Business · Economy · 6 hrs ago
Housing costs force Costa del Sol restaurant manager into a 220-kilometre daily commute
María Inmaculada Jiménez manages a restaurant in La Cala de Mijas on Spain’s Costa del Sol.
She lives in Mollina, inland in Málaga province, and drives 220 kilometres round trip to work each day.
She moved inland because renting near her job was too expensive: she says a room can cost €800 a month and a flat €1,500, with up to six months’ rent demanded in advance.
She bought a home in Mollina and pays about €600 a month on her mortgage.
The long drive brings costs and risks, so she keeps an emergency kit in her car in case traffic stops for a long time.
Her experience reflects a wider problem for tourism businesses, which struggle to hire staff while high housing costs push workers far from jobs.
Jiménez says some coastal businesses reduced opening days or stayed closed because they could not find enough staff.
The sources do not say what will happen next for her or whether housing costs will change.
María Inmaculada Jiménez drives 220 kilometres each day between her home in Mollina and her restaurant manager job in La Cala de Mijas.
She moved inland because housing near her workplace was too expensive.
A room in La Cala de Mijas can cost up to €800, while an apartment costs €1,500, she said.
Jiménez said landlords may also demand up to six months’ rent in advance.
The housing crisis is making it harder for tourism businesses to recruit and retain workers, according to the article.
- Who
- María Inmaculada Jiménez, a 45-year-old restaurant manager.
- What
- She drives 220 kilometres each day to get to and from work.
- When
- Every day during the summer months described in the article.
- Where
- From Mollina to her job in La Cala de Mijas, in Málaga province.
- Why
- She moved inland because housing near her workplace was unaffordable.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
They ask for €800 for a room; I prefer to carry a survival kit in the car
They ask for a room with a bathroom and shared kitchen for up to €800, and an apartment is €1,500
Even so, I’m still better off than if I had a home on the coast, because it’s impossible
This story does not have a timeline yet.
- Daily commute
- 220 kilometres round trip
- Home
- Mollina, Málaga province
- Workplace
- La Cala de Mijas, Costa del Sol
- Room rent
- Up to €800
- Apartment rent
- €1,500
Sources
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