Moving to the Canary Islands

[Tasha Kirby]

HI,

My Husband and I have decided to accept teaching positions in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. We are excited about our decision; however, we are concerned about our income as we have no idea about the cost of living in Gran Canaria. Our wages will total 45,500 euros for the year. Nearly half of what we are making in Canada. Although willing to live a different lifestyle in return for amazing weather and a beautiful experience, we certainly don't want to be too broke to do anything!!! Can anybody offer some insight?
Thanks
Tasha Kirby

[mkettner]

First of all, welcome to our forum. What you will find is that there are plenty of people that will be willing to help you find the information you are looking for. Please stay tuned into our site as the response will no doubt be rapid. In the meantime feel free to review the rest of the site as there are some great resources listed in other forums that may assist you further in your situation.

All the best,

Michael

[xlaser]

Originally Posted by Tasha Kirby

HI,

My Husband and I have decided to accept teaching positions in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. We are excited about our decision; however, we are concerned about our income as we have no idea about the cost of living in Gran Canaria. Our wages will total 45,500 euros for the year. Nearly half of what we are making in Canada. Although willing to live a different lifestyle in return for amazing weather and a beautiful experience, we certainly don't want to be too broke to do anything!!! Can anybody offer some insight?
Thanks
Tasha Kirby

I worked in a Las Palmas school for a couple of years and was on the same pay as you guys. Property rental will be your greatest expense as will travel back and forth from Canada. You will trade in a comfortable but highly regulated lifestyle in Canada for a liberal relaxed outdoor existance with enough money to live comfortably, but don't expect to save much. Las Palmas does have many cloudy days and can be cool, but you will never need the heating on!

[mkettner]

Originally Posted by xlaser

I worked in a Las Palmas school for a couple of years and was on the same pay as you guys. Property rental will be your greatest expense as will travel back and forth from Canada. You will trade in a comfortable but highly regulated lifestyle in Canada for a liberal relaxed outdoor existance with enough money to live comfortably, but don't expect to save much. Las Palmas does have many cloudy days and can be cool, but you will never need the heating on!

Hi xlaser,

Thank you for a great first post as it was a terrific contribution. We look forward to future posts and new threads.

All the best,

Michael

[ellenjoan]

Originally Posted by Tasha Kirby

HI,

My Husband and I have decided to accept teaching positions in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. We are excited about our decision; however, we are concerned about our income as we have no idea about the cost of living in Gran Canaria. Our wages will total 45,500 euros for the year. Nearly half of what we are making in Canada. Although willing to live a different lifestyle in return for amazing weather and a beautiful experience, we certainly don't want to be too broke to do anything!!! Can anybody offer some insight?
Thanks
Tasha Kirby

Of what I've heard and read...Las Palmas is more expensive then Spain in general. With those wages you will have had a new experience but will not have saved anything at the end of the year.
Indeed an important part will go to the rent !
Check the rentalprices on the internet = a good begin.
Have fun !

Eva

[DUCC]

Originally Posted by Tasha Kirby

My Husband and I have decided to accept teaching positions in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
...Our wages will total 45,500 euros for the year. Nearly half of what we are making in Canada.
Although willing to live a different lifestyle in return for amazing weather and a beautiful experience, we certainly don't want to be too broke to do anything...

Hola Tasha,

from 45.500 Euros gross the deductions for personal income tax and social security would be approx. 20%. The cost of living on Gran Canaria are more or less comparable to those on mainland Spain. Food e.g. is 10-20% more expensive, however, due to the special tax regime on the Canaries many other products are very cheap: Alcoholic beverage, cigarettes, gasoline. Heating is (nearly) free and cooling is only required during few days of the year. Clothing is very light and casual. You save a lot there as compared to Middle Europe.

However, there are not only strong climate differences, e.g. if You are living in the mountains or in the northern (Canarian, rough, metropolitan, rainy, cooler) or southern part (touristic, wilderness, beaches, hot, arid) of the Island.

The average salary of a local amounts to approx. 900 Euro net.

Actual prices for housing are:
+Rent per square meter 7,30 Euros (ranges from 5-15 Euros, depending on the location, the view, proximity of beaches, road access, age and condition of building etc.)
+ gasoline per liter 70 Eurocent
+ Telefone, ADSL Internet per month, landline 40 Euros flatrate, CP 25 cent/minute
+gardener, plumber or similar 10-15 Euros/hour
+return flight to Tenerife (cheap tariffs for residents o all ferries and planes) 30-70 Euros/person
+1 liter premium Whisky 15 Euros (excellent local brandy 8 Euros)

As a family of three with a 170 sqm house in the relatively expensive south (Maspalomas) we need approx.
600 Euros/month for food&beverages,
90 Euros utilities incl. water
+ car 150 Euros/month all inclusive (a car is must on the Island)
+private health insurances (highly recommended) 50 Euros

+ in your case a nice house or appartment, fully furnished, close to beach with seaview, two bedrooms would cost approx. 800 Euros/month.
It will be very difficult, to find a house or apartment in advance e.g. through the internet. It is very recommended first to book into one of the many apartment hotels (from aprox. 15 Euros/day) for 2 or three months and then search locally. Rentals are scarce in some areas, since buying is much more common.

Under the bottom line a net income of 2500 Euros will already allow a decent middle class standard of living of a two person household.

We love it here and I hardly know of anyone resident from Canada or Middle Europe, who wants to go back.

Hop to see You around soon as "vecinos"

Saludos de Gran Canaria
Bill

[atlast]

15 Euros per night for an aparthotel? Maybe when our lease is up we should try the Canaries for a few months while we decide what to do next.

[DUCC]

Originally Posted by atlast

...Maybe when our lease is up we should try the Canaries for a few months while we decide what to do next.

Hola,

that is probably the best You can do.

Please note that there is a sonsiderable legal difference between rental agreements of less than 3 months or longer. Longer than 3 months means to have a "normal" home, for less than three months it is a "touristic" arrangement (mostly also more expensive). Prices also depend on seasonal influences. Low season is the summer between easter and approx. Oct/Nov. - the time for the best buys.

Saludos de las Islas Canarias
Bill

[atlast]

I assume that rates go up for less than three months. Are there increased taxes, too? I know that sometimes in the US local room taxes are assessed on rentals of less than six months, just as if you were in a hotel room.

[DUCC]

Rates are higher for rental periods of less than three month. The Canary Islands legislation divides rentals into "touristic" ones (=less than 3 months) and those for longer. The normal house or appartment owner is mostly not allowed to let accomodation for less than 3 months. This is a privilege of major touristic licensees. Subsequently rental offers for short term touristic are short in supply (even if there are quite a few illegal offers, too) and thus raising prices in this segment. Private owners are also often very reluctant to let their houses on a short-term basis, because short-term tourists cause more risks for vandalism etc. effecting another downsizing of the market.

Taxes have practically no influences on the accomodation prices. The Canary Islands have their own tax system with very low tax rates as compared to the EU or Spain.