They’re known as Texpats. Kevin and Susan Bryant, 55 and 48 years old, have lived in Texas for the majority of their lives, most recently in the retiree hotspot Austin. But, as Kevin, a now-retired history teacher and principal, tells MarketWatch, “when Austin became a mini–Silicon Valley, we were priced out.”
The history buff says he’d always wanted to live in Europe — “particularly, in a castle,” he laughs — and began looking for a place where he and his wife could retire on his educator’s pension. They looked at over a dozen countries before opting on Spain for a variety of reasons, including its relative cost, decent health care, and the possibility that his teacher’s pension would qualify as income to help him obtain residency there.
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They explored Spain in search of the perfect location, rejecting Barcelona because it was too huge; Tarragona because it was too far north (they wanted somewhere a little warmer); and Pescola because, although like it, Susan laughs, “I could never tell my mother I lived in a town with that name.”
Dénia is a city in Spain.
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They happened upon Dénia, a coastal village where they now reside, by chance: “One morning, while looking at the map, I saw that a boat from Ibiza docks at a place named Dénia.” Kevin, who has one adult child, explains, “I immediately thought that extremely intriguing individuals go to Ibiza, and many must go by that route, therefore we should check out this area.” They adored Dénia for a variety of reasons, including its historic architecture (there’s even an ancient Moorish castle for Kevin to explore), delicious food (it was declared a Creative City of Gastronomy by Unesco), four-season climate, and beachfront position. “It’s a really family-oriented city with lots of celebrations,” Susan says. In 2016, they relocated to Dénia, as documented on Facebook. Here’s how their lives are now, including costs, health care, residency, and drawbacks. The price is: Kevin Bryant’s pension allows the Bryants to “live extremely well on $2,000 per month,” according to them. They told MarketWatch that they spend $665 a month on rent (they live in a two-bedroom apartment near the beach with a common pool), $82 on energy, $33 on water, $33 on internet, $44 on phone, $90 on a gym membership, $130 on health insurance, and $490 on food.
The Bryants, to be precise.
Kevin and Susan Bryant are a married couple.
By not having a car, the Bryants save money. They reside on a bus line and estimate that taking the bus to and from town costs them roughly $30 per month. (They mention that a taxi ride home from a restaurant could cost them $12.)
“ ‘Health care is the one thing that will prevent us from returning to the United States.’ We have the financial means to age gracefully and visit doctors here. It isn’t going to break us.’
Kevin Bryant’s remark
They spend the majority of their spare cash on vacations, most recently visiting the Greek Islands and taking other shorter trips around Spain. They point out that flying within Europe is generally less expensive because regional carriers offer short, low-cost flights. They also frequently take bus journeys to surrounding places such as Valencia ($13) and Benidorm ($5). Health insurance: The Bryants say they pay about $130 per month for private health insurance for both of them, and they’re happy with the quality of their care. “I have to go to this freaking doctor. He laughs, “I grew up as a man in Texas, and we don’t go to the doctor unless something is dangling off or broken.” “Anytime we need something now, we go to the doctor, and we get [an appointment] in a day or two,” he continues, noting that “our doctor is Dutch and knows five languages – he’s also a cool guy.” Some expatriates may be eligible for Spain’s free state health-care system (here are the rules); others who don’t — or who don’t want to wait in the public system’s sometimes long lines — can buy private insurance to cover themselves. (You may learn more about the various health-care systems by clicking here.) He attributes his positive relationship with his doctor and positive experience with the Spanish health system for detecting cancer spots on his face and head early and providing a treatment that cost less than $100. “The cancer spots would still be growing if I was still in the United States because I wouldn’t know it was there,” he says.
Kevin and Susan Bryant are a couple.
Spain is known for its high-quality health-care services: According to a research published in The Lancet on health-care quality and access, Spain is in the top 20 countries in the world, ahead of the United States, which is placed 29th. The Bryants feel that the low cost and high quality of health care in Spain is one of the main reasons they will never leave. “Healthcare is the only thing that will keep us from returning to the United States. We have the financial means to age gracefully and visit doctors here. It isn’t going to break us.” “As things stand, and as I anticipate things going forward, health-care prices in the United States utterly exclude our ever returning to live there,” he adds. We don’t have that option, which is unfortunate.” Residency: The procedure of obtaining visas to enter — and now remain in — the nation has not been easy. When they first went to the Spanish consulate in Houston in the hopes of relocating, they brought all of the paperwork they were told they needed on the website, only to be told that it wasn’t enough. “Spanish people were in there and heard everything. ‘Is this how it always is?’ I inquired. Kevin says, “and they all started laughing and saying yes.” They had to go to the consulate three times to get their visas. Kevin describes the process of renewing their permits to stay in Spain as “a huge hassle,” adding, “We eventually had to employ a lawyer, and our case is in progress.” If I had another chance, I would employ the lawyer right away and delegate all of the work to them.” Here’s a rundown of the several types of visas available for living in Spain.
At Dénia’s Els Magazinos market, people are eating and drinking.
iStock
The disadvantages: Kevin and Susan have been missing their families back home the most. “After that, there was a lack of immediate taste satisfaction. “Almost any cuisine demand can be satisfied at any time of day or night in a big U.S. city,” Kevin adds, adding that the lack of options in Dénia has an upside: It’s “made me a much better cook as I try to imitate some flavours,” says the author. “I have failed to duplicate one of my favorite recipes, cheese enchiladas with chile gravy,” he laughs. Furthermore, the Bryants have found the language to be “an amusing obstacle.” Kevin took Spanish in school and says he “remembered some of it.” “I intended to be proficient in a short time, but we moved to a place where most people speak Valencian rather than Castilian, so my progress has been slower than planned.” Susan had no prior knowledge of the Spanish language, but she is currently taking classes and claims that, while she cannot talk well, she can understand and read the language better. “It’s a lot more laid back here,” says the author. “Everyone looks out for each other,” Susan explains. “I adore America and always will,” she continues.
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