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View Full Version : Relocation What's the standard of living like in Tenerife?



seanleonard1987
01-01-2015, 23:32
Hello, I am looking at possible viable places to relocate outside of the UK long term. I just can't cope with these long cold winters anymore! I have worked six summer seasons in tourist resorts in Greece and also a winter in Australia. I understand the somewhat sacrifices you make by living island life from my experience in Greece...but I love it! The problem with Greek tourism is you have 6 months a year to make enough money to survive the next 6 and it is very difficult to get ahead. I know the spanish economy has also had better days, but I'm optimistic that there is always money to be made in tourist resorts.
Personally I have worked the last 10 years in hospitality, and have lots of experience in every aspect other then food. I have been both a resident DJ for a nightclub and a mobile wedding DJ. I spent many years working nightclub security and have bar management and bartending experience. I don't smoke, rarely drink, live a healthy lifestyle etc. so my leisure expenses are often significantly lower then average.
I know this is really clutching at straws but could someone give me an idea of survivability over there? How much would I be looking to pay a month for a small studio all in near or in the busy tourist areas? Do people tend to work 7 nights a week through the tourist seasons? What would be considered an average wage? How many months a year could you expect to be unemployed? Are there any large expenses for things like healthcare, insurance, national insurance etc.? Any tips would be great! Do any of you guys regret the move?

Jabba43
02-01-2015, 10:43
Season is 12 months a year, low season between when the snow birds leave in April and the summer holidays begins July time. I guess a studio would cost you min 400 euro ish. I cannot comment on wages as I do not work on the Island but I expect it is 1200-1500 euro a month.

KirstyJay
02-01-2015, 16:44
Hello, I am looking at possible viable places to relocate outside of the UK long term. I just can't cope with these long cold winters anymore! I have worked six summer seasons in tourist resorts in Greece and also a winter in Australia. I understand the somewhat sacrifices you make by living island life from my experience in Greece...but I love it! The problem with Greek tourism is you have 6 months a year to make enough money to survive the next 6 and it is very difficult to get ahead. I know the spanish economy has also had better days, but I'm optimistic that there is always money to be made in tourist resorts.
Personally I have worked the last 10 years in hospitality, and have lots of experience in every aspect other then food. I have been both a resident DJ for a nightclub and a mobile wedding DJ. I spent many years working nightclub security and have bar management and bartending experience. I don't smoke, rarely drink, live a healthy lifestyle etc. so my leisure expenses are often significantly lower then average.
I know this is really clutching at straws but could someone give me an idea of survivability over there? How much would I be looking to pay a month for a small studio all in near or in the busy tourist areas? Do people tend to work 7 nights a week through the tourist seasons? What would be considered an average wage? How many months a year could you expect to be unemployed? Are there any large expenses for things like healthcare, insurance, national insurance etc.? Any tips would be great! Do any of you guys regret the move?

Firstly, welcome to the forum. I have lived in Tenerife 13 years now, but before I moved here I worked in Zakynthos for 4 seasons as a singer. I originally came here with my boyfriend at the time who was a Thomson entertainer and he got posted here for the winter. I stayed. Now I have a family, property and a business here, so it can be done.

I think you really have to consider the times we live in though. When I came if was 13 years ago. The island was a lot more prosperous... in fact, so was Greece!

I loved Greece... I would probably say that I liked it more than here, but times change, and as you pointed out, you can't work in Greece 12 months of the year. The infrastructure is different here. More career paths are open to you other than just hospitality. In Greece, if you weren't an entertainer, then you were a chef, DJ, PR, or waiter. There wasn't much else you could do. Here I am an English Teacher. I worked in the state schools for 5 years and now I have my own academy. I could not have done that in Greece, so it's all swings and roundabouts.

I would say that Tenerife is more of a place you can put down roots as an expat, and Greece is more transient.

Regarding pay... If I had got 1200 to 1500 euros a month, I would have been rolling in it! Be prepared and budget to live on half that amount, and if you live in the resorts, then your rent etc will be higher too. 400 to 600 euros a month.

As I said, the infrastructure is better here though, so you could always buy yourself a small, second-hand car or use the bus routes and you would open up places out of town that are much cheaper. For example, I saw a 2 bed apartment for rent on fotocasa.es only the other day on my road for 250€ a month. I live about 20-25mins drive from the south resorts and 15 mins from the West coast resorts. You could live nearer and still get a good deal for a 1 bed apartment. With the Internet as it is these days, you can do a lot of research on rental websites such as fotocasa.es, idealista.com or segundamano.es...

I would also say that if you have other skills you have more of an opportunity to forge a career for yourself than in Greece, but as I mentioned, my expertise is about 13 years out of date. ;)

Good luck! :)

primrose
02-01-2015, 17:04
Season is 12 months a year, low season between when the snow birds leave in April and the summer holidays begins July time. I guess a studio would cost you min 400 euro ish. I cannot comment on wages as I do not work on the Island but I expect it is 1200-1500 euro a month.


For most people that work in the bars or hospitality a wage of 1200-1500 is a pipe dream, wages can be as low as 5 Euros an hour, working with no contract so no benefits if you lose your job, no health cover so you would need private medical insurance. To get a residencia you will either need a contract to prove you have a job, or, I think it is 5000 Euros, but not sure of the exact ammount, in a Spanish bank account,It is hard as there is 30% unemployment and in the paper last week it said that half of the unemployed had no income at all.

seanleonard1987
02-01-2015, 19:22
Great thanks guys, exactly the answers I was looking for. KirtsyJay I too spent six years in Zakinthos, but want to venture into a year round job with a pleasant winter. However I might be better to hold fire for a while in this case, I don't really want to work in the hospitality industry forever, feel a little old for it now! Maybe I will go back to the drawing board for now, as in all honesty I had better earning potential with a cheaper cost of living in Greece. Thanks for the input guys!

Jabba43
02-01-2015, 19:55
As i said do not ask me about wages but 5 euro an hour? That is 800 to 900 euro a month and i have no idea how anyone could live off that. I would rather be miserable in northern europe. I was paying my builders 7-11 euro per hour and all the people on this forum said that there was no way they would get out of bed for that.

primrose
02-01-2015, 20:07
As i said do not ask me about wages but 5 euro an hour? That is 800 to 900 euro a month and i have no idea how anyone could live off that. I would rather be miserable in northern europe. I was paying my builders 7-11 euro per hour and all the people on this forum said that there was no way they would get out of bed for that.

There are some people on this island working for less than that, and others that are working for food and drink only.A lot of people on this Forum would think that 7-11 euros an hour was a good wage.

seanleonard1987
02-01-2015, 20:15
In Greece I was DJing a good few weddings at 200 euro a night for 4 hours work or club residencies for 50-60 a night, High season was around 2000 euro a month with 250 a month rent. So going to work for half that with a higher cost of living and very few future prospects would just not make sense. But if work is available year round then it isn't so bad I guess? Like I said I don't really drink and don't smoke. After rent I just need food, petrol for a small moped and a gym membership as my main expenses. I think I will at least look to get together some extra savings so that I have the option to put a deposit down on a mortgage at some point in the future.

marbro8
02-01-2015, 20:59
have you considered bulgaria sean? i went over there in 2007 and purchased a piece of land as an investment(a bad one as it happens at the min) but remember that me and a mate stayed there for 5 days and eat out with loads of drink every night and ended up spending about £60 between the 2 of us:lol:, so the cost of living is minimal, and sunny beach is supposed to be like ibiza at the moment with the music and nightclub scene so plenty of work for a dj:wink: just a thought:wink:

seanleonard1987
02-01-2015, 21:31
Just had a google of it, at 3 degrees it looks rather cold! I think I will keep doing my homework, I have done a working holiday in Australia and that would be my ultimate goal but their economy is very much on the rocks right now and it's tough to get in! But I can still get a visa for New Zealand so might go and check that out!

KirstyJay
03-01-2015, 01:29
As i said do not ask me about wages but 5 euro an hour? That is 800 to 900 euro a month and i have no idea how anyone could live off that. I would rather be miserable in northern europe. I was paying my builders 7-11 euro per hour and all the people on this forum said that there was no way they would get out of bed for that.Some people earn less than that! 450€ is common for some Canarians. They can usually live off it because they live together as a family in the family house. The cost of living is minimal though. There's not a lot to spend your money on from day-to-day and the beach is free :)


KirtsyJay I too spent six years in ZakinthosWhen were you there? I worked there from 1998 to 2001 around Kalamaki, Laganas and sometimes I would travel up to Tsilivi. I still have some of my Zante friends on Facebook. Rich, who works at Life's a Beach now... Bluebell and Geordie Emma and her mum Sandra.

seanleonard1987
03-01-2015, 03:04
Some people earn less than that! 450€ is common for some Canarians. They can usually live off it because they live together as a family in the family house. The cost of living is minimal though. There's not a lot to spend your money on from day-to-day and the beach is free :)

When were you there? I worked there from 1998 to 2001 around Kalamaki, Laganas and sometimes I would travel up to Tsilivi. I still have some of my Zante friends on Facebook. Rich, who works at Life's a Beach now... Bluebell and Geordie Emma and her mum Sandra.

That was my optimistic view that the best things in life are indeed free! But a stable income likely isn't :(
I was there from 2009 until 2014, most summers in Tsilivi, 2011 in lagunas and this summer all over! I don't know any of those guys though. I think realistically for any type of future over there I will need to be a business owner with a mortgaged apartment, and just haven't currently got the capital for it.