# Living in Crete



## Phillippa & Lee

Hi, we are planning to move to Crete within the next two years. We have chosen Crete as we understand that it has the largest expat community of the greek islands. 
Please can anyone who has already moved over there please tell us about where are popular areas to move to, we want to feel part of a community with year round shops and services available.
Many thanks x


----------



## disney21

hi there, I dont live in greece, but we are considering it too! we have been to Crete a couple of time and have noticed that agios nikolaos seems to be very popular with expats and has many shops, it is beautiful! hope that helps!


----------



## dp1

*Moving to Crete*



Phillippa & Lee said:


> Hi, we are planning to move to Crete within the next two years. We have chosen Crete as we understand that it has the largest expat community of the greek islands.
> Please can anyone who has already moved over there please tell us about where are popular areas to move to, we want to feel part of a community with year round shops and services available.
> Many thanks x


Hi folks, sorry for a slow reply but I only just joined this forum. My wife and I are living in Western Crete, close to the city of Chania. Probably the most popular area for expats to move to is between Chania and Rethymnon, in an area known as the Apokoronas. There is a large British expat community there, in the villages of Plaka, Kokkino Horio, Kalyves and Almerida. Most of these villages have year round services but on a smallish scale. Probably the most active one in the winter is Kalyves as there is also a local Greek community which requires shops and services. Most of these villages are within half an hour's drive of Chania where you can find all the services you need year round, including good local supermarket chains called Marinopoulos and INKA, and also branches of LIDL. If you have any more questions about life here please post here and we will give you any advice we can.


----------



## hallowseve

dp1 said:


> Hi folks, sorry for a slow reply but I only just joined this forum. My wife and I are living in Western Crete, close to the city of Chania. Probably the most popular area for expats to move to is between Chania and Rethymnon, in an area known as the Apokoronas. There is a large British expat community there, in the villages of Plaka, Kokkino Horio, Kalyves and Almerida. Most of these villages have year round services but on a smallish scale. Probably the most active one in the winter is Kalyves as there is also a local Greek community which requires shops and services. Most of these villages are within half an hour's drive of Chania where you can find all the services you need year round, including good local supermarket chains called Marinopoulos and INKA, and also branches of LIDL. If you have any more questions about life here please post here and we will give you any advice we can.


Long story short, I work for the US Government and have an opportunity to apply for a position in Souda Bay, Crete. Housing and utilities will be covered but I don't know if I can afford the rest of living expenses on my salary. Can anyone tell me what might be a good approximate cost for all the following in Crete????

Cell phones 
Home phones (we might not get a home phone since we can talk to family in the US over the internet... we can use cell phones otherwise.)
Groceries for 2 people
Internet (highspeed/broadband.. he'll being taking online classes and using software to write music)
Cable/Satellite 
Gasoline for 1 vehicle 

Thank you in advance. I've officially applied for the position and think I have a very good chance of getting it. I can still turn it down if I figure I might have a hard time supporting my husband and me. We're planning on him not working because we know it will be tough for him to find work. If he does we want it to be a plus... not necessary. We are going to work on getting rid of as much debt as possible before we come, if we come. We are paying off our wedding which is the biggest part of our debt. We're getting married Friday and right after the wedding/honeymoon I'm going to work in Bahrain for 60days which is a great opportunity to save money we won't be spending on me being here.. and to put the extra money I'll be making in the bank and hopefully use to get our debt down to a minimum. I'm such a planner and scared to death that we'll get over there and I'll realize I've bitten off more then I can chew and have us struggling to survive.

~S


----------



## dp1

*Moving to Crete*



hallowseve said:


> Long story short, I work for the US Government and have an opportunity to apply for a position in Souda Bay, Crete. Housing and utilities will be covered but I don't know if I can afford the rest of living expenses on my salary. Can anyone tell me what might be a good approximate cost for all the following in Crete????
> 
> Cell phones
> Home phones (we might not get a home phone since we can talk to family in the US over the internet... we can use cell phones otherwise.)
> Groceries for 2 people
> Internet (highspeed/broadband.. he'll being taking online classes and using software to write music)
> Cable/Satellite
> Gasoline for 1 vehicle
> 
> Thank you in advance. I've officially applied for the position and think I have a very good chance of getting it. I can still turn it down if I figure I might have a hard time supporting my husband and me. We're planning on him not working because we know it will be tough for him to find work. If he does we want it to be a plus... not necessary. We are going to work on getting rid of as much debt as possible before we come, if we come. We are paying off our wedding which is the biggest part of our debt. We're getting married Friday and right after the wedding/honeymoon I'm going to work in Bahrain for 60days which is a great opportunity to save money we won't be spending on me being here.. and to put the extra money I'll be making in the bank and hopefully use to get our debt down to a minimum. I'm such a planner and scared to death that we'll get over there and I'll realize I've bitten off more then I can chew and have us struggling to survive.
> 
> ~S


Hi,

well just to give you some idea of costs, we run a small car (Fiat Panda) for gasoline costs of not more than 20 euros per week. You can get a satellite dish and receiver set up here by an English company who specialise in that, for a one off fee and then you can receive a lot of free satellite channels which show a lot of American films and series (though if you are living on the base I'm not sure what the costs would be and what their policy is on satellite/cable installation. they may even have their own setup there already). We have a home phone line and broadband connection which together costs us up to about 80 euros for two months including some calls. Cell phone costs vary but you can get an idea if you look for the website of the cell phone company which has the best coverage here. It is called Cosmote and their website is cosmote.gr. It will probably come up in Greek but I think they also have an English language page you can link to off their home page to get an idea of costs. 
As far as groceries are concerned, that varies a lot depending on what you are buying. If you are on a budget there is a very good chain of supermarkets here called Marinopoulos which sell all the usual groceries at competitive prices. Also, there are superb street markets here on different days of the week in the middle of Chania which sell fresh produce, fruit and veg. etc for very reasonable prices. I don't know(obviously!) what your salary will be but if you are getting housing and utilities included and you salary is ok there should be no reason why you can't afford to live here. Also, eating out here is very reasonable. It is possible to eat out here quite well, if you stick to the local Greek food which I personally think is delicious, for between 20 and 30 euros for two people. If you get a taste for the local wine( which is honestly not great) and the local spirits (raki and ouzo) then even an evening out for a drink is cheap, as is the price of the popular beers brewed in Greece, Amstel and Mythos. Sorry all the prices are in euros but that's the currency here!


----------



## hallowseve

dp1 said:


> Hi,
> 
> well just to give you some idea of costs, we run a small car (Fiat Panda) for gasoline costs of not more than 20 euros per week. You can get a satellite dish and receiver set up here by an English company who specialise in that, for a one off fee and then you can receive a lot of free satellite channels which show a lot of American films and series (though if you are living on the base I'm not sure what the costs would be and what their policy is on satellite/cable installation. they may even have their own setup there already). We have a home phone line and broadband connection which together costs us up to about 80 euros for two months including some calls. Cell phone costs vary but you can get an idea if you look for the website of the cell phone company which has the best coverage here. It is called Cosmote and their website is cosmote.gr. It will probably come up in Greek but I think they also have an English language page you can link to off their home page to get an idea of costs.
> As far as groceries are concerned, that varies a lot depending on what you are buying. If you are on a budget there is a very good chain of supermarkets here called Marinopoulos which sell all the usual groceries at competitive prices. Also, there are superb street markets here on different days of the week in the middle of Chania which sell fresh produce, fruit and veg. etc for very reasonable prices. I don't know(obviously!) what your salary will be but if you are getting housing and utilities included and you salary is ok there should be no reason why you can't afford to live here. Also, eating out here is very reasonable. It is possible to eat out here quite well, if you stick to the local Greek food which I personally think is delicious, for between 20 and 30 euros for two people. If you get a taste for the local wine( which is honestly not great) and the local spirits (raki and ouzo) then even an evening out for a drink is cheap, as is the price of the popular beers brewed in Greece, Amstel and Mythos. Sorry all the prices are in euros but that's the currency here!


Thank you so much!!!! This is exactly what I needed. No worries on the Euros. I've been using an online converter to get use to it. I will be living OFF base so the cable info is great. 

You really helped me out a lot. thanks!


----------



## christosandkim

Phillippa & Lee said:


> Hi, we are planning to move to Crete within the next two years. We have chosen Crete as we understand that it has the largest expat community of the greek islands.
> Please can anyone who has already moved over there please tell us about where are popular areas to move to, we want to feel part of a community with year round shops and services available.
> Many thanks x


It depends what you are looking for! Western Crete (Chania) has a large expat community ,but it is more expensive for buying a property.The East of Crete is the cheapest for buying property. Agios Nikolaos is a good place to start out in renting while you look around .The south coast is very nice and off the tourist track more but most of the expats there are Germans rather than British.I have lived in many different areas of Crete and I know it well so if you need advice on any particular place let me know and I will try to help.Good luck with your move.Wherever you chose, Crete is a wonderful island with a good expat community wherever you go.


----------



## Dannyward

hi, can anyone tell me what is involved in moving to Greece or where to get the information.
I.E. work permits etc? Thanks


----------



## christosandkim

Dannyward said:


> hi, can anyone tell me what is involved in moving to Greece or where to get the information.
> I.E. work permits etc? Thanks


If you are from an EU country then you do not need a work permit.The best thing to do is to go over for a holiday and if you find a job ,stay and if you dont, go back! iI went out for a holiday when I was 18 years old and just never really came home again.i have been backwards and forwards a few times over the years but I always end up going back.If you stay longer than 6 months then you will need a residence permit which you can obtain from your local police station.you will need to open a bank account and have enough money to live on if you are not working.The life in greece is fantastic but wages are a lot lower than in the UK.Good luck!


----------



## kriti

There is a website called 'Living in Crete' that answers all your questions on paperwork etc. as well as having lots more info about living in Crete and Greece


Regards Dora


----------



## Neil

If you dont take that job offer I would. I have 4 years left till I retire from the US Army and since you would be near the base you will be able to save alot of money. If your Husband is young and is not working just ensure he does not go out and party with the locals. Otherwise it is paradise the beachs are excellent I was station in Greece in the early 90s. You will not save alot of money however it beats working at many places in the US. The people are cool. Also many Americans complain that they want to get back to the US it takes a certain kind of person to appreciate what Greece has to offer. Good luck and I would do it in a heart beat!

Neil


----------



## keboryan

*True cost of Living in Crete*

Hi,

I am moving to Crete in March to look for work as a chef (any tips on finding work appreciated) and I am looking to rent a 1-2 bedroomed apartment.

My fiance and my 2 yr old daughter will be following once I have found work, so I am looking for costs of kindergartens fulltime and part time. My fiance will be looking for admin work when she comes over.

I have heard stories of needing to earn 2000 euros a month to live in Crete,which I am not sure of. I have enough funds to last for a year for all of us without finding work, but would like any advice on the cost of living i.e electric, water, food and apparently landlords charge to take your toilet waste away.

Also any advice on how to get a health book.

Kind Regards,
Kevin Ryan


----------



## keboryan

*Thanks*



dp1 said:


> As far as work is concerned, it depends on which part of Crete you are coming to. I live in the western end near Chania and there are a number of big hotels and holiday concerns which are hiring at the moment for the 2009 summer season. The local paper here, Xaniotika Nea, has plenty of small ads advertising for chefs but it's all in Greek. You can access it online by typing in Xaniotika Nea, but you will then need to get the ads translated. have you any Greek speaking friends who can do that?
> 
> As far as cost of living is concerned, it is quite reasonable here. You might need 2,000 euros a month including rent but I think you could live on less than that. Food in the markets here is cheap, and non-brand products in marinopoulos,( a local greek chain tied in with French chain Carrefour whose own label products are excellent) are also reasonably priced. Eating out is inexpensive if you eat where the locals do and don't go mad, so it can be done. Bear in mind that some employers will want to employ under the counter with no IKA but the bigger concerns tend to play it straight. People are very friendly and generous and the weather is great (mostly). Hope this helps.



Thanks Dp1,
I am Hoping to stay in the chania area after visiting numerous occasions and falling in love with the town and some of the surrounding villages(Armini) and of course the charm of the locals.
I will take your advice and visit some of the big Hotels and complexes and try my luck there.
Thanks for your tips on buying Groceries it will come in handy,
Kind Regards,
Kebo


----------



## zanshin

christosandkim said:


> If you are from an EU country then you do not need a work permit.The best thing to do is to go over for a holiday and if you find a job ,stay and if you dont, go back! iI went out for a holiday when I was 18 years old and just never really came home again.i have been backwards and forwards a few times over the years but I always end up going back.If you stay longer than 6 months then you will need a residence permit which you can obtain from your local police station.you will need to open a bank account and have enough money to live on if you are not working.The life in greece is fantastic but wages are a lot lower than in the UK.Good luck!


I currently live in France, however as far as I am aware since 2005 Residence Permits are no longer required for any EU citizen living in any EU cousntry. Could someone confirm or deny this, or is this Greece making up it's own rules??


----------



## dp1

*residence permit*



zanshin said:


> I currently live in France, however as far as I am aware since 2005 Residence Permits are no longer required for any EU citizen living in any EU cousntry. Could someone confirm or deny this, or is this Greece making up it's own rules??


Even though technically that is true, some of the bureaucrats here still ask you for one for certain things, like if you buy a car here you still have to get a residence permit. It can depend on who you are talking to here, what mood they are in etc.


----------



## zanshin

dp1 said:


> Even though technically that is true, some of the bureaucrats here still ask you for one for certain things, like if you buy a car here you still have to get a residence permit. It can depend on who you are talking to here, what mood they are in etc.



Ah, I thought it was something like that. What hope for the future of the EU
Mind you after years of dealing with the "Masters of Bureaucracy" (French) I could probably take that in my stride. Thanks for the reply


----------



## morjos66

dp1 said:


> Hi folks, sorry for a slow reply but I only just joined this forum. My wife and I are living in Western Crete, close to the city of Chania. Probably the most popular area for expats to move to is between Chania and Rethymnon, in an area known as the Apokoronas. There is a large British expat community there, in the villages of Plaka, Kokkino Horio, Kalyves and Almerida. Most of these villages have year round services but on a smallish scale. Probably the most active one in the winter is Kalyves as there is also a local Greek community which requires shops and services. Most of these villages are within half an hour's drive of Chania where you can find all the services you need year round, including good local supermarket chains called Marinopoulos and INKA, and also branches of LIDL. If you have any more questions about life here please post here and we will give you any advice we can.


"What are the rents like for a 2 bedroom flat in that area?"


----------



## socratesrules

Hi there, you can also check out the visa hunter blog, which has loads of useful links about moving somewhere, paperwork, useful contacts and stuff you have to consider before going in a foreign country (for each country separately).
But overall, cost of living is really not that high in respect with the rest of Europe, of even in some aspects, Athens. 
And quality of life is priceless!

Chears!


----------



## teya

Phillippa & Lee said:


> Hi, we are planning to move to Crete within the next two years. We have chosen Crete as we understand that it has the largest expat community of the greek islands.
> Please can anyone who has already moved over there please tell us about where are popular areas to move to, we want to feel part of a community with year round shops and services available.
> Many thanks x


Hi, I am in the process of moving to the Kalives area and would really appreciate communications and information from people who are already there xt


----------

