One of the first questions almost every UK or Belgian mover asks is some version of "will my money go further?" The honest answer is: probably, but by how much depends entirely on your own spending pattern — and it's worth looking at real comparison data rather than assuming.
What the comparison data actually shows
According to Numbeo's crowdsourced cost-of-living comparison (figures fluctuate over time as they're updated by contributors, so treat these as a general steer rather than a fixed quote), consumer prices in Alicante run noticeably lower than London across the board — including rent, groceries and eating out. At a country level, Numbeo's UK-vs-Spain comparison shows a similar gap, with Spain running lower on both cost of living and rent nationally. London is an expensive reference point, though — the gap versus a mid-sized UK or Belgian city will usually be smaller than the gap versus London specifically, so it's worth running your own comparison against the city you're actually leaving.
Where the savings tend to show up — and where they don't
Housing and eating out are usually where movers notice the biggest difference. Some costs don't move the way people expect, though — imported goods, some electronics, and certain insurance products can cost a similar amount or more than back home. Utility costs also vary a lot by property type; older builds with poor insulation can mean higher air-conditioning and heating bills than a well-insulated UK or Belgian home, particularly in the height of summer and the cooler winter months.
Currency and cross-border money movement
If your income remains in GBP or EUR while your outgoings move to euros (or you're already in euros but now paying Spanish rather than Belgian rates), it's worth planning how you'll move money across borders regularly rather than working this out after you've relocated. This is a genuinely practical, non-legal question we help people think through as part of settling in — though for anything involving tax residency or cross-border tax treatment specifically, that always needs a qualified cross-border tax adviser, not a generalist view. For regular UK-to-Spain transfers specifically, a currency specialist typically beats a high-street bank's exchange rate and fees — we use Currencies Direct ourselves for larger or regular transfers (referral link, at no extra cost to you), and Wise for smaller day-to-day transfers and holding both GBP and EUR in one account (also a referral link). Worth comparing a couple of providers against your own typical amounts before committing.
The budgeting questions worth asking before you commit
- What does my current monthly spend actually break down into — and which categories would genuinely change here?
- Am I comparing against a UK/Belgian city that's a fair like-for-like, or against London/Brussels specifically?
- What's my realistic estimate for utilities in the specific type of property I'm considering (villa vs apartment, older vs new build)?
- Have I planned for the setup costs of moving itself — removals, initial furnishing, NIE and related administrative costs — separately from ongoing monthly costs?
We don't give financial advice and we're not accountants, but we can point you to the practical local knowledge and trusted introductions that help you budget with your eyes open rather than guessing.