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You only have to see the price of the title Uncharted 2 for Playstation 3 in this Spanish website:
http://www.game.es/ficha/ficha.aspx?sku=062175
62.90 €
And in this other one from the same retailer:
http://www.game.co.uk/PS3/~r342099/Uncharted-2-Among-Thieves/
39 €
The good news is that you can order the second online from Spain. But if everybody in Spain knew this Spanish retailers would be in bankrupt!
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@peterparra wrote:
You only have to see the price of the title Uncharted 2 for Playstation 3 in this Spanish website:
http://www.game.es/ficha/ficha.aspx?sku=062175
62.90 €
And in this other one from the same retailer:
http://www.game.co.uk/PS3/~r342099/Uncharted-2-Among-Thieves/
39 €
The good news is that you can order the second online from Spain. But if everybody in Spain knew this Spanish retailers would be in bankrupt!
The city is full of Spaniards hunting for deals. I heard them many times being amazed on how cheap are electronics and clothes in UK.
From my trip in Spain, I can say that electronics areat least 20% cheaper in UK. And the Tesco/Asda bill is 15% lower than the Carrefour one. -
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Almost everything is now cheaper in the UK. Not sure what happened but the past few years Spain seems to have thought of a price and added at least 20% to it! Even a small bag of Potatoes which are out of sell date, going green etc cost 3 euro….they will wake up one day…perhaps.
I noticed this summer in the UK a litre of Waitrose Gin is about the same price as the Larios equivalent in Spain, and it’s nicer Gin 😆 Cost of large items are higher in Spain too sofas etc. and the quality is far better in the UK.
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€3.00 for a small bag of potatoes 😯 You’re shopping in the wrong places 😆
I laugh out loud when I read on these Ex-pat forums how expensive Spain is compared to the UK. 😀
Just a few examples from this weeks shopping basket.
where in the UK can you buy these for less??.
2kgs of oranges for €1.00
5ltrs of award wining extra vigin olive oil for €15.00
1kg “proper” tomatoes for €1.00
1 doz free range eggs for €1.00
3x large French stick type loaves for €1.20
Decent drinkable red wine for €1.65 a bottle
12 cans of beer for €3.00 -
@Jez wrote:
€3.00 for a small bag of potatoes 😯 You’re shopping in the wrong places 😆
I laugh out loud when I read on these Ex-pat forums how expensive Spain is compared to the UK. 😀
Just a few examples from this weeks shopping basket.
where in the UK can you buy these for less??.
2kgs of oranges for €1.00
5ltrs of award wining extra vigin olive oil for €15.00
1kg “proper” tomatoes for €1.00
1 doz free range eggs for €1.00
3x large French stick type loaves for €1.20
Decent drinkable red wine for €1.65 a bottle
12 cans of beer for €3.00LIdl/Aldi have all of these.
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Unlike the UK, we have found that the large hypermarket type stores tend to be more expensive than the smaller supermarkets. Carrefour is not the cheapest place to shop, neither is it the most expensive locally. Personally, I prefer Mercadona over any other supermarkets as the produce is good quality and its one of the cheaper places to shop.
However, I don’t think you can or should compare UK supermarket prices to Spanish for food as the culture of eating is so very different, when we returned to the UK in the summer I was terrified by the number of aisles full of ready made food..can anyone still cook in the UK! Part of the pleasure of eating here is in the shopping, you should see the care the locals take in choosing the simplest of ingredients, usually fresh, local and in season, very little is imported (at least here in the north!)
Personally, I would rather haggle at the market or preferably grow my own food and eat stuff in season than anything else now. I love the way I can follow the seasons through what fruits are on offer, Strawberries leading up to Easter, Raspberries, Peaches and nectarines lead into summer and then figs and Sharon fruit in autumn.
The real price differences are in eating out…8€ gets you a decent menu in a sideria here, complete with wine or beer. Go to the UK and you would be lucky to get the same for 20 quid in the local pub. Alcohol is also definitely more reasonably priced here when eating/drinking out of the home..our local bar serves OK red wine at 50c a glass. Again, down to culture, its more normal to goto a bar and enjoy a drink with friends than for them to come to your home, one drink and the tables yours for hours, no pressure to order and drink more unless you want it, maybe a reason for the nicer atmosphere and less groups of drunks than in the UK.
However, the UK is definitely cheaper for books due to the laws regarding fixed prices, and we buy most thru amazon now, and electrical goods but as usual if you shop around and do your research you can still find bargains.
Guess the answer depends on your lifestyle…
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Heather, you are talking complete and utter rollocks! You might know your Spanish prices, your knowledge of UK prices is sadly lacking. Loads of pubs/restaurants “Two eat for £10” “Children eat free” many like Weatherspoons doing meals for around £5-£6, including a drink, and that includes a pint of Guiness, gin and tonic etc. A three course takeaway meal for two, plus a bottle of decent wine (not the 50c a glass rubbish) from M&S, £10. Tell us about what you know, not what you clearly don’t know.
PS. Never been asked to drink up and leave a bar yet! -
What a charming post!
At a pub in Surrey last week, 2 beef sandwiches & 2 pints cost £18.00.
On a visit to a garden centre in Sussex at the weekend, 1 ham sandwich & 1 ham, egg & chips, + 2 teas cost £16.00.
I haven’t seen any of the offers mentioned & I’m not aware of a Weatherspoons pub anywhere near me.
There is no comparison with Spain: I normally have a 3 course lunch with a beer & a coffee near Guardamar for €8, in the evening I can eat in at least 15 restaurants in that area: 3 courses, 2 people, + a bottle of wine for between €35 – €50.
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rob6578
must depend where you live? There are several ‘two for tenner’ village and town pubs close to where I live. Basic food but ok. Also beer for £1.85 per pint some nights at a pub I cycle past every day, so you can eat/drink cheap in UK still, but I agree some places are very expensive. Another bargain we have found locally is an Indian restaurant where you take your own booze, and a meal is about a tenner for two courses. Good ol’ Fish ‘n’ Chips is only about £16.00 to feed our whole family in the village where I live.
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@rob6578 wrote:
What a charming post!
At a pub in Surrey last week, 2 beef sandwiches & 2 pints cost £18.00.
On a visit to a garden centre in Sussex at the weekend, 1 ham sandwich & 1 ham, egg & chips, + 2 teas cost £16.00.
I haven’t seen any of the offers mentioned & I’m not aware of a Weatherspoons pub anywhere near me.
There is no comparison with Spain: I normally have a 3 course lunch with a beer & a coffee near Guardamar for €8, in the evening I can eat in at least 15 restaurants in that area: 3 courses, 2 people, + a bottle of wine for between €35 – €50.
You cannot compare Guardamar and Surrey… Surrey is like a good suburbia of Barcelona or Madrid where prices at restaurants are not low.
In LIverpool I can easily have 3 course lunch with a beer & a coffee for €7.
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I also live in Surrey (close to you Alan!!). From your post Rob, you clearly go around with your eyes closed or go to the wrong places. 😉 Anywhere serving food nowadays has to be competitive, otherwise they loose business. Garden centres are NOT the place to eat. M&S, Tescos and Waitrose all do £10 meal deals which includes a bottle of acceptable wine. Great value. You get starter, main and dessert.
Heather, I think your concept of ready meals is not far off the mark. The working day in the UK is longer than the average Spanish day, so less time to prepare meals, shop etc. If you are only one or two in the family, it is easier to grab a great meal ready prepared. Healthy? No! I hold my hand up to being a great “ready” meal fan. When the family are here, then we enjoy “home cooking”
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@rob6578 wrote:
With respect everybody, that’s the point!
It of course depends where you go, in the UK & in Spain.
To claim that the UK is cheaper or more expensive than Spain depends on where you choose to spend your money.
I was just making the point that for me, in my part of Surrey, it happens to be expensive.
Compare Alicante with Liverpool or Manchester. Liverpool or Manchester are cheaper than Alicante.
Barcelona is probably as expensive as London.
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10 years ago Barcelona was much cheaper than London on all fronts, especially property, taxis, food, eating out, tobacco, & booze. Given the exchange rate at the time, living in Barcelona felt like it cost about half as much as London.
Today, Barcelona is as expensive as London for lots of things except rents, taxi, & public transport. The price differential has shrivelled up. Incomes, on the other hand, have not. So costs have converged, but incomes have not. The good residents of Barcelona are getting a lot less for a lot more.
Mind you, when I go to places like Extremadura and Galicia, it really strikes me as cheap.
Mark
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@Claire wrote:
The working day in the UK is longer than the average Spanish day, so less time to prepare meals, shop etc. “
Certainly with the siesta the Spanish have much longer to prepare meals, but I think you’ll find their working day is longer. Supposedly, the longest and least efficient in the EU. 😯
SPAIN’S second-largest union UGT is calling for a four-day work week to bring the country’s working hours into line with the rest of Europe and increase productivity, its general secretary said yesterday.
“Of the original 15-member European Union, Spain has the longest working day and yet we’re the least productive,” UGT’s Candido Mendez told Spanish financial daily Expansion.
The measure also fits with the union’s strategy to make Spanish working hours ?? which generally run from 9am until 8pm with three hours for the traditional afternoon siesta ?? more adaptable to family life.
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Surrey has lots of country pubs (beams, log fires etc.) who do 2 meals for a tenner. One does 2 for £8 during the week. Our local Indian in Surrey is half the price of our local one in Marbella. One does a pie night at £10 pp. includes a pint or any other drink. Not the average pie, includes game and vegetarian and are home made. Includes three fresh veg and a choice of potatoes.
Many drinks are now cheaper in the UK. Moet Chandon for example. Anyone who is sceptical and out of touch with the UK should check out a few basic items online in both countries. Of course there is none so deaf as those who do not want to hear 😉
2 halves of Cider Surrey £2.70, 2 tubos of cider Marbella 4 euro…all in the same week!
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@heatherpsk wrote:
The real price differences are in eating out…8€ gets you a decent menu in a sideria here, complete with wine or beer. Go to the UK and you would be lucky to get the same for 20 quid in .
I mentioned these prices in passing to a Spanish friend that lives in Asturias and he came back with the following,
Me parece demasiado barato para ser cierto.
Incluso el menú del día suele ser ya mas caro.
Otra cosa es que te pidas una pequeña “tapa” con algo para beber, pero si hablamos de una comida normal, con su primer plato, segundo plato y postre, 8 euros me parece bastante ganga. -
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Cheaper or not, Spain it seems is still a great place to invest according to the below link. 🙄
Property has had it for the moment so now we have……vineyards.15-25% guaranteed (where have I heard that before?) and “supported by the Spanish regional government”. Must be ok then. 😆
Grape anyone?
http://www.lospandosvineyard.com/landing/lospandosp.php?gclid=CP3k4p2Ay50CFcts4wodwSPmsw
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Don’t give them ideas! You’re laughing but I just wouldn’t be surprised, there could well be a lot of rubble around that needs recycling after a few demolitions. Just can’t believe that Banana Beach is still being sold on UK websites, it beggars belief.
But no, grapes are definitely the new thing – unless a grape-pest comes along and devastates the whole bl….y crop. A bit like suddenly having your (now deemed illegal) building licence suddenly whipped away from under your feet.
I rather like the bit “Capital and interest fully secured”.
Would that be by a Spanish Bank Guarantee I wonder? 😆
I have a feeling in the future it will become the new-speak for ‘not worth the paper it’s written on’.Shopkeeper: You want to give me a cheque but have no cheque-guarantee card? We don’t accept no Spanish Bank Guarantees here mate.
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Ashtondav, The last time I had sea bass at Sebastian’s restaurant in Frigiliana, it was 16 euros !! He buys his fish at Mercadonna, where it is/was very cheap. None of the UK equivalent restaurants in Frigiliana is cheap, ie. The Garden Restaurant, Old Town Square, La Romantica (although I think that has gone now.) With the exchange rate as it is, eating out in Spain now is quite expensive.
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43.89 € VAT included plus 4 euros more for the shipping. At my local store this game is from 70 euros. Also I usually wait until second hand is available for the title I want which makes the bargain even better.
The problem is that you dont get the spanish version but for me is another asset cause I want to improve my english!
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@Claire wrote:
Ashtondav, The last time I had sea bass at Sebastian’s restaurant in Frigiliana, it was 16 euros !! He buys his fish at Mercadonna, where it is/was very cheap. None of the UK equivalent restaurants in Frigiliana is cheap, ie. The Garden Restaurant, Old Town Square, La Romantica (although I think that has gone now.) With the exchange rate as it is, eating out in Spain now is quite expensive.
All true. Romantica now under the folks who ran Matzaluna. Still pretty cheap. Eduardos still cheap. Esparteros, still reasonable. Bodeguilla, still reasonable. La Cantina, not bad.
And what about Sabastian’s fish soup. Bargain at about £5!
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All true. Romantica now under the folks who ran Matzaluna. Still pretty cheap. Eduardos still cheap. Esparteros, still reasonable. Bodeguilla, still reasonable. La Cantina, not bad.
And what about Sabastian’s fish soup. Bargain at about £5!Eduardo’s should be cheap, it’s hardly a gastronomic treat, is it? 😀 La Cantina a bit better, and agree about Sebastian’s soup.
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This BBC article comes in a very handy to our interesting post:
“Spaniards feed on hard times”
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I think most businesses, not just restaurants, are having to bow (down) to the pressures of the economic climate, to maintain a survival.
Having said that, I live in a small town and it has seen more expensive shops opening in the last year than I have seen in the last twenty one years that I have lived here. 😯 How long they survive remains to be seen. It has certainly changed the face of the town and makes it a far more attractive place to consider when buying property. Banks, Estate agents and Hairdressers used to dominate. Unfortunately we lost Woolworths which was a big loss but we were lucky to have it, being such a small community.Yesterday I was in a huge out of town M&S /Tesco nearby. It was HEAVING. Hard to find a parking space. No sign of a recession there!
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Hi Katy
I think both here and in the UK there is a fair amount of window shopping going on, but the wealthy will still buy there expensive toys.
Going back to the topic, I have always argued that food prices here on the CDS are no more than back in the UK, I’m off to Super Sol soon to stock up before the wife arrives. I will report back later.
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@katy wrote:
Steve…avoid Supersol unless you need UK brands. Quality and price much better at Alcampo and mercadona 🙂
There will always be a lot of rich around Marbella that spend whatever the financial climate. Max Clifford and his cronies from Surrey are still partying here 😆
Alcampo in Marbella was the best supermarket I saw in Spain. The second best was
Eroski in Fuengirola. -
Flosmichael wrote:
“Alcampo in Marbella was the best supermarket I saw in Spain. The second best was
Eroski in Fuengirola.”Well, that’s only an opinion of a person who have been in Spain for a few weeks…or you are kidding.
Let’s go with an Spaniard opinion:
• In basic products more or less all the supermarkets have the same prices, is a marketing rule.
• When there are different prices is when you look for quality products.
• There is a direct relation between economic power of the customer and where he decide to buy.
• For the Spaniards (Valencia and Madrid) quality is “MERCADONA” and “EL CORTE INGLES” and his branch “HIPERCOR”.
• In fact, you can realize how wealthy is the economy of a city looking for how many CORTE INGLES it have.In few words, if you buy in Mercadona or Hipercor, people (Spaniards) will think that you are cool, have good taste and you are at least a middle class customer,…if you buy where you have said, people will think that you don’t care about the quality of the food or in the best place that you buy in the nearest place of your home,…if you have a Corte Ingles packet for a present you are cool, if you have a packet of the shops you mention,…it’s not the same.
Of course that is only a subjective opinion, but based in the real Spanish market,…could be that what you call quality is different,…but I don’t think so,…is just a problem of too many opinions from a person that don’t know too well the Spanish reality. -
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@tree wrote:
Flosmichael wrote:
“Alcampo in Marbella was the best supermarket I saw in Spain. The second best was
Eroski in Fuengirola.”Well, that’s only an opinion of a person who have been in Spain for a few weeks…or you are kidding.
Let’s go with an Spaniard opinion:
• In basic products more or less all the supermarkets have the same prices, is a marketing rule.
• When there are different prices is when you look for quality products.
• There is a direct relation between economic power of the customer and where he decide to buy.
• For the Spaniards (Valencia and Madrid) quality is “MERCADONA” and “EL CORTE INGLES” and his branch “HIPERCOR”.
• In fact, you can realize how wealthy is the economy of a city looking for how many CORTE INGLES it have.In few words, if you buy in Mercadona or Hipercor, people (Spaniards) will think that you are cool, have good taste and you are at least a middle class customer,…if you buy where you have said, people will think that you don’t care about the quality of the food or in the best place that you buy in the nearest place of your home,…if you have a Corte Ingles packet for a present you are cool, if you have a packet of the shops you mention,…it’s not the same.
Of course that is only a subjective opinion, but based in the real Spanish market,…could be that what you call quality is different,…but I don’t think so,…is just a problem of too many opinions from a person that don’t know too well the Spanish reality.Other stupid comments from the so-called spaniard…
Why would anyone pay double in El Corte Ingles?
Mercadona are stores for people who do not have cars to drive to Carrefour or Eroski. Same in UK for stores like One Stop and other like this.
On the other hand, being LAtin myself, I understand why spanish people would think that one is cool with El Corte Ingles rip-off hand bag.
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Flosmichae wrote:
“Other stupid comments from the so-called spaniard…”Why you always try to show me, so clearly, your poor education?.
Flosmichae wrote:
“Why would anyone pay double in El Corte Ingles?”Is the biggest Spanish shop,…so same one must be buying…
As much as you don’t read I will need to repeat again,… I am going to write 2 simple sentences, it’s not going to be difficult…Are you ready?.
1. In basic products more or less all the supermarkets have the same prices, is a marketing rule. (The same happen in UK)
2. When there are different prices is when you look for quality products.Flosmichae wrote:
“Mercadona are stores for people who do not have cars to drive to Carrefour or Eroski”…So the parking Mercadona have are for,…to be nice with the customers of the neighbor shops,…Yes I can see your point,…but I can’t see why I waste my time speaking with you.
Flosmichae wrote:
“On the other hand, being LAtin myself, I understand why spanish people would think that one is cool with El Corte Ingles rip-off hand bag.”I don’t care if your Latin or not,…but you didn’t understand a word.
That happen all world around,…a good logotype is very important,…Barbour, Ralph Lauren,…it’s not only important the quality of the product or service but the logotype, and that the other people can see it. It’s only human psychology…Wrong or Not. -
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@alanrthornton wrote:
speak for yourself. you should debate not scold just shows low class.
alanthornton in past posts: 😆
“as it is an open forum and you seem on most occasions to talk garbage, then SHUT UP.”“i assume you’re female. you seem to have had a bad experience in the past, is that why you seem so bitter about everything. Was it a bad divorce?
…..or something else that’s made you bitter and twisted”.“Makes me wonder why we have these forums. Filled with people like you the world would be a worse place”.
Seems rather a lot of scolding and not much debating there alan.
Which by your own words – remind me – puts you in which class……..? -
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Hello alanrthornton, is nice to see you here!
Looks like the forum is better now than it was the last time, really I liked same new and constructive opinions,…Very interesting opinions.
Receive a warm “saludo”!!!!.I will explain a little a sentence to the forum:
The companies are not stupid, there is huge marketing work behind their strategic decisions,… it’s not a good strategic to ask for more money for the same product offered for the competence.
The customers are not stupid, and they will not pay double for the same product,… it doesn’t matter if they are wealthy or not, they don’t like to pay double,…they don’t like to be called stupid.
So, as I said: In basic products more or less all the supermarkets have the same prices, is a marketing rule. (It happen the same in UK)
What make the difference is that, some customers will jump from the basic products to a more sophisticate line,…and that jump only can be done in some shops (first line shops),…and, Yes from time to time all of us like to do a jump,…Ok, an snob jump!!!.
It’s a very good strategy to give that snob filling to the customers, without the need to ask them more money for the same basic products offered by the competence.
I hope I have explain enough well, this point.Apart from the quality of the products and services, there are more facts that affect the image of that companies over the Spaniards customers.
The social politics of that companies:
• The owner of MERCADONA have a daughter that is “Celiac” (intolerance to gluten), he discovered how difficult was to find products for her daughter, and how expensive they were. He is working to change that situation, although it cost him money. So, now a days, you can find ,in Mercadona, many product for Celiacs for the same price that the normal ones.
• The owner of THE CORTE INGLES (Mr. Ramon Areces) died without sons or daughters in the 70s, so the owner of the company is a foundation. The foundation objective is to make libraries, give money to students,…and other social programs.
• Of course that social politic is extended to the employers,…that have better social benefits, and are better paid than in the other companies. (I am quite sure that any person can observe that they smile more frequently and are more gentle than in the competence companies.)
Regards. -
About this discussion I can give this valuable information published by the economist in September:
‘The English patient’ – ‘Trying times for El Corte Inglés’
It seems that a lines of El Corte Ingles like Sfera and its supermarker are lossing money.
http://www.economist.com/businessfinance/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14520472
‘Eroski Group makes quite high losses – (46.15 million euro)
I am sure a lot of people would think before that Eroski was lossing money.
For now El Corte Ingles has at its side is great service and financial conditions for purchase like 0% interest finance.
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This is one of the reasons why I never buy at El Corte Ingles:
El Corte Ingles
(Samsung) TV LED 40″ Samsung UE40B6000 Full HD y 100 Hz
1.519 € VAT Included
The same at Pixmania.com Spain
1 039 € VAT included
http://www.pixmania.com/es/es/2696409/art/samsung/televisor-lcd-ue40b6000.html
What would you buy with that 500 € you save?
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Well, Peterparra, it looks like you are comparing a very specific product from a “real shop” and from a “virtual shop”,…and that the product in the virtual shop is now in an special offer.
I don’t think that means too much,…really I can do the same with any specific product from any shop. Mostly with not perennial goods.
One of my friends buy his Ralph Lauren shirts by internet, saving half of the price,…Well, I don’t like that way.El Corte Ingles is the first Spanish retail group, (I read that is the second retail group in the west world, I think that the first one is Wall-Mark(USA)),…take care of the relative small size of the Spanish market,…take care that is a little middle-high class oriented,…and you will arrive to the easy conclusion that in general the Spaniards like to buy in EL CORTE INGLES.
The really discussion was the “Better supermarket in Spain”,…and I just give the Spaniard general opinion and the reasons,…Any way, you or Flosmichael can have your own opinions.
By another hand the use of the word “never” is too drastic (for me),…You are the first person that I know that been Spaniard (as I am) didn’t bought never in “EL CORTE INGLES”. Well, I do,…and many people do,…
Regards.Your link:
SAMSUNG Televisor LCD UE40B6000:
Producto vendido por: Pixmania.com
2 años de garantía – Débito en el momento del envío – 7 días “Satisfecho o reembolsado” … before:1499€, now:1039 € IVA inc (In stock) -
You are right. Never was too strong. I bough a digital camera at El Corte Ingles of Vitoria last year and shortly I realiced that the same model was 20% cheaper at pixmania. (I have bough some devices to them and their work ok).
I really hope that a icon like El Corte Ingles get stronger from this crisis but I am aware that there is a lot of people like me that is taking care of every euro these days and that means to seek the best offers available or consume less.
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you cannot compare eroski (for example) with Corte ingles
the first is a supermarket while the second is a department store.I like to shop in el corte ingles as it does offer a wide selection of products, etc… But if you are looking at budgeting on groceries and such, eroski follows a far more ‘tesco’ orientated approach. With own products being substantially cheaper due to simpler packaging, etc…
And the fact that it might be the most famous and successful worker’s cooperative in the world is quite interesting (in my opinion anyway).
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I didn’t go shopping on my own in the end 😆
I waited for my wife to arrive, and then we went together, I would have only have got it wrong anyway. We went to Mercadona because this seems to be the prefered shop of many, I found it grim, much better shoping experience in Supersol me thinks.
I would have to agree with Tree, I dont normaly look but the prices were all much the same, In my view cheaper than the the uk apart from the fresh meat that seems to have gone sky high.
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I haven’t seen any £2 plus sliced bread in the UK or healthy seed loaves at £3! I stopped shopping in Supersol as when selecting fruit everything was always full of fruit flies, anything dropped on the floor is not cleaned and squashy fruit turns into dirty marks allover. Other food is often out of date, cereals etc. It has a seriously bad reputation locally.
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Yes, but who buys UK sliced white bread, if you want ‘Kingsmill’ in Spain you will have to pay the price, the bread I like is sliced wholemeal from the bakery and is under 1 euro.
One thing I have noticed about the supermarkets here is the inconsistencies between branches of the same company, In the uk one Tesco is pretty much the same as the next.
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@Stevev6 wrote:
Yes, but who buys UK sliced white bread, if you want ‘Kingsmill’ in Spain you will have to pay the price, the bread I like is sliced wholemeal from the bakery and is under 1 euro.
One thing I have noticed about the supermarkets here is the inconsistencies between branches of the same company, In the uk one Tesco is pretty much the same as the next.
Unfortunately Tesco stores differ widely in size, layout and product range.
The prices differ for the same product from region to region of the UK.
Market town shops although largest in the area are classed by Tesco as (village stores) with in many cases higher prices. -
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I agree that technology in general is much more expensive in Spain than in the UK but that is because the market in the UK is bigger.
Food and restaurants in Spain may appear more costly than before at the moment, but that is only because the UK has deflated its currency to deal with the recession. When the pound returns to its natural level (average of £1=1.4€) products will appear cheaper again.
Personally, I’ve lived here for three years and earn in euros and still think that I can do my shopping cheaper here than I could in the UK.
I do shop in El Corte Inglés, but very rarely. I only go there because ocasionally its the only place I can get certain things. But it’s the same argument for Waitrose in the UK. People shop there. It’s more expensive. Why do people go there?
I would never shop in Alcampo (nor in Día). These places are absolutely awful!
I prefer to buy fruit and veg in the local market because they are cheap and fresh. For everything else, I go to Mercadona or Consum (a similar supermarket here in Valencia). I generally don’t buy British products, and believe that Spanish products are relatively cheaper than in the UK. I spent last August in the UK and couldn’t believe how much a basket of shopping cost.
The problem with this topic is that, at the end of the day, you can never arrive at a conclusive answer because there are too many factors. If you live in Spain, spend in pounds and buy British products then Spain is probably more expensive.
Here in Valencia (the third largest city in Spain) there are hundreds of restaurants where you can get a menu del día for 10€. Out of the city, there are places you can get a meal for 8€. The difference between Spain and the UK is that, in the UK, these deals have been introduced to cope with the recession and will therefore probably disappear along with memories of the downturn. In Spain, these are a part of the daily life and will be here for years to come. Remember that the average wage in Spain is still around 13,000€ compared to £22,00 in the UK (figures from the International Labour Organisation). This drives down prices.
All this said, I personally believe that my personal quality of living has increased since being here!
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