Tag Archives: Food

Cost of Living in Spain: February 2014

Posted on by under Axarquía, Cost of Living

Cost of Living in Spain

EDITED TO ADD: My most up-to date COST OF LIVING report for JULY 2015 can be found HERE.

Every day, around one hundred people find themselves visiting my blog after typing the search term “Cost of Living in Spain” into Google.  It’s a popular subject, and for that reason each year I publish a list of the current prices of a number of items here in southern Spain.

It’s worth bearing in mind that the following information is relevant to the kind of lifestyle and area where I live, east of Málaga.  We choose to live like locals, eating fresh, seasonal produce and frequenting bars full of Spaniards rather than tourists.  Similarly, if your choice would be to only buy internationally branded foods and eat in tourist areas then you will find costs are considerably higher.

So …. whether you are fed up of the wet weather in the UK, have been dreaming of living in southern Europe for many years or you’re just curious – here’s my updated list of standard grocery items for your perusal.

For the sake of comparison,  I have once again used the largest Spanish supermarket – Mercadona.

Mercadona supermarket, Spain

STANDARD GROCERY LIST

This is the up-to-date Standard Grocery List I have published previously.  The first price shown is as it was in August 2013, with this month’s prices in RED alongside.


Milk (semi–skimmed UHT, own brand), 1 litre   0.59 €      0.60 €

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

Loaf (white, Bimbo brand, 460g 100% natural)  1.49€    1.49 €

Butter (250g, own brand)   1.05 €        1.25 €

Sugar (1kg, white)   0.93 €    0.93 €

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

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

Olive oil (1 litre, extra virgin, own brand)  3.35€   (5 litres 15.50€)    3 €   (5 litres 14.50 €)  **

Rice  (1kg, long grain, own brand)   0.71€    0.71 €

Pasta  (1kg, own brand)   0.79€      0.75 €

Pasta  (500g, wholewheat)   0.99€      0.99 €

Tinned tuna  (6 x 80g, own brand)  3.39€      3.35 €

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

Pork chops (1kg)  4.60€     4.75 €

Beef mince (Store brand, pre-packed, 700g)   3.80 €       3.80 € 

Fish  (1kg Salmon steaks)  10.75 €      10.75 €

Fish  (1kg Dorada, Gilt-head bream)  6.95€       6.95 €

Apples (1kg, green, Golden Delicious)  2.00 €       1.85 €  **

Oranges (1kg)  1.19 €     0.79 €   **

Bananas (1kg)  1.29 €     1.39 €

Potatoes (1kg)  1.25 €     0.89 €    **

Lettuce (1 head, Iceberg)  0.85 €      0.87 €

Red Peppers (1kg, loose)  1.95 €    1.89 €

Green pointed “Italian” Peppers (1kg, loose)  1.35 €      1.99 €   **

Tomatoes  (1kg, loose)   0.99 €       1.29 €   **

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

Water (2 litre bottle)  0.42 €       0.42 € 

Domestic Beer (1 litre bottle, Cruzcampo)  1.25 €       1.25 €

Imported beer (6 x 25cl bottles Heineken)  3.05€       3.65 €

Bottle wine (medium priced)  3.00 – 3.50€      3.00 – 3.50 €

Colgate toothpaste (100 ml)   1.75€       1.75 €

Pantene shampoo  (300 ml)   3.00€       3.00€

Toilet rolls (pack of 6, own brand)   1.95 €      1.98 €

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

** Seasonal changes

For the costs of accommodation, utilities, motoring, public transport and entertainment – prices are largely unchanged since last time.  Please see HERE.

Village houses in Cómpeta, Axarquía, Spain

Many people dream of moving to southern Spain with the promise of better weather coupled with a healthier, outdoor Mediterranean lifestyle.  There are many other considerations to bear in mind when trying to compare living costs, and the following may be some of them:

  1. Unemployment in Spain is currently running at record levels with 25% of the adult population out of work.  If you are considering moving to Spain, you would need to be confident that your finances are secure or you might end up having to return to your home country after failing to find employment.
  2. Tied in with the issue of employment, comes health cover.   Unless you are employed, self-employed or retired, (thus qualifying for cover under the Spanish health system), you will be required to take out private health cover.
  3. The cost of living is really only half of the equation.  Salaries and wages may be very different in Spain from what you are used to elsewhere.  What is important is what is left each month after you have paid for your essentials.
  4. Fluctuation in currency exchange rates can make a huge difference to you if your source of income comes from outside of Spain.  For example, when we first came to live in Spain ONE BRITISH POUND bought us ONE EURO AND FIFTY CENTIMOS.  Very handy when we were purchasing our house.  However, a couple of years ago, and completely outside of our control,  we only received just ONE EURO AND EIGHT CENTIMOS for each BRITISH POUND – a staggering drop in income of almost one third.
  5. Spanish houses in this area are built to keep out the sun in summer rather than to retain heat in winter.  With tiled floors, small windows and inadequate heating systems, houses can be surprisingly chilly during the winter months, making them expensive to heat.
  6. Whilst some costs are much more favourable in Spain (for example our cost of IBI is about one quarter of the cost of a similar property in the UK for Council Tax), other costs are significantly more (i.e. when purchasing a property, costs amount to approx 11% of the purchase price).
  7. You might have to factor in the cost of flights back home to the UK (or your home country) to visit friends and relatives.  Often these can be bought through budget airlines for reasonable prices – but what if you need to return quickly for a family emergency?
  8. Then there is the question of taxes – not only of the personal variety, but also related to any property purchase.  There are many factors at play, depending on personal circumstances, and whilst I often receive messages from visitors to my blog regarding such matters, I am not a tax expert and would always recommend you seeking professional advice given your own personal financial situation.

MY ADVICE:  There are many more things to bear in mind when considering the cost of living in Spain, than the price of bread and milk.  DO YOUR RESEARCH FIRST!

How does the cost of living compare where you live?  Have you ever considered moving abroad?

You might also enjoy reading this article:

Cost of Living in Spain Series: Watching The Currency Market When Buying And Selling Spanish Property

Easy Chocolate Fudge That Will Make You Drool

Posted on by under Recipes

Chop the chocolate fudge into squares and ENJOY!

We went to a friend’s house on New Year’s Eve, rather than pay loads of money to eat out somewhere.  I supplied the bubbles and a starter, whilst she made the main course.  I also took this ridiculously easy-to-make chocolate fudge, which was a big hit.

It’s very simple to make and literally takes five minutes.

Here’s what you’ll need:

I cup chopped chocolate (I chopped up 1 x 150g bar of supermarket brand, milk chocolate – but use dark or white chocolate if you prefer)
170g tube of condensed milk
1/8 cup butter
1/8 cup peanut butter (if you don’t like peanut butter – make it 1/4 cup butter instead)

I also added a handful each of roughly chopped almonds and currants, but you can just as easily leave these out.

Here’s what you do:

Put the condensed milk, chopped chocolate, butter and peanut butter into a bowl and microwave at 800W for 2 minutes.

Take out, give it a good stir and put back into the microwave for a further 1 minute.

In the meantime, roughly chop the almonds and currants.

When the microwave pings, add the fruit and nuts to the mixture and give a final stir.

Line a plastic sandwich box (mine was 20 x 13 cms) with greaseproof paper and pour the thick mixture into it.  Spread out into the corners and allow to cool slightly before putting into the fridge for an hour to chill.

Cut up into squares and ENJOY!

What’s your favourite recipe that is quick and easy to make?

If you like this, you might also enjoy these other recipes:

Easy No-Bake Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Cookies

Patatas a lo pobre: Poor man´s potatoes

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

Let’s Talk About Tapas: Boquerones

Posted on by under Axarquía, Recipes

Tapas: Boquerones in vinegar

Last month, I started a new feature called Let’s Talk About Tapas, when I gave you a general overview of what to expect if you want to eat tapas in Spain.

Each month I will be telling you about different tapas, and often I will include a recipe so you can make them at home for yourself.

So, what are tapas and how did they originate?

Well, it’s thought that originally in the wine-making regions of Andalucía, a cover in the form of a small plate or lid was placed over glasses of wine to keep fruit flies away.  Titbits of food were later placed on the lid to be eaten with the wine.  Remember too, that the word “tapar” in Spanish means “to cover”, which is where we get the word “tapas” from.

Let’s get started with one of my favourite tapas – Boquerones en vinagre (anchovies in vinegar).

Boquerones whole

You can buy boquerones from fish merchants or any supermarket with a fish counter such as Mercadona, where a kilo costs around €3.

They are not very difficult to prepare and are absolutely delicious!   When we first arrived to live in Spain and rented a house for the first twelve months in Frigiliana, my Spanish next door neighbour showed me how she prepared them.

First you need to head and gut the fish.  Do this by holding each fish using two hands – with the tail in one hand and the head in the other.  Squeeze behind the head and pull it off.  Split open the fish with your fingers and take out the guts, backbone and pull off tail.

Boquerones filleted

Rinse in cold water until the water runs clear and place the filleted fish white-side up into dish.

Boquerones soaked in white vinegar and sprinkled with salt

Sprinkle with salt and cover with white wine vinegar.  Depending on how many fish you have, you can arrange them into layers – making sure you perform this same task with each layer.  The top layer of fish needs to be covered with vinegar.

The boquerones will start to turn white almost immediately as they “cook” in the vinegar.

I usually cover the dish with clingfilm and pop it into the fridge overnight to marinade.

Chopped garlic and flat-leaf parsley

Boquerones in olive oil with garlic and parsley

Next morning, drain the salty vinegar away and cover the boquerones with extra-virgin olive oil, lots of chopped garlic and a little freshly chopped parsley – and by lunchtime they will be ready to eat with freshly baked bread.

Eat your boquerones with a glass of chilled white wine or manzanilla (dry fino sherry).

What are your favourite tapas?

 

Whilst you’re here, you might also enjoy:

Let’s talk about tapas, shall we?

Spanish Omelette: Tortilla Española

A Celebration of Fried Breadcrumbs

 

Let’s talk about tapas, shall we?

Posted on by under Axarquía, Recipes, Slice of Life

Well stocked tapas bar in Spain

I’m going to be starting a new feature all about tapas soon, so let’s start by finding about what they are.

It’s thought that originally in the wine-making regions of Andalucia, a cover in the form of a small plate or lid was placed over glasses of wine to keep fruit flies away.  Titbits of food were later placed on the lid to be eaten with the wine.

The word “tapar” in Spanish means “to cover”, which is where we get the word “tapas” from.

How wonderful that Spaniards thought it unacceptable that a fly ends up in your drink, but it´s fine if it lands on the accompanying snack!

Other stories suggest that tapas were invented by a bar owner in Seville, who decided to put a cover (tapa) over his guests´ glasses of wine, using a slice of bread to keep out flies.  He later put a piece of ham or cheese on top, so that his customers could have a bite to eat with their drink.

Rioja and scrummy tapas!

Either way, the idea spread, so that nowadays the types of food served as tapas are limitless.  Most Spaniards don´t drink alcohol without a tapa and many bars, especially in southern Andalucia, provide them free of charge.

The original Spanish “fast food” is usually displayed in refrigerated glass cabinets on the bar and served in small terracotta glazed dishes. Some examples of the type of tapas normally available include gambas (whole cooked prawns in their shells), boquerones (fresh anchovies in olive oil, vinegar and garlic), chorizo (spicy Spanish sausage), albondigas (meatball…often in a creamy almond sauce), queso (cheese…often manchego), habas con jamon (broad beans with ham), ensalada rusa (Russian salad) or just a few olives.

Delicious tapas

Your choice of tapas is usually accompanied by a small piece of crusty bread which helps to counteract the adverse effects of the alcohol through drinking on an empty stomach.

What a sensible idea!

In many establishments, if you stand at the bar along with the locals you will be given one tapa free with each drink you buy.  

That’s right …. free food!

Tapas in Spain

Should you choose to sit away from the bar, you can pay for a tapas or two (usually about one euro in this part of Spain), or opt for a larger serving known as a ración (ration) or medio ración (half ration). This is a great way to eat a variety of dishes, and a pretty sociable activity as groups generally tend to share their dishes.

The food is generally very good, even in remote villages around the Axarquia.

Where is your favourite tapas bar?   Which tapa do you choose, time and time again?

 

You might also like to look at:

All at sea with the Virgen del Carmen

La Noche de San Juan: Families, fires and football!

Bus Services: East of Málaga

Food Glorious Food: Moroccan Chicken

Posted on by under Recipes

Moroccan chicken marinating in citrus juice mixture

Following on from my rather sombre post yesterday, I thought I’d cheer everyone up again – by feeding you!

I’ve made this dish for just about everybody who has ever visited us in Spain, and it’s been a winner every time.  I’ve been meaning to post this recipe for some time, but for one reason or other I haven’t got round to it, but I’m not going to selfishly keep it to myself any longer.   This is for you, Cathy – as promised!

The beauty of this dish is that you can do the preparation in advance, so that when your guests arrive, you’ll have plenty of time to relax with them, (enjoying a glass of wine), before you knock their socks off with a delicious dinner!

I love cooking and make most of my meals from scratch.  For me, this dish is made all the sweeter by using lemons, oranges, almonds and mint growing in the garden.  I’m pretty confident that you’ll love it, too – even if you don’t have your own orange tree to hand!  🙂

Let’s get cooking!

To make this tangy, lip-smacking, taste-bud-tingling treat for two people, you’ll need:

2 medium chicken breasts (skinned and cut into bite-sized pieces)

I medium onion (peeled and chopped)

2 cloves of garlic (peeled and crushed)

2 large oranges (juiced – I also use any bits of crushed fruit)

1 large lemon  (juiced – I also use any bits of crushed fruit)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1-2 tablespoons of chopped dates (take out the stone and cut into thirds)

1 tablespoon of almond nuts (chopped in half, if you prefer)

1 level teaspoon of ground cinnamon spice

Up to ¼ teaspoon of hot chilli powder (according to taste)

Handful of fresh mint leaves (chopped)

A few whole black peppercorns (optional)

Here’s what you do:

Put the diced chicken pieces and the chopped onion into a shallow dish.

In a plastic measuring jug, juice the oranges and lemon, adding any bits of crushed fruit.  Stir in the crushed garlic, olive oil, cinnamon, chilli powder and half of the chopped mint, to combine the ingredients together.  You should end up with between 300-400 mls of liquid.

Now, pour the juice mixture over the chicken and onions, add the chopped dates, nuts and whole black peppercorns.

Cover the dish with cling-film, pop in the fridge and leave the chicken to marinate for anything from 10 minutes to a couple of hours.

When you’re ready to start cooking, pick out the individual pieces of chicken with a pair on tongs, and gently fry them on a medium heat in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.  (Make sure you have picked out every last piece of chicken from the marinade).  Turn the chicken pieces and when they are just starting to brown slightly, add all the citrus liquid mixture to the frying pan.

Your dinner is now less than ten minutes from being ready!

Turn up the heat under the pan, and bring the mixture to the boil.  Allow to simmer and as it does so, the mixture will begin to thicken, making the most delicious tangy sauce.  If you need to thicken the sauce a little more, just turn up the heat.

Stir in the remainder of the fresh chopped mint and serve immediately.

I usually serve Moroccan chicken with brown rice, but it’s just as delicious if you team it up with cous-cous.  There will be enough for two people using this quantity of ingredients.  I tend to use one medium chicken breast per person and adjust the amount of ingredients to personal taste.  It’s always best to have a spare orange or lemon to add to the juice mix, just in case you need a bit more liquid.  If you love dates, put a few more in – they go wonderfully sticky.  If you don’t have dates you can use sultanas instead.  When cooking for more than two people, I’ve been known to use the juice of a couple of limes, as well.

The main thing is, have the confidence to alter this dish to suit yourself.

Que aproveche!

If you enjoy cooking (or eating), you might like to try these recipes:

Classic Spanish Omelette: Tortilla Española

Easy No-Bake Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Cookies

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