This report discusses the joy of living in, and the cost of living in Denia Spain.
My name is Dan of Vagabond Awake, the YouTube Channel for Vagabond Buddha.com. I have been to several areas of Spain, but not to Denia, Spain. So I have invited my guest stars to tell their story about living in this beautiful area of Spain.
This is the story of how an American named Mickey met a beautiful Ukrainian woman name Tetyana. How they lived successfully in America for 17 years before deciding to retire on the coast of Spain in a large home on the beach facing the mediterranean sea.
After 17 years living in Colorado, they decided they would like to spend their retirement years on the Mediterranean. So before Mickey officially retired, he sent Tetyana on an exploratory visit to Spain and Portugal.
Mickey was still working in the USA so his wife Tetyana went to Europe to scout out the best possible place to retire. They were thinking of Portugal originally, but Tetyana likes to swim and the Mediterranean Ocean is warmer than the Atlantic, so Tetyana headed over to check out Spain.
Investigating the coast of Spain about an hour south of Valencia, Spain, Tetyana fell in love with a town shown in the below GOOGLE MAP called Denia immediately.
So they moved to Denia, Spain about 2 years ago and love it.
They love the culture, the architecture, layers of history, and a whole bouquet of things that are interesting to them about living there which make it a place they love to be. They answered the following questions and more in the above video.
How did you two meet?
They met on the Internet 19 years ago. Tetyana was from the Ukraine and Mickey was from the USA. They married and were living in Colorado when they decide to retire in Spain. After they met online Mickey came to visit Tetyana in Ukraine. They had their first travel experience in Egypt. Then she came to visit Mickey in the USA. Then they decided to get married and have been together ever since.
Which Visa Did They Get to Move to Spain?
So they both had American passports by the time they decided to retire in Spain. So after they decided to retire in Spain, they applied for a nonlucrative Visa in Spain. It is the easiest Visa you can get if you can prove you have the assets and income. They also check your background for criminal behavior. Then you renew until you apply for Spanish residency after 5 years.
Fun Things To Do In Spain?
Spain has beautiful nature such as the Medetarrianina sea, mountains, cities, castles, museums, cliffs, beaches, fields, orange blooms, almond blossoms, architecture, swimming, sailing, churches, bicycles, islands, hiking, dining, wines, and fine foods. There is public transportation but we have a car so we can drive into the countryside. It seems there is an infinite number of things to do. It is like living in a fairy tale land. Plus, flights are cheap all over Europe.
Future Travel Plans?
Might become slow travelers starting in 2022 starting in SE Asia: Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Philippines, Vietnam, etc. Not sure if they will just slow travel one month in each place or how to go about deciding how much time to spend in each place. Would like to see all of Asia and then see South America, Australia, and New Zealand. Waiting to see what they will be able to do in the post-COVID world and when things will open. Also worried about how to see everything and still rotate back to see family periodically and maintain relationships. They are curious how slow travel impacts your feeling about life and our place and purpose in life. We are wondering what happens when we no longer have an anchor or bed to come back to.
Do You Maintain a Home in Your Home Country
Mickey and Tetyana sold their house in Colorado when they moved to Spain. Now they are wondering what to do if they slow travel. Do they maintain a bed somewhere in the world or do they just move slowly forward through the world and just return to visit family periodically? Tetyana still has a place in Ukraine where her mother stays but they may just slow travel the world now without maintaining their house in Spain in 2022. But they know that eventually, they would want to have some sort of roots in the world where they spend time each year. But they think they will want to slow travel the world for at least 3 or 4 years.
Are You Happy?
Every day Tetyana is saying to the universe or to Mickey, “I am the Happiest Person in the world.” They live lives that never would have ever dreamed were possible. She is so close to nature, so close to the water, she feels like she is part of it. It is absolutely amazing.
Cost of Living in Denia Spain
Mickey and Tetyana discuss a range of living costs between about $1500 and $3000 USD per month depending on how close to the beach you want to live, how large a home you are looking for, and the number of people living in your family. Plus, you will achieve lower living costs by renting year-round rather than just coming here for only the high (summer) season. They share enough information in the above video (at 20:58) to help you better understand what it may cost others to live there. But you will only know your cost of living there by conducting an exploratory visit and conducting your own on-the-ground research. As Mickey says, their cost of living on the beach in a large home with all the amenities and comforts they enjoy is “probably around 3000 Euros total.”
Health Insurance
The nonlucrative Spanish Visa requires them to maintain zero copays, zero deductible health insurance. It costs 3000 Euros per year for both Mickey and Tetyana for the private system. As Mickey says, “Healthcare here, like everywhere else besides the USA, is fantastic.”
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This is Dan of Vagabond Awake, the YouTube channel for VagabondBuddha.com. Thank you for reviewing our report on the cost of living in Denia Spain. The world is your home. What time will you be home for dinner?