Job Discussion Forums

[Hector_Lector]

A decent-sized room in a shared flat costs 350 Euros?

Thankfully, my mortgage rate for a 7-roomed house with a huge garden, 60 kms from Madrid, only sets me back 250 a month.

[grahamb]

Ah, but think of all that noise and pollution you're missing out on, Hector! Talking of pollution, how's your farting dog?

[Hector_Lector]

The farting dog is fine. We�re probably going to get a puppy for her to induct into The World of Dogs next year. Do you have any contacts in Elgin who might have a Border Collie puppy in need of a home?

Speaking of puppies in need of a home, am I right in inferring from one of your messages on the Latin American forum that you�ve just got yourself hitched?

[grahamb]

Haven't heard of any canine vacancies, Hector, but I'll email and ask a few pals.
Re wedded bliss, I had a brainstorm, lost my senses and gained a wife with a farting dog (any relation to yours?). I'm sure a border collie puppy would be less detrimental to my bank balance, but matrimony does have its compensations.

[junglejim]

Hi again Moore,

Could you advise me as to which areas of madrid I should consider for flat finding (well room and shared accommodation)? I don�t really want to pay more than 450� per month, only being currently contracted to a little under �1,000 per month!

Thanks again,

Junglejim

[Moore]

As long as you aren't out in the suburbs, there are no really dodgy areas in Madrid. My advice is to stay pretty central: much better so you have the option of walking home after a night of Madrid's insane nightlife, and also as you'll probably be sent all over the place to work, so being central makes this easier: I live near "Nuevos Ministerios", which is right where all the business district is, and so am able to walk to work every day (too much of the metro can get you down after a while).

[CharlesTESOL]

I pay 425 euros a month (13 euros of that is for water) for my own unfurnished apartment in Barceloneta. It is small -- indeed it has the smallest bedroom I have ever seen -- but I have it all to myself. This is a very good deal, I know, but they do exist. It takes looking around and getting to know people because probably the best way to find a good deal is through a personal referral -- which is how I got the place I am in. Most people I know who want to stay in Barcelona for a while rent a room in a shared flat first and then as they get to know people look for something else. The people I know who want to stay only a few months to a year or two almost always rent a room in a shared flat the whole time.

If one is new to Barcelona and willing to stay in a shared apartment for a while, then I suggest checking out the list at Habitatge Jove. At the office a physical notice board is located in the window, so one can check out the listings even when the office is closed. People who advertise on the physical notice board are not allowed to charge more than 250 euros for a room. The internet room listings go much higher -- from 200 to 500 euros. Listings on both the physical notice board and the internet are updated each week day.

http://www.habitatgejove.com/arrel_eg/index_i.html

Physical address: C/ de Cal�bria, 147 (near the Rocafort metro station)

By the way, although Habitatge Jove is part of the Catalan government's youth services, there is no age limit for using the physical notice board. The name and contact details of the owner are provided on the listing, so you contact the person directly. In order to see one of the internet listings you have to go through the Habitatge Jove office, but I believe they will let people up to about 40 see those rooms/apartments.

For more opinions on cost of living in Spain, check out the following thread on the Expatriate Cafe web site:

http://www.expatriatecafe.com/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=6&t=1200&s=5e5fcfe34a9bf4c31cb0014cc03f3087