Else Beekman
When Patti Addington visited Spain back in 2018, she didn’t expect it to change her life. She came to walk the Camino de Santiago—a challenge, something meaningful to do after decades in the classroom. But something about Spain stuck with her. The light, the food, how people seemed to slow down a bit. Back home in Florida, it kept coming back to her.
“I just couldn’t shake the feeling,” she says. “I felt more like myself there.”
So in 2021, with her kids living their own lives and no real reason to stay put, she packed up and moved to Torremolinos, the sunny beach town on the Costa del Sol. She was 68, retired, and ready for something different.
The Cost of Living in Spain – May 2025
It just costs less
Life here, she says in Huffington Post, is easier on the wallet. In Florida, her rent alone was around $1,500 (about €1,280) a month. “And that wasn’t anything fancy,” she adds. Now she pays €860 for a two-bedroom flat with sea views. It’s not just the rent, though. Her electricity bills are lower, water’s cheaper, and her health insurance is nearly $1,000 less per year.
“Internet, TV, phone, that’s about €74 a month. Gas? €18,” she says. “And I can buy a nice bottle of wine without thinking twice. That didn’t happen in Florida.”
She pauses. “It’s not that everything’s perfect here. But I breathe easier.”
A slower rhythm
It wasn’t just about money. What really pulled her in was how people live. “Nobody’s rushing all the time. Meals take longer. People stop to chat. There’s space in the day,” Patti says.
Most mornings, she walks by the sea. There’s a café she likes, just a few streets away, where the owner knows her name. She shops at local markets, meets up with other expats now and then. “I’ve got neighbours from Belgium, Sweden, Ireland. We look out for each other. It’s a good mix.”
She says there are still things to figure out, Spanish bureaucracy, for one. “But honestly? I’d do it again. No question.”
Spain keeps drawing people In
Spain keeps showing up on retirement lists for good reason. According to Emigration Info, living costs here are between 20% and 40% lower than in places like Germany or the US, especially if you’re outside the big cities.
Public transport is decent, healthcare is strong, and you don’t need to spend a fortune to eat well. Forbes often ranks Spain among the best places to retire, with spots like the Costa del Sol, Bilbao, Alicante, and the Costa Azahar all getting a mention.
“I’m not on holiday,” Patti says. “This is just life now. A quieter, easier one. And it suits me.”
Not every day is sunshine and sangria, but for her, the move wasn’t about chasing a dream. It was about choosing a life that feels better—and making it her own.
Cost of Living in Spain vs. the US: A Spaniard shares her experiences