Life in Tenerife

The biggest contrast between life in Tenerife and the UK is the amount of time we spend outdoors.  Whether it is simply a barbeque with friends in mid November or a few hours at the beach, the weather is a constant lure which drags us away from a vegetable-like life glued to the television and makes even the most sedentary of us enjoy the fresh air.  It is impossible to underestimate the impact this has on our lives.  We may struggle to make ends meet and combat life’s daily adversities but when we look out at the orange sun setting after a hard day over the glistening ocean it becomes so much easier to put life in perspective.  In Tenerife spare time becomes quality time and this is essentially the main ingredient of living a successful life anywhere in the world.  The only difference in Tenerife is that there are no barriers to doing so. It is an island of great diversity with a huge range of leisure opportunities to divert us and those who make the fullest use of them lead the fullest lives. 

Safety and security is a major factor for anyone choosing to move to a new country.  The protection of property and fair dispensation of the law both stem from a system of political stability.  Though many countries may offer good weather, the list becomes much shorter when we eliminate corrupt and politically volatile nations.  As part of the European Union and Spain, the Canary Islands inherit political and administrative systems that protect and secure the individual and his rights.

Economic risks are equally important to eliminate.  A stable currency, a well funded infrastructure and modern banking systems are all necessary to preserve our standard of living.  Very few people will choose to emigrate penniless, and most of us will have saved some sort of a nest egg.  Should the value of this diminish or disappear altogether, then our move would certainly be put into jeopardy.  As part of the Eurozone, Tenerife has all the benefits of the most stable currency in the world, as well as banking and financial systems that are, in essence, familiar to us.

Immersion into a new culture is a further risk.  Expatriates in many countries can feel cut off from their own culture as many of the things we take for granted such as television, newspapers and the availability of familiar products in the shops may be inaccessible.  However, in Tenerife the risk of missing these is almost completely non-existent.  With the availability of Sky satellite TV, English language newspapers and many shops specialising in British and Irish products, there are no withdrawal symptoms from a lack of Marmite!

For those of us who bring families and children with us, there are further potential pitfalls that can put our happiness at risk.  New schools can be a challenge, especially when the move involves a change of system and language.  Again, Tenerife has the infrastructure to cushion such a blow with the availability of schools that work with the British curriculum and teach in English.  Students can make a direct transition, continuing their GCSEs where they left off in their previous schools.

Ask most people who are considering moving to Tenerife the reasons why and the phrase ‘cost of living’ is almost certainly going to be one of their answers.  Living on the island is undoubtedly cheaper than it is in the UK or Ireland, but this can often lure the unwary into a false sense of comfort. 

Those of us who choose Tenerife to retire and receive pensions from the UK or Ireland can take heart that we will undoubtedly be better off.  Our money will go further and costs will be lower.  The same applies to those of us who receive income from the UK or Ireland. 

In many cases, earnings in the UK are up to fifty per cent higher than the equivalent occupation in Tenerife.  But it is this simple fact that can mislead some who come to the Canaries to settle and work. 

The unwary make their calculations on an assumed income based on their earnings back home and they are met with a nasty surprise when they realise that they will be earning much less in Tenerife.  This miscalculation can have understandably disastrous consequences.  A secretary who may have earned the equivalent of, say, 2000 euros net per month in London may only earn half of that amount here.  Back in the UK, researching how they will make ends meet after they make the move, they will have worked out that they should earn a comfortable living.  Once here and faced with reality they may suddenly find it almost impossible to survive at the standard of living that they had anticipated.

Fortunately most people who aim to work on the island will have altered their income expectations.  The reduced outgoings are a very pleasant flipside to the equation.  Petrol is about half the cost of the UK, traffic jams fewer and distances travelled tend to be much shorter.  With all the punitive driving costs that many of us have been used to, such as congestion charges and extortionate parking rates, driving in Tenerife can seem an absolute bargain!

In fact, costs are lower almost everywhere you look.  Sometimes this is due to the fact that we need to consume less in Tenerife than we do in Northern climates.  Energy costs are a prime example.  The average amount spent on energy in the UK is between €900 and €1200.  A straw poll of residents in southern Tenerife shows that the average bill here is closer to €480.  Those who have solar panels fitted manage to cut even half of that amount.  It is likely that this cost is higher for residents in the north of the island, where the weather can be chillier, but it still will not approach UK levels. 

Eating and drinking in bars and restaurants costs a fraction of the amount spent in the UK; smoking is incredibly cheap; the Canarian equivalent of the UK’s 17.5% VAT is IGIC, which is just 5%, and even council rates are a snip compared to what we have been used to.

Although lower incomes may seem initially depressing, it should not be a barrier to leading a successful and happy life in Tenerife.  Successful settlers have in common a willingness to adapt and a determination to succeed. Be encouraged by the fact that so many expats thrive in this environment, rising to the challenge and earning comfortable incomes that allow for enviable lifestyles.  It is almost impossible to make a direct comparison between costs and incomes in Tenerife compared with those of the UK and Ireland because lifestyles are different too.  When we have exhausted ourselves calculating the swings and roundabouts that make up incomes and outgoings, it becomes apparent to most of us that the real determinant that we should be looking for to make the comparison is the difference in the quality of our lives.  And Tenerife is a clear winner.