Best for permanent move

Are you British/non-EU ?

If yes, have you looked at the requirements of the Non-Lucrative visa ?

1100 Eu/month is insufficient for the visa, so you may need to switch capital into income (at least on paper).

You need around 28K Euros/year demonstrable resources.

That said, Alicante (and towns around) are very good. If you can be more specific with your requirements, users of this forum can make suggestions. 

What do you mean "not Benidorm like"??

When was the last time you came to Benidorm ,if ever? There are some very nice areas around the city. Benidorm is not just British Square.....

As said, you will need to apply for a visa before you can move over to Spain. 

Steve 

Thanks for your reply. Apologies if I offended with my 'Benidorm-like' phrase. What I meant is what that phrase conjures up in most people's minds i.e.  think of the comedy series, also passed by on train and it looks too built up with high rise apartments for my liking. I'm sure like anywhere there are nice parts. I'm EU citizen but worked in UK for over 30 years so visa not a problem although healthcare is I think.

I'm EU citizen so visa not a problem although I've been working in UK for over 30 years so healthcare is I think. Can you recommend any private healthcare  companies?

A bit of background on Spanish private healthcare ....  hope it helps

------------------

My wife and I use DKV private healthcare. Our annual combined cost is around 2000 Eu (ages 63/61). This seems to be about the going rate. 

You should bear in mind ....

It isn't just about cost. Don't just choose the cheapest policy. When you gain Residency/Visa/TIE, your PHI will, at least for a while, become your only source of healthcare. So accessibility and quality are the important factors.

My wife became seriously ill in 2019, and DKV have been absolutely fantastic. 

BUT we have had to travel to obtain treatment and tests, mostly to the Quiron Hospital in Murcia. We have also used (I think) 8 or 9 other medical facilities in Murcia, Elche and Torrevieja. 

This seems to be quite normal. We have met numerous other people "doing the rounds" - each having different insurers.

Into the detail .... insurers may quote the various clinics and hospitals that they use, but in reality, they pick and choose exactly what services they contract for at which hospital. So if your insurer's brochure says that they use (say) Quiron or IMED hospitals/clinics, the city you have to go to depends on the medical service you need. Given my wife's illness, we aren't in any rush to give up our private healthcare. 

We use a GP in our village (not the health centre) and she acts as the gateway into the DKV system - and she is very good at it. 

Our local GP works with DKV (which may be why our local insurance broker recommended DKV). So it seems that the most important thing is to have an insurer who works with your local GP.

We have a neighbour who uses a different insurer. Her nearest insurer-affiliated GP is 50 minutes away by car. 

Here is the DKV website (with an English language option). They have several "levels" of insurance. You generally need the top level of cover (zero co-pays) for Residency.

https://eng.dkv.es/particulares

As we get older, we generally need more healthcare, not less. So it might be an idea to consider medical access/private hospital locations when choosing where to live. Ideally get your insurer, GP and hospitals lined up.

There are a few insurers (not just DKV) that seem to give good service - users of this forum recommend other providers quite regularly.

Hi

We made the permanent move a year ago now, and do not regret, wish we had done it sooner.DKV is fab, I have been poorly in the last 3 months and they have been brilliant. Regarding areas think you should come out and go from La Zenia all the way down to La Manga, stay close to coast but not on coast, as can get very annoying during July & august, Spanish holiday time.What sort of property are you looking for? When are you planning to visit? If you want to pm me please feel free.