Could you afford to live in Britain now?

Even though I live in portugal as one of the many expats, I still keep in touch with everything that is happening in Britain. I will probably read the mail on sunday online once a week and watch a bit of Sky News whenever I get the chance. It is always interesting to see how the country I once called home is coping with the different challenges that they are facing in the economy.

What interests me the most is since I left England in the summer of 2008, how much more expensive the country has now become. For example out of principle I would have now ditched my car as I don’t believe I should have to pay the silly prices they are now charging in car tax, insurance and petrol. Yet this is still without even considering the cost of the MOT especially if your car is past it!

In comparison when we got our first car in Portugal recently our car tax and insurance bill for the year was actually lower than what the car tax on its own would cost us in England. This is a major difference and not one that I am willing to pay.

There have been several other rises in Britain the wages haven’t increased with them and the question is if you have been an expat abroad for a few years and was forced to move back to England could you actually afford it. Or in fact would you be willing to pay it?

I am not saying the prices in Portugal are perfect because they are not. In the summer I have to pay a fortune to keep me in supply of my favourite tubs of “Ben & Jerrys” and the petrol is pretty expensive too. But all the everyday items that we all desperately need are very reasonable.

There is constant complaints by expats living in portugal about the prices of electrical goods and given the choice I would rather pay less for my water or electric bill and pay more money for a nice television. At the end of the day you don’t need to buy a brand new television every week but you always need to be kept warm during the colder months!

Thanks for reading my blog post and I hope you enjoy our expat tips. I love living in the Algarve and sharing my stories with you.

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