The “life of luxury” of two American retirees who moved to Spain: a house for $46,000 – Tododisca

From San Francisco to Valencia, Spain. That is the journey taken by an American couple after reaching the age of retirement and realizing that the United States is an excessively expensive place to live on the income they had after retiring from work. For this reason, John Flores and Michael Leitz decided to move to Spain, one of the best countries to retire to, according to the Global Retirement Index of International Living. In addition to the good weather almost every day of the year, this country offers great cuisine and a wide range of cultural activities, reasons that have attracted this couple to start this adventure far from American borders.

According to an interview the couple gave to CNN in the United States, they are both teachers by profession and worked in San Francisco, but when they reached retirement age they realized that they would not be able to maintain the same standard of living in America, especially in California, where the standard of living was high and the cost of basic shopping had risen considerably. That is why they chose Spain as the best country to enjoy their retirement. In fact, as Michael Leitz explains, Spain is very similar to California in terms of lifestyle and climate, which made the decision easy for them.

A new life in Valencia

This time may be the definitive one, but it is not the first time that this American couple has come to Spain. In fact, they clarify that they already spent a vacation here some time ago and were fascinated by the culture and gastronomy of this country, so they began to study Spanish and finally decided to move to Valencia, where they lived in a rental for three years. This city has also been selected as the best in the world to retire, according to the US portal Live and Invest Overseas.

With the decision already practically made to go and live in Spain, this couple had decided that the ideal city would be Valencia. However, after studying the real estate market in this area, they saw the harsh reality of buying a home, so they finally decided to settle in Xátiva, one of the most beautiful villages in Spain and with very good communication to the capital of the Valencian Community.

The lower cost of living, the friendliness of the people and the wide range of leisure activities on offer for retirees were key factors in their decision to move to this Valencian town, Flores and Leitz affirm. There, in Xàtiva, they found a 120-year-old stone house that was for sale for 45,000 euros, so they decided to buy it and invest another 40,000 euros in a “complete renovation” and start living the dream.

Best towns to live out your retirement in Spain

Spain is a paradise as a whole as a country, but it is true that some corners are truly magical places to enjoy a well-deserved retirement. In fact, the magazine “International Living” considers some Spanish towns to be the best in the world to start the resting stage after retirement from work.

The list is headed by Benalmádena, in Málaga, a city with around 67,000 inhabitants. Benalmádena stands out for its quiet beaches and its beautiful port with a charming promenade. It also has very good transport links with the surrounding villages and is just a few minutes’ drive from the center of Malaga, where visiting Calle Larios, museums and enjoying the local cuisine is a wonderful experience.

Finally, according to this magazine, in second place is Mijas, also in Malaga. Then comes Almuñécar, in Granada, Sitges, in the province of Barcelona, and Miraflores de la Sierra, in the Community of Madrid. It can therefore be deduced that Spain is a wonderful country where the sun, the food and the friendliness of the people make it one of the favorite destinations for foreign citizens.