends understand each other totally, the words are soft and strong like an orchid’s perfume.”
Martin Luther King Jr.

Just look at this stunning orchid growing wild in my garden. It is so vibrant! Isn’t nature wonderful?

You might also enjoy:

Flowering snapshot of a January day

Travel Theme: Foliage

Cost of Living: East of Málaga

Chickpea and chorizo soup with smoky paprika bread

Posted on March 23, 2013 by Marianne under Recipes

Well, we’ve arrived safely home in Spain after being Down Under for the past four months. We’ve had an amazing time, but it’s always good to be back in your own bed, and with more possessions than you can fit into a suitcase, isn’t it?

Although it has just started raining as I write this post, the three days since we arrived home have been sunny and warm, but the evenings soon feel chilly once the sun has gone down. So what better to warm us up than a bowl of hot soup, especially one full of Spanish flavours?

To make this delicious Chickpea and Chorizo soup, you will need the following ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 (340g) chorizo sausages (chopped coarsely)

1 large brown onion (diced)

1 medium red pepper (diced)

2 cloves garlic (crushed)

400g can chopped tomatoes

1 level teaspoon of dried mixed herbs (or use fresh if you have them)

750mls (3cups) chicken stock

400g jar of chickpeas (drained and rinsed)

For the Smoky Paprika Bread, you will need:

1 level teaspoon smoked paprika

1 clove garlic (crushed)

50g butter (softened)

1 loaf of crusty bread (sliced thickly)

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat and add the chorizo. Cook, stirring until slightly browned. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add the diced onion, red pepper and garlic to the pan. Cook, stirring until the onion has softened. Add the undrained tomatoes and the chicken stock and bring to the boil.

Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the chickpeas.

Remove two cups of soup and purée in a blender. Return to pan along with the chorizo. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. (I like to add a few whole black peppercorns to the soup to give it an extra bite).

To make the Smoky Paprika Bread – combine smoked paprika, garlic and softened butter in a small bowl. Spread half of the flavoured butter onto the bread slices and pop under the grill until browned. Turn each slice over, spread the remaining butter and toast the second side until browned and crisp.

Serve the soup with Smokey Paprika Bread immediately.

Que approveche!

You might also enjoy:

Patatas a lo pobre: Poor man´s potatoes

Fresh Figs Stuffed with Goat´s Cheese and wrapped in Smoked Bacon

The heart of Cómpeta: El Paseo de las Tradiciones

English Language Publications for FREE!

Posted on March 7, 2013 by Marianne under Axarquía, Laws and Customs

Whilst you are visiting any town or village throughout the Axarquía region, a selection of English language newspapers and magazines is available for you to collect, free of charge.

These publications, including Spanish Insight, SolTalk, Streetwise, Marketplace, Grapevine, Sentinella and Euro Weekly are useful for both tourists and residents alike. Each contains information about ‘what’s on’ in the local area as well as some well-written articles on a wide range of topics, recipes and items for sale – including properties. (You can CLICK on the links to be taken to the online versions of the publications).

Sadly, in order to make-ends-meet with their budgets, these magazines contain more advertisements and fewer articles as time goes by, but I guess that happens round the world.

You will find these free magazines in many estate agents, bars, cafes and other such popular places.

How do you like to discover what’s happening in your local area?

CBBH Photo Challenge: FRAMED

Posted on March 1, 2013 by Marianne under CBBH Photo Challenge

Many of us have photographs we have taken, displayed within frames, in our homes. They may be of people we love, or places we have visited, that we want to be reminded of.

One way of adding interest to a photograph is to use another object within the composition of a photograph to frame the main subject. This technique brings depth to the photograph by giving the illusion of more than two dimensions and also serves to focus the viewer’s attention on what the main subject is.

The “frame” might be a window, a bridge, an arch, an over-hanging tree or anything else you want it to be.

Go ahead – surprise me!

Just look at this magnificent orange tree, framed by the open window frame at one of the many churches in the city of Granada.

Here you can see a young monk pausing to rest from the heat of the mid-day sun, within the Angkor Wat temple complex at Siem Reap, Cambodia.

This is the Presa de las Bermejales, a large lake (and a man-made reservoir) situated in the west of Granada Province on the northern boundary of the Natural Park of Las Sierras de Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama. This secluded spot, far from the usual tourist trail, is a haven of tranquility especially during the very busy month of August. It´s a beautiful place to spend a peaceful few hours or days, enjoying nature at it´s best.

Last year, we took a three month trip around south-east Asia, visiting Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. Whilst visiting Ha Noi, the capital of Vietnam, we took an overnight cruise in Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site and voted one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. There were only six cabins on the boat, and I took this shot soon after morning light, with some of the islands framed by the wooden columns of the boat. I love how the reflections shine and reflect on the polished wood.

I was struck by the silhouettes of these people, looking out through the huge window near the entrance of the Te Papa National Museum in Wellington, New Zealand.

Here you can see the view towards the city of Málaga from the Jardín Concepción Botanical Gardens, framed by trees.

I took this photo from inside the cave at Cathedral Cove, Hahei, New Zealand. The tide had turned and was on the way out, meaning we had just time to run through the shallow water to spend a couple of hours in the beautiful bay beyond.

Some of the best examples of restored “Don Quixote” Spanish windmills can be found in Consuegra, not far from Toledo in central Spain, where several mills spike the hill just outside of town. My final image for this month’s challenge is of one of these windmills, taken from an adjacent one, through one of the tiny opening windows near to the roof.

This month´s CBBH Featured Blogs:

** Staying on the Iberian peninsula, you can find Julie Dawn Fox in Portugal, Spain’s next door neighbour, so to speak. Julie is a talented writer and gives regular updates about her life as an expat in Portugal.

I am a huge fan of Julie’s Personal A – Z of Portugal, where she takes each letter of the alphabet and writes a different post using the letter as the basis for a post, about things she feels strongly about in Portugal. This is a very easy blog to read, is very descriptive with many stunning photographs, which always makes me glad that Portugal is an easy drive from my home in southern Spain.

** Richard at The Last song I Heard was one of the first blogs I followed when I set up my East of Málaga blog. I stumbled across his site, where he writes for his son, James, about songs he remembers from his formative years, and it really struck a chord with me. He has a great choice of music and is at present writing a book called The Rivers of Belief.

I have enjoyed reading many of Richard’s posts because he talks about growing up in England, and many of the things he mentions are very familiar to me too. His post The Crunch – RAH Band is a particular favourite of mine. By his own admission, Richard seems to have lost his way a bit recently, and is thinking of taking a break from blogging for a few weeks, so I’m sure he would appreciate you HOPPING over to say HELLO. Make sure and tell him Marianne sent you 🙂

So that´s the CBBH Photo Challenge for March, folks!

Remember, all you have to do is post your entry by the end of the month, link back to this blog and, most importantly, don´t forget to add links to any two blogs that you´ve commented on during the past month, so that we can all HOP OVER and have a look. Make sure you FOLLOW THIS BLOG so you don´t miss next month´s exciting challenge!

For more information on how the CBBH Photo Challenge works click here.

I hope everyone taking part enjoys the exposure the CBBH Photo Challenge offers to featured blogs and, who knows, you may end up finding a new favourite! I´m looking forward to seeing your interpretations.

[CBBH logo Image credit: (cc) Mostly Dans]