Why Expats Choose Estepona, Spain to Retire | Low Cost of Living in Spain

[@lovestreaming]

Thank you very much for another inspiring video! It's always a pleasure when there's something new from the two of you 😀 Estepona looks really amazing. Definitely a topic for next summer 😎

[@SeekingParadiseBugs]

Thanks so much! Your comment inspires us to make more!! 🥰 You should definitely consider it for next summer.

[@michellefoxthorpe9796]

Thank you for sharing. I was there over the summer for a day. Compared to 20 years ago-it has totally changed. Too many tall apartment buildings for me.

[@SeekingParadiseBugs]

Wow! Seeing how much new construction is there now, we can only imagine how different it must have been 20 years ago.

[@stephs17]

Loved the Estepona video! It's so beautiful. Will you go to Nerja next?

[@SeekingParadiseBugs]

Thank you! Nerja is on our list!

[@zabbygee]

Great video. Thanks for all the helpful insight! Just added Estepona to our travel list.

[@SeekingParadiseBugs]

Thanks for watching!! Hope you enjoy it!

[@stephs17]

You two have the best expat/travel videos. You keep it interesting and really explore the areas you visit. I'm so tired of the expat couples that sit on their sofas and tell you how much their air b & b's cost, how to pack or show you what they're eating all day. 🥱 I guess there's an audience for everyone. Thank you for putting out content that truly gives the viewers an authentic perspective of the countries/cities you visit. 😊

[@chapter3travels5]

Agree 100%

[@SeekingParadiseBugs]

awwww....thanks so much! We truly appreciate your input, especially because we have been thinking about doing some talking head videos about expat life abroad to answer people's questions. We promise we won't be showing how to pack or what we ate for breakfast but we would like to give living abroad tips, comparing towns we visit and expat dilemnas like whether to buy or rent and cultural differences. Do you think separate videos like that aside from our usual content would be valuable or interesting?

[@stephs17]

@ There is definitely a void in the market of helpful content for moving abroad. Having a platform where people could obtain clear, reliable information would be so helpful. Your content is very engaging. You could easily incorporate the move abroad tips into what you're doing now or having a separate video or live would be great also. I'm sure there would be a lot of engagement. 😊 I love how upbeat and positive you both are while exploring each city/town/country. I know you would inspire others thinking about moving abroad.

[@SeekingParadiseBugs]

@@stephs17 Many thanks for your response!

[@ahjacobs1967]

Beautiful town and love the murals! Great video, thanks for all the great info 😊❤.

[@SeekingParadiseBugs]

It is a beautiful town! Thanks for watching and commenting!!

[@Symboter]

L2 Bus cannot drive along the coastline in Estepona, there is no street anymore since quite a while. Taking L1 or L2 or L3 Bus needs care because bus stops are undocumented and not the same in reverse direction.

[@SeekingParadiseBugs]

Thank you for updating us with this information!

[@JosephPerez305]

Thank you for this excellent video. Very informative. Estepona looks like a great place to spend a nice two or three month vacation at a minimum. I’ve been fortunate enough to spend time in both Malaga and Marbella, and I’ve been to Gibraltar. However, I didn’t go to all the places that you’ve shown us. So I think in January, I will go for a couple of months to this beautiful city once again thank you and I’m so happy I stumbled across this wonderful video

[@SeekingParadiseBugs]

Thanks so much for watching! We love Malaga and all of the surrounding towns.

[@amirarabi3249]

Thank you so much for your sharing information and nice video

[@SeekingParadiseBugs]

thank you for the kind comment 😊

[@lmilantoni99]

One of the best Estepona videos i have seen. Is that your own Drone camera work?

[@SeekingParadiseBugs]

thank you so much! Some is my own but recently I've been using drone stock footage.

[@sarahcronshaw3088]

We love it there. We already have a holiday home and hope to see if we like it over there all year round in a couple of years when we retire and sell up our business. Love your video it really makes we wish we was there now! The last time we went for the day was at Christmas and it was delightful . Love Marbella too. We are near San Pedro so in between the two.

[@SeekingParadiseBugs]

We envy you for already having a place there! We haven't been during Christmas time but that is an excellent idea.

[@beatapfizer3601]

Great video!

[@SeekingParadiseBugs]

Thanks for watching!! 😊

[@charleslittledale7991]

I remember Estepona had just one shop & a small fishing boat harbour. It is unrecognisable now

[@SeekingParadiseBugs]

Wow! It has definitely grown a lot since then!!

[@JoseCarrillo-es7kl]

Thanks for a well-informed video. But there seems to be a trend with many of these coastal town videos. They all mention the sea and beautiful beaches, of which there are many, but they all fail to mention the sea water temperature. Estepona's max sea temperature is 24.7 in August. Now, that's refreshing if it's hot, but a cool dip nonetheless. At that temperature, it's hard to stay in the water for a few hours, but of course, from my experience, most people look at the sea and then dip in and out. It's really wonderful to get up early and go for a swim when the sun is rising, and the energy is so uplifting, but the sea temperature is even lower, 21.9, which will surely shrivel your insides. Looking for warmer waters...

[@SeekingParadiseBugs]

Thanks for watching and your comments! We actually do compare sea temps in a number of our videos because we are looking for warmer water than where we currently live in Lisbon, Portugal. The Atlantic water temperature is much colder all year round here than in the Costa del Sol. Having lived in Mexico for 3 years, we loved the Caribbean water temperature even though many Europeans find it too warm.

[@JoseCarrillo-es7kl]

@@SeekingParadiseBugs Thanks for your quick reply. We live in Florida, 10 minutes from the beach, where the water temp today is 27.7. Still, Estepona's culture, people, and especially the cafes, which we love, make it a great place to vacation. Again, thank you so much!

[@LunaMiel186]

Hi neighbors! Reston, Va checking in! Any suggestions on a place in Spain similar to Estepona, but without all the tourists? Expats drive the prices sky high! Safe travels, I enjoy your videos🙏

[@SeekingParadiseBugs]

Hi neighbor! Thanks for watching! We will actually be exploring towns East of Malaga in 2025 that we've been told do not have as many expats. Stay tuned!! 😊

[@petephma1657]

Hey guys love your video! I am retiring next year to Estepona. Would love to chat with you guys. Pete

[@SeekingParadiseBugs]

Thanks Pete! We'll reply to you directly. 😊

[@chapter3travels5]

I had never heard of this city before but it really seems to be a nice Goldilocks spot - not too big or too small, not too busy or too quiet! I hear you on the development vs charm issue. It just seems to be happening everywhere. I hope they're able to maintain the balance.

[@SeekingParadiseBugs]

It really is an amazing town!

[@Felix-ht4ul]

Thank you for this awesome video! My girlfriend (23) and I (38) both work fully remotely and are seriously considering moving to Estepona "for good" as we’ve totally fallen in love with this amazing town. However, since we (especially my girlfriend 😄) are relatively young, we’re a bit concerned about the expat community, which seems to be mainly retirees. Also, although my girlfriend is doing her best to improve her Spanish and English skills, she’s hoping to start her "socializing journey" by meeting a few people her age who share our nationality (German). She feels it would help her feel more confident at the beginning. So, I’m wondering: Are there many young internationals, or is the community 98% people aged 40+? How do you think the chances are (especially for my girlfriend) to meet other young internationals? We know that there are more young internationals in Marbella and Malaga, but we both prefer the more laid-back vibe and authenticity of Estepona. Another idea we’re considering is the Javea/Dénia area, as we’ve read that both cities have a buzzing scene of young internationals-although we haven’t been there yet, so we’d appreciate hearing your thoughts on that too. Lastly, the apartment situation: We’re aware that the housing/apartment market in Estepona is getting tougher (sadly, probably partly (or especially?) due to foreigners like us 🤔), so we’re wondering if you think it’s still possible to find a 2-bedroom apartment in a fairly modern building that’s not too far from the city center/coast and doesn’t exceed around €1300/month, including utility bills? Thank you for reading-I look forward to (hopefully) hearing your replies! ☀️

[@SeekingParadiseBugs]

Thanks so much for the kind words! Estepona is such a charming town, we totally get why it’s captured your hearts! Marbella and Malaga certainly have a bigger mix of younger internationals, but there does seem to be an increase in young families in Estepona to give it some age diversity. We recommend checking out Facebook or Meetup groups focused on expats and digital nomads to get a better idea. Luckily, Marbella isn’t far from Estepona if you want to have a tranquil place to live and hot spot for activity at night. We have not been to Javea/Denia yet to give you our opinion. As for the apartment market, it’s definitely competitive right now. Finding a modern 2 bedroom close to the coast within that €1300 budget could take some time and effort and we’re not sure you could find it with utilities included. Sometimes properties pop up on expat Facebook groups, too, so that could be worth a shot. Hope this helps! Let us know if you have any more questions, and best of luck with your move! We’d love to hear where you end up choosing. 😊

[@hjdreams1429]

Excellent comprehensive video. You've changed the format of your videos. Are you no longer rating places you would consider living?

[@SeekingParadiseBugs]

Thanks so much! We are not changing the format and are still keeping our checklist/categories. We rated the main city of Malaga in the Costa del Sol region and all of the videos of the neighboring towns along the Costa del Sol are exploring if we would want to live outside of Malaga. We are thinking of adding videos where we talk directly on camera and compare some of the towns and discuss other aspects of living aborad. Please let us know if there is anything particular you would like to see.

[@hjdreams1429]

@SeekingParadiseBugs Thanks! I'm curious to know info on renting vs buying in different locations. Pros and cons.

[@SeekingParadiseBugs]

Great to know! Funny enough, we debate renting vs buying all the time and will probably be making a video about it in general.

[@g.williams7740]

I will never forget i was looking at homes and the price point was between $300 to $400,000 when a fairly large group of folks came inn talking about how inexpensive it is for what came with the house and this was a sort after area, management got word the next day new price sheets were drawn up by $40 k to $55K because of some folks who might have some money can't keep their mouth closed, the same attitude is been introduce in many parts of Europe cutting out the local folks and creating division have you never heard about been quite .

[@lileelisamc.4722]

looks like a lovely place, Not a fan of humidity...sounds like that could be a problem?

[@SeekingParadiseBugs]

It truly is lovely and it is definitely humid in the summer.

[@beatapfizer3601]

We have an apartment in Estepona and I promise you, the humidity is not a problem. Especially not compared to other Spanish towns/cities. The air in estepona is usually very low in humidity due to its proximity to africa. The port of Gibraltar is just outside, blow in cool breezes from the Atlantic Ocean. So even when it’s 39 degrees Celsius, it’s more tolerable than 30 degrees in Valencia, Barcelona or in the Balearic Islands where the humidity is MUCH higher

[@SeekingParadiseBugs]

@@beatapfizer3601 Thanks so much for sharing this insight.

[@PorntipEngel]

Hi I have a question about the dog that you have so it that difficult or not to travel with dog because all your videos it not included your animals we think about travel full time in Europe for a year but we very concerned about our dog can not get in transport by the way I did enjoy your videos and new place that your guy visit

[@SeekingParadiseBugs]

Thanks for watching! The main reason we rarely take our dogs is because our youngest one, Buddy, gets distressed staying in a new place. It takes him many days to settle in to an airbnb or hotel so we have someone take care of them at our home where they are much less stressed. We also fly to many places and Che is too large to fly in the cabin. If you travel through Europe by train you should not have any problem as long as you don't have a large dog. You many have to pay an extra fee for your dog though.

[@TravelonlineWalk]

Top

[@rochellek5327]

Awesome 🤩🤩🤩🤩

[@SeekingParadiseBugs]

Thanks 🤗

[@Trina8]

Shame the property visa is going. Would have been nice. But now it’s simply not possible for permanent residents.

[@ggeiger2567]

What about the water supply?

[@SeekingParadiseBugs]

The area is still in a long lasting drought and although planning works never go fast enough, they are in progress. Marbella has a desalination plant that can be expanded and Estepona is working on one.

[@Kevin-zz9nc]

Don't drink the water!!!!

[@SeekingParadiseBugs]

@@Kevin-zz9nc Would you please elaborate. It's our understanding water in Spain is completely safe to drink.

[@g.williams7740]

folks stop talking about how cheap it is to travel from Lisbon to Malaga or any where else consider everything expensive when you say things are cheap in public settings companies will raise the prices, and for thiose with money they don't feel it like the rest of us shut up please .

[@frevebe7693]

We are from belgium and have a holiday apartment in Estepona (bel air area). If I see the prices to buy or rent something there, it is not cheap. I even dare to say that renting a place in Estepona is more expensive than the very expensive belgium. So it is a bit weird to say that Estepona has a low cost of living.

[@SeekingParadiseBugs]

The prices are definitely increasing. Relatively speaking, other than real estate, we believe it is a low cost of living area. In regards to real estate, the price per square meter is much lower than where we live in Lisbon, Portugal and where we are from in the USA.

[@DuuturaStella-x3b]

I think this economy has taught people the importance of multiple streams of income, unfortunately having a job doesn't mean security rather having different investments is the real deal.

[@SeekingParadiseBugs]

We agree! 💯

[@blackpinkunniexl]

is a flood risk in this part of Spain

[@SeekingParadiseBugs]

As I type this they are evacuating parts of the Costa del Sol near Malaga and Estepona due to potential flooding. We do not believe it is typical to have extreme weather conditions there, however, global warming effects are taking place all over the world now so it is hard to know what the future holds.

[@blackpinkunniexl]

@ omg 😳 stay safe

[@RexPonder-y6b]

We moved from Mexico to here. Much better much less expensive and much safer.

[@SeekingParadiseBugs]

Glad you found your happy place! 😊Where did you live in Mexico? We were in Guadalajara for 3 years before Lisbon, Portugal.

[@samafifi2713]

Hi, you did no justice to Estepona, you don't visit a small city on Sundays in Spain. You didn't show the old city during the weekdays which are always full of locals and tourists, nor did you show the flowers which are lined up the streets of Estepona. Very disappointed video

[@SeekingParadiseBugs]

Thanks for watching! Sorry you were disappointed. We did actually share our time there on Sunday and on the weekdays walking the streets and promenade.

[@angelique2653]

I spent 2 weeks in Estepona early this year. I was disappointed at how like a big city it is. It is surrounded by motorways and huge roundabouts. No parking in town centre. Beautiful Orchidarium. Marina. Promenade and beach. But very few vegetarian food options. It is being over built. Losing its character.......🎉

[@SeekingParadiseBugs]

Thanks for sharing! It is definitely being built up.

[@beatapfizer3601]

There’s lots of parking spaces in the city center, what are you talking about?? Many of them are underground though

[@SeekingParadiseBugs]

@@beatapfizer3601 we were surprised at the price of parking and there was construction ongoing for more underground parking that we ran into.

[@beatapfizer3601]

@@SeekingParadiseBugs yes there are many construction sites. But the brand new mega garage under plaza ajedrez is almost never full, and cost 1 euro. There’s more of these communal garages

[@SeekingParadiseBugs]

@@beatapfizer3601 yes, we did find some of the lesser expensive ones that charge €1 for the day.

[@jonmaher2531]

Get out! Don't ruin another great town. It was my little secret. (i know, not so secret, but pretty darn good)

[@SeekingParadiseBugs]

It is great and definitely not a secret anymore. Wow is it growing!!

[@JakeRichardsong]

Had to stop watching. The constant cutting for no reason is not right. All the pointless motion.

[@joaquininfantesbandera1449]

💚💚💚💚🤍🤍🤍🤍💚💚💚💚

[@jonmaher2531]

Take this video down! LOL

[@SeekingParadiseBugs]

So many people have asked us about Estepona and now we understand why. ☺️

[@zazminrios7951]

Not for me. Too many immigrants a.k.a. Expats

[@SeekingParadiseBugs]

We like to point it out because it is not for everyone. However, having an expat/immigrant community is really nice for people that are no longer in the work force and do not have kids since it is more difficult to meet and integrate with locals when you are out of that stage of life. It's also great to have people you can relate with that are in the same position moving to a new country.

[@OgnianHristov-f8k]

Thank you for not coming fascist

[@frevebe7693]

Who cares about you? Go live in your boring town with the locals and stop speaking english, speak spanish... So sick of the people who feel better because they want to live with the locals far away from the expats. Do you really think locals care about people like you, for them people like you are just expats. Or are you a person that thinks locals are your friends because you have basic small conversations?

[@zazminrios7951]

@@SeekingParadiseBugs Entitled Americans can't admit that when you move from the USA for whatever reason they are in all the sense and meaning of word, IMMIGRANTS. But are too conceited to admit it and thus use the euphemism EXPAT.

[@zazminrios7951]

@@OgnianHristov-f8k You couldn't recognize a fascist if one was standing right in front you.