Thinking Of Taking The Plunge

Hello Everyone,

Im really glad Ive found this forum, Ive read lots of posts and already learned so much, but equally other things have gone straight over my head.

Im 30 years old, and from the UK, Yes, I am yet another one of these people who watches too much Place In The Sun & probably has an idealised vision in their head of moving to somewhere sunny...........But I gotta do something right? I have lived abroad before, but not in spain. I have visited 3 places in spain, all very different, Majorca, Malaga/Torremolinos, and Maspalomas Gran Canaria.....Majorca I felt didnt have enough going on, perhaps its where I went, Sa Coma, a week and I had ran out of things to do/see. Malaga was a beautiful city, Torremolinos was very hilly, once you came down to the beach & prom it was lovely and a good walk, and lots of bars/restaurants etc, it had more happening. & Maspalomas I really liked, felt there was alot to do and see, yet it felt a relaxing slow pace around the rest of the town. Definately dont want to live in the first two, and cant really afford much for the money in Maspalomas. SO......

Straight up number 1, I havnt been to torrevieja, I only know what Ive read sofar, Ive heard good and bad things, I keep hearing there are bad areas, but which are particularly bad? & in what way?

Torrevieja has stood out for me due to the seemingly lower price of property. I would like to buy a property, I am dubious about renting because I dont think my chance of getting a particularly good job would be high. My thought is buying a property, and then either going back and forward to the UK to do temp jobs at higher wages and then go back to spain and live off the money, or simply to do bar/restaurant type work which I know is low paid if I were to stay fulltime In spain.......In terms of buying a property Id need a two bedroom, maxing out about 78000e including fees.

So what sort of cost of living expenses do you think would be needed? Without rent Im thinking, Food, Healthcare, Water, Electricity, Internet, perhaps community facilities charge, and a kind of council tax?.....are there other costs? Some people say food is expensive, but when I have visited spain sofar it didnt seem so bad, Im not a big eater out, and dont drink alcohol. I easilly got a good meal for 6e on holiday, even If I did that 5 nights a week thats only 30e, some bread and meat for sandwiches for lunch, perhaps snacks/ready meal for the weekend....I cant forsee more than 50e a week? what am I missing? Healthcare, looking into it the paying for the Public Healthcare system at 60e a month looked the best option?, water I have no idea of the cost, Electricity I read is expensive, Im using around 400kwh a quarter here, and around 100kwh of gas, what does that equate to in spain? I read something about a fee for meter capacity, is that like a standing charge? Internet I did a search and looks at around 10e plus around 20e line rental, which is quite similar to here. Im thinking the cost to live would max out at 450e maybe, is that unrealistic?

How good is the transport inferstructure? and is public transport as cheap as I read someplaces, 1e or so. Is it better advised to get a property within (I dont know what Id call it, the center? when I look at a map theres the torrevieja thats to the top/left of this main road/motorway, and the side thats below/right/thesea), The property is cheaper it seems the further out, I found a few nice houses in urbanisations, torretta, punta la vibora etc......Is this way too far out? in terms of work and anything going on.....If I need to work in the touristy areas then Id be reliant on the public transport here, and it looks much to far to walk from there to a beach etc.

Obviously the top answer is to come and have a look, but Im not able to right now. Obviously if I were to find a property I really wanted etc id make a visit and look at more.

But im just trying to get a general feel of the plausability of all this.

Many thanks for your help.

Ryan