We’re currently back in the Netherlands for a short while to help with a house move. Amidst all the hustle and bustle, we popped into the Aldi in Borger. And there we noticed something that actually goes completely against the image you often see online.

Whilst shopping, we automatically started comparing prices with those in Galicia. Not consciously with a list in hand, but just as you do when you live somewhere else. And what immediately struck us: the differences are much smaller than many people think.

Some products are indeed cheaper in the Netherlands. Certain types of meat, dairy and some vegetables are often slightly cheaper here. But at the same time, we also saw plenty of products that are actually more expensive than in Galicia. Think of certain brands, processed products or specific types of fruit.

Ultimately, you come to a surprising conclusion: grocery shopping is more or less the same these days. One shopping basket works out slightly cheaper in the Netherlands, another in Galicia. But the big price difference that’s often mentioned? To be honest, we’re noticing it less and less.

That contrasts quite sharply with what you read online. On forums, expat groups and travel blogs, Spain is still often portrayed as considerably cheaper than the Netherlands. As if your supermarket bills automatically halve the moment you cross the border. Our experience in Galicia is more nuanced. Some things are cheaper, others actually more expensive than expected. It depends very much on what you buy and how locally you live.

Now that we’re back here in Drenthe for a while, we’re noticing it again. The supermarkets look different, the special offers vary, but when all is said and done, the prices are closer together than many people think.

Where there is still a clear difference, however, is in the fixed costs. In Galicia, costs such as electricity, water and certain types of insurance are still noticeably lower than in the Netherlands. Car and housing costs, in particular, often feel less of a burden there. So although supermarket prices are converging more and more, the overall monthly cost of living in Galicia remains more favourable for us.

But perhaps the biggest difference ultimately isn’t about money at all.

These times in the Netherlands make it particularly clear just how nuanced the whole story actually is. “Everything is cheaper in Spain” is no longer quite so simple. Just as “the Netherlands is extremely expensive” is also an oversimplification. It depends on where you live, what you buy and, above all, what lifestyle you value.

For people considering living in Galicia, that is perhaps the most important lesson: don’t just look at supermarket prices. Look at the bigger picture — fixed costs, peace and quiet, space, nature and how you live your daily life.

And sometimes that realisation comes from something very small.

Today we walked past a terrace where ‘coffee and cake’ cost €10. One of those moments when you look at each other and think: Wow, I don’t have to buy a whole cake, do I?