We have lived in Spain for 5 year now, we did intend to buy but my wife likes to change location every 3 year (an old throw back from my Army days). We have a long term rent (600€ a month but it is a 4bed cortico with a very large patio with its own bar and fountain, it is adjacent to the sea at Penoncillo near Nerja. I transfer my pensions to a local bank and we find we live very comfortably and have money left each month, this includes cigarrettes for my wife and frequent evenings out.
My car is not new but adequate for what we need and with the insurance road tax and service costs a lot less than it would in England, my children like to visit frequently so we assist them with the cost of flights and they often stay 3 or 4 weeks. Since moving here we have lived by the sea in 4 different apartments each one bigger than the previous one, my residentia and NIE were sorted out for me by a gestor which cost me 50€ a small fee to pay as he did all the spanish forms etc.
Life is not slower here as we like to visit other places all within driving distance, our social life includes ballroom dance lessons and linedancing. Our local bar puts on all the sporting activities so I watch all Manchester united matches without the hassle of a TV license or sky fees.
last year we had 4 days rain even then the temperature was still 28oc, this winter we have used the elctric fire to keep warm but the temperature never went below 14oc (cold for us) our neighbours are Spanish German and Dutch yet we all mix freely and are friendlythe children are mostly polite and well behaved in fact the worse ones are from an English family.
I must say we enjoy all the luxuries including free health so hopefully we will remain here for many more years