Overview

• Patti Addington, 68, left Florida for Torremolinos on the Costa del Sol and settled there in 2021 after deciding to return following a 2018 Camino de Santiago walk.
• In the U.S. she paid about $1,500 monthly rent; in Spain her two‑room apartment with sea view costs about €860, with electricity roughly a third cheaper and water about half, and health insurance nearly $1,000 less per year.
• She says her pension now effectively goes about twice as far, allowing monthly trips, Spanish lessons, volunteering, and occasional wellness treatments.
• The reports cite the Portuguese outlet Postal for Addington’s account and include official guidance that pensions can be paid in Spain under EU regulations.
• For retirees who first received pensions from 2015 onward, taxes may be due in both countries, though treaties prevent double taxation, and about 23,000 German pensioners currently receive payments in Spain.