Living in Tenerife and why expats and retirees love it.
studio for living  exception below...
Living in Tenerife is one of the best options for retirement. We all know, what weather means for our health and happiness. The climate in Tenerife is ideal for the elderly, who often suffer of rheumatism, asthma, arthritis and similar pains. Tenerife island with its different climate zones lets you pick the region where to live, which is best for you.. For me and many of my friends, who are not so young either, the North of the island is best. It is generally 2 degrees Celsius cooler than in the south. Let's not argue, however... Some, never find it hot enough.
What is most important when we get older? Health, food and fun must be what count most. Local agriculture gives you fresh vegetables and fruit with many subtropical varieties like oranges, lemons, mangos and the papaya which is rich in vitamin A. Fresh fish is caught by the island's own fisheries. Wine is grown and sold for every budget. Often it doesn't cost you more than a glass of mineral water. Dairy products excel with locally made cheese. Above all, all is sold at affordable prices. Health shops are in all major
towns and cater for special diets. Basic costs of living in Tenerife 2009
without property rental: - Telephone landline: aboout €15/month
- Cheapest Wifi without calls: €18/month
- A normal ISP may cost between €18 and €50 roughly. Mind contract limits by telefonica.net...
Internet may or may not connect via a cellular telephone. My advice: get different offers... - Minimum electricity costs: €30/month
with minimal taxes of about 1%.
with a basic charge of € 9,03 and 1kWh at €0,11248 domestic - Minicipal tab water: About €10/month
- Trash collection: About €10/month
- Municipal property taxes are very low compared to Great Britain, for example, but rates are different with all Tenerife municipalities. For a property worth €50000, you may expect to pay tax of roughly €85/year
- Wealth tax has been removed on Tenerife Island since 2009
- Learn more about taxes in Spain, here...
I would like to mention that I recently declared income tax and had a tax exemption (tax free up to) of about €9700/for year 2008. Other optional living costs Tenerife:Petrol (called Gaz in USA) has always been a very cheap factor of living in Tenerife. It is still below €0,90 but goes up and down a little. Car insurances are not so cheap, though, but cheaper than in most European countries. One of the 3 biggest private medical insurances Tenerife Spain is the Spanish Adeslas. Examples of grocery prices 2008 A hot grilled take away chicken at Alcampo Hypermarkt La Orotava costs EU 3.95 = GBP 3.02 1 kg carrots fresh EU 0,69 = GBP 0,53 1 kg Kiwis EU 1,99 = GBP 1,52 A lattice 0,15 Cents (before Christmas) that was really special. 1 ltr.bottle sunflower oil = EU 0,99 (at Mercadona Puerto de la Cruz supermarket). By the way, most foodstuff has gone up by almost 5% since 2008, while value added tax of 5%, which is included in above prices, is as low as before. I simply picked some articles where I found 1 item or a kg price in my last shopping list. I pay EU 3,25 = GBP 2,48 take away food for a portion of noodles with chicken and vegetables at my Chinese shop where I live. The portion is quite generous and will feed a man if he gets some bread also. The many Tenerife restaurants are cheap compared to those in Northern Europe. Tenerife entertainment is often for free. Tenerife carnival, which is not only thought after by the large Tenerife gay community is, of course, tops for all who retire on the island.
The people in my Carnival picture above might be people on retirement who are living in Tenerife. Often, such people stay on after holidays on the island.
Elderly British Julia was like that. Please, go from living in Tenerife to Tenerife living to hear all about Julia who also was a pensioner on the island at last.
Many relax on Tenerife beaches such as La Arena beach Los Gigantes.
You know that ocean water and air are not only good for skin and eyes, but for your whole body.
Some retirees, I know, had operations in Tenerife. They were refunded by their overseas health care. Most of them had successful Tenerife medical care. Now, all you need is the European blue card to profit by local health care. Spanish public health centers are not only in all towns, but often in every suburb. How much medicine is paid by local health services?A friend of mine just told me she has to pay about 40% of expensive medicine out of her own pocket, the rest is paid thanks to her blue card. This applies above all to expensive, prescribed high blood pressure medicine, which she needs, she said. Please, find out from your overseas medical aid organization or social security, how to go about getting the blue card which entitles you fully to European sharing of health care. You can even use it while on a short holiday, if need be. In the UK you can also apply for the form (106?):
by writing to:
Pension Service
Medical Benefits
Tyneview Park
New Castle Upon Tyne
England NE 98 1BA The free Tenerife green document which helps save money:We call the Tenerife European resident document the green one for most of its color. Once, you are living in Tenerife more than 3 months, you should apply for it at your local police station. You need to bring a document which states that you live in Tenerife which is called documento de empadronamiento. You get that at your local town hall. For example, use Europe's Tenerife resident permit together with your passport including a photo copy of it to travel from Los Christianos for €18 to La Gomera by ferry. I consider this price to travel to the neighboring island as dirt cheap. Before, a proper "Residencia permit" was required to enjoy to live in Tenerife. The Residencia, also often called Tajeta de Residencia (residence card) is a hassle and also costly to get. However, the 'green document' also obliges you to declare income tax. If you don't have earnings, you will not get any written order from the Tenerife "Receiver of revenue" called Hacienda to declare any. This means 'playing with fire', which could make you a tax dodger.
Changing banks in Tenerife may be lethal:Moving your account from a Tenerife bank to another one is easy while living in Tenerife. However, it usually means almost endless problems if you had stop orders in the financial institution which you left. It can take more than half a year until all your stop orders work again, never mind being able to close the previous account. If you close it too early it could mean your vital supplies like electricity could be cut without warning.
Walking in Tenerife: Pensioners fancy walking very much, while living in Tenerife. Even Tenerife towns lend themselves well to it. Not all parts, though, if you have mobility problems. Often roads are steep. Here, you see a street scene in Tenerife north, Puerto de la Cruz, the oldest Tenerife resort. Clubs for everything are to be found for those who are living in Tenerife. Some are for sports, others for games like bingo and other types of socializing. You name it, you'll find it. Tanssisaluuna is a Finnish club in North Tenerife, which caters not only for Scandinavians but, welcomes all who are not so young. It's in the oldest Tenerife resort Puerto Cruz to the left opposite the bus station. Note, the Marina Los Gigantes sports club, which is popular for Tenerife living... Find more information about advantages of living on the biggest of all Canary Islands in page Tenerife ... Number of Tenerife inhabitants in 2009: Total inhabitants living in Tenerifw have risen from close to 900 000 in 2007 to 1.2 million by 2009 as per a report, I saw a while ago in the German Tenerife newspaper Wochenspiegel. 450000 out of this figure are analphabets and still sign with a cross. Why so many? School attendance for Spanish children has only become obligation since General Franco's death after 1975. Lately, even foreigners from as far as Finland, Ukraine and Russia have opted for living in Tenerife and still do so, also, at advanced age. Why do so many come to live in Tenerife? There are always frequent cheap flights Tenerife, for the home sick on retirement to escape.
Restaurants and guachinches which are sort of taverns which specialize on one dish are rustic, cheap inns. They are much loved by singles. They are also a tradition with locals living in Tenerife. Most of the singles who are living in Tenerife on their own say that they could never cook that cheap and good. This includes young people as well. Get to know other fun places for romance and excitement, such as the Abaco, a tenerife holiday review of which see here... Would you like to hear of more elderly people and how they were faring with health while living in Tenerife? My report on Berta is the start of it, below. I've also met semi retired people such as a
Canadian lady who earns her living in Tenerife
with her work as Webmaster. Then, there is the elderly Frenchman Claude who gives
retirement advice with practical tips for Spanish island living overseas in general.
He, by the way, doesn't mind his real name in the Internet.
He is almost 80 and is still happy after many operations, he had in Tenerife. Elderly Berta aged 88 is now living at Santa Rita Retirement Home called Santa Rita Hogar or Hotel for the Poor and of Alzheimer's disease.
The founder of Santa Rita may very well be compared to Maria Theresa of New Delhi/India in my eyes. Tenerife living for Richard is not easy, as he is having Tenerife therapy for cancer as a non Spanish speaker in Santa Cruz. A German ex-architect lives happily
near El Sauzal as a pensioner. My neighbor, a Finish lady, had
2 successful Cataract and other operations in Tenerife North. Elisabeth, an elderly British lady had good health care and a
successful leg operation by Dr.Cano in Tenerife in hospital Bellevue Puerto de la Cruz. Another gentleman who is also British and of advanced age had something malicious removed by surgery at Bellevue hospital. He is doing very well and has recovered his memory, which is improving all the time.He, too, was treated by a Spanish doctor.His son and daughter in law are also living in Tenerife as expats in Spain. The list could go on for ever. None, of the people mentioned, here, have Internet. Their real names were omitted for privacy reasons. In the context of health find information about a Dr.Theis a respected English speaking Doctor in Tenerife. 24 hour care for the elderly is possible at Martina Residence in prime location Puerto de la Cruz close to Lido/Lago Martianez while an individual life style with freedom is possible. This is the exception to copy legally: Be welcome to use any photo of page Living in Tenerife for non-commercial use...Right click text in HTML window below... Select, copy and paste into your blog or web. Doing this no copy right offense will be taken. Discover this La Romantica Tenerife apartment, which is an ideal stepping stone for living in Tenerife for 2 people. By the way, the best investment in Tenerife is not only property investment but, in its healthy life style by living there. Up to Top? - Home -
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