Tenerife Cost of Living

[londonblue]

I've just come back from 10 days in Tenerife. On the first day my wife and I took a taxi to the supermarket to buy a few bits for lunch. One of the things we bought was 4 5l bottles of water. Each 5l bottle cost 0.79 Euros. How much does the same thing cost here?

Also I noticed diesel was about £1 a litre. How much do we pay here?

I know tenerife is a duty free island, but that doesn't account for things being that much cheaper. Is there another explanation, or are we just being ripped off?

 

[Cricko]

You should take a trip to Venezuela petrol is only 2p a litre there.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Simple answer is we are being ripped off. I think also the fact the water out there is bog (well, not literally!) standard and not some poncy label has something to do with it. Because Spaniards are so used to buying water for daily use it's always been really cheap, it's only countries full of mugs like us that they've been able to charge extortionate prices for the stuff.

 

[pickledseal]

How would av wage compare?

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Simple answer is we are being ripped off. I think also the fact the water out there is bog (well, not literally!) standard and not some poncy label has something to do with it. Because Spaniards are so used to buying water for daily use it's always been really cheap, it's only countries full of mugs like us that they've been able to charge extortionate prices for the stuff.

If you want to try some real bog standard tap water I'd suggest you visit St Petersburg(my wife picked up an infection from drinking it and brushing her teeth in it back in August) .The tap water here in SC(as opposed to Barcelona) is quite acceptable though there's too much chlorine put in it during the summer months.If you're after poncey labels for bottled water then the Catalans do quite a few but as you say it still works out quite a bit cheaper than UK brands.

 

[Swiss Tony]

You should take a trip to Venezuela petrol is only 2p a litre there.

Is that premium unleaded or unleaded?

 

[Cricko]

Is that premium unleaded or unleaded?

Ha ha..How they do it is bizarre...all the cruise liners out that way now make sure that is a port of call to fill up.

 

[steveo]

If you want to try some real bog standard tap water I'd suggest you visit St Petersburg(my wife picked up an infection from drinking it and brushing her teeth in it back in August) .The tap water here in SC(as opposed to Barcelona) is quite acceptable though there's too much chlorine put in it during the summer months.If you're after poncey labels for bottled water then the Catalans do quite a few but as you say it still works out quite a bit cheaper than UK brands.

The best thing about sparkling spring water that has run through the mountains for thousands of years, is that it comes to you in a bottle with a sell by date.

 

[OldBlueLady]

If you want to try some real bog standard tap water I'd suggest you visit St Petersburg(my wife picked up an infection from drinking it and brushing her teeth in it back in August) .The tap water here in SC(as opposed to Barcelona) is quite acceptable though there's too much chlorine put in it during the summer months.If you're after poncey labels for bottled water then the Catalans do quite a few but as you say it still works out quite a bit cheaper than UK brands.

Been there, done that. Had no problem with the tap water, mind you, that was 22 years ago.

 

[MK Shrimper]

Bottled water. Don't get me started. :angry:

 

[OldBlueLady]

Having also holidayed in Tenerife this year for the first time since 1987, I was actually prettu surprised by how similar a lot of prices were to the UK now! I know booze had rocketed in price, as had fags (just looked out of interest!).

 

[londonblue]

Bottled water. Don't get me started. :angry:

In general I agree with you. I won't buy bottled water at home (It's 3000 times more expensive than tap water, and isn't 3000 times better tasting, so is therefore a rip off!). But in Spain the water has a very high mineral content (that UK stomachs aren't used to) which leads to stomach problems. On holidays I make an exception...

 

[Berrichonne shrimper]

Bottleled water is a mere 15 cents a bottle here but most items are still cheaper in the uk then here.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Bottleled water is a mere 15 cents a bottle here but most items are still cheaper in the uk then here.

Try natural, locally produced stuff like fruit,veg,seafood etc .In the Midi (at least)it's far better ie of higher quality,better tasting (and cheaper)than in the UK or in Spain.

 

[Davros]

Ha ha..How they do it is bizarre...all the cruise liners out that way now make sure that is a port of call to fill up.

It's that cheap because it is a massive natural resource and the communist government would rather subsidise it massively to sell mostly to there own population, than sell it to the rest of the world

 

[SupaBlues]

Having also holidayed in Tenerife this year for the first time since 1987, I was actually prettu surprised by how similar a lot of prices were to the UK now! I know booze had rocketed in price, as had fags (just looked out of interest!).

When I was out in Gran Canaria last year the top cigarettes ie Marlboro,Bensons etc were still reasonably priced at 22 euros for 200. I ended up having to buy another bag just to bring fags back as is worth the risk getting them through airport compared to how much you can save

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

I've just come back from 10 days in Tenerife. On the first day my wife and I took a taxi to the supermarket to buy a few bits for lunch. One of the things we bought was 4 5l bottles of water. Each 5l bottle cost 0.79 Euros. How much does the same thing cost here?

They saw you coming. Five litres of your finest Peckham Spring doesn't cost a penny (or a cent) over here.

 

[Gt Yarmouth Shrimper]

I've just come back from 10 days in Tenerife. On the first day my wife and I took a taxi to the supermarket to buy a few bits for lunch. One of the things we bought was 4 5l bottles of water. Each 5l bottle cost 0.79 Euros. How much does the same thing cost here?

Also I noticed diesel was about £1 a litre. How much do we pay here?

I know tenerife is a duty free island, but that doesn't account for things being that much cheaper. Is there another explanation, or are we just being ripped off?

I understand that the Canary Islands in general, as well as being duty free, are heavily subsidized by mainland Spain. If you want a true comparison on UK prices you'd need to look at mainland Europe. I have just returned from a couple of weeks touring around and I have been horrified at the cost of living over there. Petrol at an average of 1.70 euro, being charged 34 euro for 2 plates of lasagne at a Swiss motorway service station, 5 euro for 1/3l beer at a bar, 14 euro for 2no Fanta in Venice, I could go on and on. Iwill never ever again moan at the cost of living over here again!