# Is 2000 euros enough to live on?



## dannyd (Feb 10, 2009)

Hi,

My wife and I are currently thinking of moving to Cyprus, and have worked out that with the salaries we could get minus our bills in UK. We would have about 2000 euros a month to pay for rent, food, car and everything else.

Would that be sufficient do you think? Could we live comfortably on that?

We have a son who is 1 year old as well.

I have lived in Cyprus before in Dhekelia as a squaddie about 5 years ago, but dont really have a grasp on the cost of living for a family.

Thanks

Danny


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

dannyd said:


> Hi,
> 
> My wife and I are currently thinking of moving to Cyprus, and have worked out that with the salaries we could get minus our bills in UK. We would have about 2000 euros a month to pay for rent, food, car and everything else.
> 
> ...


You could manage on that but my question is do you have jobs lined up already?
There are not many jobs that pay those sort of salaries so be sure you have looked into it before coming over especially with a youngchildto think about.

Regards Veronica


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## dannyd (Feb 10, 2009)

Veronica said:


> You could manage on that but my question is do you have jobs lined up already?
> There are not many jobs that pay those sort of salaries so be sure you have looked into it before coming over especially with a youngchildto think about.
> 
> Regards Veronica


Hi Veronica,

Thanks for coming back to me, yes I have a job lined up for around 2200 euros a month, I just need to work out if we could live comfortably on this with rent food costs etc. I am just not sure if the standard of living would be good on 2000 euros a month. I dont want to just 'survive'.

Another question I had, are there any websites I can look at for long term rental properties in Cyprus?

Thanks

Danny


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

dannyd said:


> Hi Veronica,
> 
> Thanks for coming back to me, yes I have a job lined up for around 2200 euros a month, I just need to work out if we could live comfortably on this with rent food costs etc. I am just not sure if the standard of living would be good on 2000 euros a month. I dont want to just 'survive'.
> 
> ...


There are lots of websites who do holiday let but not as many for long term.
However many owners are now willing to rent long term as the holiday rental trade is suffering at the moment .
Something else worth considering, if your wife/partner is going to be at home looking after the little she might be able to offer childcare to maybe one or two little ones whose mums have to work wqhich could help to bring a little extra.


Veronica


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

I forgot to ask, whereabouts are you going to be? If you are in the Limassol area I can recommend a good company who do long term rentals.

Veronica


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## dannyd (Feb 10, 2009)

Veronica said:


> I forgot to ask, whereabouts are you going to be? If you are in the Limassol area I can recommend a good company who do long term rentals.
> 
> Veronica


The jobs are in Nicosia, but I dont mind travelling, how long does it take from limassol to nicosia? I have family in limassol which would be good to be near them. 

And did you have any advice on whether 2000 euros is enough to have a good standard of living including rent and food and everything?

Thanks


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

dannyd said:


> The jobs are in Nicosia, but I dont mind travelling, how long does it take from limassol to nicosia? I have family in limassol which would be good to be near them.
> 
> And did you have any advice on whether 2000 euros is enough to have a good standard of living including rent and food and everything?
> 
> Thanks



It might be tight if you are renting in Limassol as the prices there are higher than areas such as paphos and Larnaca.
Larnaca might be a better bet for rentals at reasonable costs. It isnt far from Larnaca to Nicosia especially if you are on the Limassol side of Laranca.
I cant think of anyone off hand who does rentals in the Larnaca area but I am sure you can find something if you google.
Veronica


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## Mairi (Feb 11, 2009)

Hi Danny
My husband and I have just moved to Cyprus.I would say 2000 euro is not a lot depending where you wanted to stay..Apartments are not cheap not even for long term renting.The food is much more expensive here than UK.. The utility bills can be expensive ie air con especially in summer,also you have to buy water.My husband relocated with his job,as yet i haven't found work but im hoping to.Also if you have a toddler things can be expensive for them.I'm sure you'll do your homework and look into everything .
Good Luck Mairi


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## dannyd (Feb 10, 2009)

Hi Mairi,

Many Thanks for your reply, what would you say is a good budget to be able to live well? to be honest I would probably look for a property in Larnaca or limassol, but far enough out so we could get a small villa.

Thanks

Danny


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## Mairi (Feb 11, 2009)

Hi Danny
We live in Nicosia about 45 mins from Larnaca.We came out last Oct and looked at lots of properties.The average price for a small 2 bedroom villa long term rental was between 850 and 1000 euro..The villas can also be quite isolated.We have a rented apartment which is 900 euro a month.We will prob move next year when the rental is up for renewal,as we now have more time that we're here to look around at other properties. The utility bills here are a bit more than UK and the food is very expensive.If you just keep in mind a bit more expensive just now than at home that should give you an idea of how much you will need.The good side is its so much more relaxed here.Stress free lovely weather friendly people and cheap wine lol
if theres anything i can help you with just message me Mairi


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## Mairi (Feb 11, 2009)

Hi
We have heard of a few expats clubs but they are for retired expats!!!
Mairi


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## dannyd (Feb 10, 2009)

Is it mostly retiriees out there then? I know my Oma and Opa (german Grandparents) have lived in limassol for 15 years now so I do know alot of people retire out there. But what are the chances of finding people our own age that are expats?

Oh and I dont suppose you have any good websites that I can look for long term rental properties in cyprus?.

Thanks

Danny


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## Mairi (Feb 11, 2009)

Hi
Im not sure about the Larnaca area, for expats. I think most of them are in Paphos...There are lots of letting places in Cyprus..Try Buysellcyprus.com they rent as well and you can list with them stating what your looking for and they will keep you informed..The other good thing is if your coming out on holiday drive around the area you wish to stay in theres lots of properties and i mean lots!!! they all have a advertising board take the number and call for viewing or if the workmen are there you can go in no problem..
Mairi


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## Aase (Jul 8, 2007)

We moved out at the end of August last year and are living in Limassol. Our monthly expenditure is about 3200 Euros but we have two children who are at private schools. We pay 1330 in rent for a large 4 bedroom house with a pool in a village outside of Limassol, Nicosia is just under an hour away, depending on the traffic when you get into Nicosia. Food is expensive and we use quite a lot on petrol as you have to drive everywhere. 

If you PM me I am happy to give you some contacts of estate agents in Limassol as we were in contact with quite a few when we were looking for a house.


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## dannyd (Feb 10, 2009)

Thankyou very much for that, It is really helpful, it looks like a really good website!

Just quickly in terms of food, rent, car etc. what do you think we should budget? 

I mean we spend £100 a week on food, toiletries, stuff for baby etc in the UK.
We dont really drink or anything, and dont eat really extravagantly!
£300 a month car lease, insurance etc.
£80.00 heat and light.
£140.00 council tax a month
£60.00 month on TV,Phones,broadband
£700.00 rent a month. (I know what sort of prices I would be paying in Cyprus)

Based on this what sort of costs do you think we would be looking at. I know there is not really any council tax in Cyprus.

Thanks


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## Mairi (Feb 11, 2009)

Here is a estimated list we have
Rent 900
Car plus ins 400
heating/lighting 160
water 80
phone/tv/b/band 80
council tax 10
food 400
Thats monthly Mairi


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## Mairi (Feb 11, 2009)

Hi
We have just moved to Cyprus my husband got relocated with his work.We were wondering if there were any expat clubs we could join?
Thanks Mairi


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## francisbl (Jan 25, 2009)

how much is sky tv in cyprus


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

danni and francis take a look at cyprusbill.com. This site give a breakdown of the cost of all essentail items as well as many non essentials.

danni with 2000 euros a month you will struggle to find a villa no matter how small it that you can afford especially in Limassol.
Limassol is very expensive as I have already said.
As for air con if you are sensible you do not need to use aircon. It is expensive to run ,especially the way many brits use it with doors and windows open and aircon on which is ridiculously wasteful.
We have lived here for 4.5 years and although we have aircon in our house we never use it.
We prefer fans, the ones on stands. We have one at the end of our bed in the summer and have it going all night and also use them downstairs. Fans are much cheaper and also more healthy as they do not chill you like aircon can. Also when you use aircon and then go outside it is like stepping into an oven. With fans you do not get that and you actually learn to cope with the heat far better.
Also airconditioning can cause really bad chest infections.
As for food being expensive, yes it is if you want british branded goods.
If you shop in the local fruit markets etc adapt your eating habits to eat like the locals do, lots of salads and fresh fruit and veg you will f ind is not expensive.
However with a young baby you will things like disposable nappies very very expensive compared to the UK.
I actually think that with a young baby you will find it very difficult to manage if your wife is not also working.

Veronica


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## dannyd (Feb 10, 2009)

Hi Veronica,

Many Thanks for taking the time to reply, we have agreed that 2000 is unlikley to be enough for us to live on and I have already mentioned this to our potentional employer, my wife will be working aswell. She has good skills aswell that will be in demand from this employer.

So at the moment we are trying to get an idea into our head of costs and budgets. We have budgeted around 1200 euros for accomodation. This may change as we decide what we need. 

I have a couple of other questions for you:

Is it realistic to think taht we could commute from Paphos to Nicosia for work or is that too far, how long do you think it would it would take.

And secondly do you know what are the options and associated costs for childcare for our 1 year old boy? 

Many Thanks for your help

Danny


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

dannyd said:


> Hi Veronica,
> 
> Many Thanks for taking the time to reply, we have agreed that 2000 is unlikley to be enough for us to live on and I have already mentioned this to our potentional employer, my wife will be working aswell. She has good skills aswell that will be in demand from this employer.
> 
> ...


Hi danny,
It think that commuting from Paphos to Nicosia would be far too much on a regular basis.
You would be far better finding accommodation in the Larnaca area which is reasonably priced and not nearly as far to travel.
Sorry I cant help on the childcare front but I am usre there will be someone who can help you.
I would recommend that you do not live in Nicosia itself as it gets unbearably hot in the summer, even the Cypriots run away from it.

Regards 
Veronica


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## kimonas (Jul 19, 2008)

Commuting from Paphos to Nicosia would not be a good idea. I commute every day from Nicosia where I live to Larnaca where I work. I leave at 6:30 for a 7:30 start, but if I'm even 10 minutes late starting out, the traffic and horrendous driving conditions (rubbish Cypriot driving skills) means the traffic gets backed up. There are also daily accidents and near misses to contend with. It takes a good hour and a half to cross from the outskirts of Nicosia to any jobs in the centre so I'd budget two hours travelling in the opposite direction from Larnaca to anywhere in Nicosia city centre. Paphos to Nicosia is a good three hour trip.

I don't think it would be possible to live on 2000 euros a month if you're renting. Wages here are very poor compared to w Europe and although 2200 is an excellent salary by local standards and few employers would pay more, the cost of living, education, childcare and healthcare are all skyrocketing and most young couples have to work together to make ends meet.


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## dannyd (Feb 10, 2009)

Thanks for your advice, Paphos is out of the question then I think! 

I have done some budgets so I know what we need as a household income to live over in Cyprus,

Could you take a look and see if there is anything I am not budgeting enough for?

Rent - 1200 euros (Worst Case, I could find something cheaper)
Car and Insurance - 400
Heat + Light - 160
Water	- 80
P/TV/BB	- 80
Council tax - 10
Food - 400
Childcare	- 170
Smoking	- 100
Commitments in UK - 619

Total - 3219 Euros.

Do you think there is anything I have missed off or is there anything I am being unrealistic about.And by any chance are there any that I am budgeting too much for?!?

This is for a young family of 3.

Thanks

Danny


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

dannyd said:


> Thanks for your advice, Paphos is out of the question then I think!
> 
> I have done some budgets so I know what we need as a household income to live over in Cyprus,
> 
> ...



You could probably reduce the eletricity a little if oyu use fans instead of aircon.
You probably need to budget a little more for food though.
If you are willing to rent an apartment rather than a villa you can reduce the rent by quite a bit.


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

danni I have workedthings out and I feel oyu need to budget 600-700 euros per month for food.
You need to try to shave that amount off your rental to balance it.


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## dannyd (Feb 10, 2009)

Veronica said:


> danni I have workedthings out and I feel oyu need to budget 600-700 euros per month for food.
> You need to try to shave that amount off your rental to balance it.


#

I have sent you a quick PM, thanks!

We only spend approx £80.00 a week in UK on food and nappies etc. 

Is it that big a difference between the costs of food over in Cyprus?

Thanks


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## Aase (Jul 8, 2007)

You could save on the water bills if you move to Pyrgos where we are, as our quarterly bill is only 15 Euros! On the other hand, we spend quite a lot on heating oil for the radiators, roughly about 150 euros a month in the winter. You don't need central heating in all houses, but ours is freezing without it. We probably spend between 600 and 700 on food every month but could reduce this by going to cheaper shops or eating less fish and meat. 

Another cost to consider is health insurance, as we are not working here we have to pay for this privately and pay 172 Euros a month for two adults and two children. 

As for finding accommodation for less than 1200 a month, that is definitely possible. Friends of mine have just rented a villa with pool outside Limassol for 1000 a month and as you probably don't need more than three bedrooms, you should be able to find something quite easily, especially if you come during the low season. Many places have been vacant for ages and landlords are forced to rent for less than they ask for, our landlady just told me that a friend initially had her house with a pool on the market for 1500 Euros a month, she had an offer in May for 1200which she turned down and she has just let the house for 800 a month as she is no longer able to support the mortgage...

Best of luck, hopefully it will all work out for you.


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## magreek18 (Feb 14, 2009)

hi, now you can find houses around 600 -800 euros in oroklini larnaca which is around 30 minutes from nicosia area for long term rentals.
you just need to make a deal because all the developers need to rent their properties to survive so even if they ask for 900 you can get it for 700 euro because they are is a lot for rent right now.


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## dannyd (Feb 10, 2009)

magreek18 said:


> hi, now you can find houses around 600 -800 euros in oroklini larnaca which is around 30 minutes from nicosia area for long term rentals.
> you just need to make a deal because all the developers need to rent their properties to survive so even if they ask for 900 you can get it for 700 euro because they are is a lot for rent right now.


Hi thanks for this, there are a few apartments round pyla that we have been looking at that we could get a deal on I think. I think we are going to come over for a week in March to have a look around some more.

Oh by the way on the maps is oriklini called Voroklini? as I cant seem to find Oriklini.

Thanks


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## dannyd (Feb 10, 2009)

Actually having had discussions with our potential employers, they have said that they would give bothe me and my wife work and we would earn 3750 Euros a month.

So we have done some more sums, taking tax and social insurance into account and this is what we have come up with, could someone please do a sanity check on it for me?

Rent 650 (Round Larnaca possibly Apartment)
Car + Ins 443 
Fuel 160 (Fuel for commuting)
Heat + Light	160
Water 80
P/TV/BB 80
Council tax 10
Food 500
Childcare 170
Ciggaretes	100
Taxes 178.53
Social Security	236.25 (I think this is 6.3% of total wage, is this correct?)
UK Commitments 619

Total 3386.78

What do you think? 

Thanks

Danny


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

dannyd said:


> Actually having had discussions with our potential employers, they have said that they would give bothe me and my wife work and we would earn 3750 Euros a month.
> 
> So we have done some more sums, taking tax and social insurance into account and this is what we have come up with, could someone please do a sanity check on it for me?
> 
> ...



That looks about right to me danny but you may still find that your estimate for food is a little on the low side unless you are willing to shop around for the best prices and not be too bothered about branded goods etc.
Go for lots of fruit and veg bought from local fruit markets etc. One of the problems with a young baby is the price of nappies and baby foods.
However the wages you and your wife are going to be earning is pretty good.
Make sure you get an E106 from the pensions people in Newcastle as that will get you free medical care for the first 2 years. After that you will need to factor health insurance into your monthly costs or be prepared to pay for treatment.

good luck
Veronica


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## dannyd (Feb 10, 2009)

Veronica said:


> That looks about right to me danny but you may still find that your estimate for food is a little on the low side unless you are willing to shop around for the best prices and not be too bothered about branded goods etc.
> Go for lots of fruit and veg bought from local fruit markets etc. One of the problems with a young baby is the price of nappies and baby foods.
> However the wages you and your wife are going to be earning is pretty good.
> Make sure you get an E106 from the pensions people in Newcastle as that will get you free medical care for the first 2 years. After that you will need to factor health insurance into your monthly costs or be prepared to pay for treatment.
> ...


Thanks for replying Veronica, I thought that was what I was paying Social security for? So I could get treatment ect in hospitals should I need it. I though it was like the NHS and national insurance?

And am I correct in thinking it is 6.3% of total wage, or is there a lower threshold and you pay 6.3% on everything over that?

Thanks

Danny


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

dannyd said:


> Thanks for replying Veronica, I thought that was what I was paying Social security for? So I could get treatment ect in hospitals should I need it. I though it was like the NHS and national insurance?
> 
> And am I correct in thinking it is 6.3% of total wage, or is there a lower threshold and you pay 6.3% on everything over that?
> 
> ...


Well it only covers you for a certain amount. Once your pot is empty you have to pay and the amount you pay depends on your earnings.Those on very low wages (under 10.000k) pay nothing, 10-15k pay 25%, 15-20k 50% over 20k pay full amount.
So for the first two years use your E106 so that you are building up a pot in your social insurance account.


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## dannyd (Feb 10, 2009)

Hi Veronica,

That makes sense now thanks. 

I suppose the cost of living may be less, but we would not know until we took the plunge!


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

dannyd said:


> Hi Veronica,
> 
> That makes sense now thanks.
> 
> I suppose the cost of living may be less, but we would not know until we took the plunge!



Danny I am sure with your combined earnings you will be fine as long as you dont act as though you are on one long holiday going out for meals every night etc.
Live as much as possible as you would in the UK but remember that the sunshine and the slower pace of life makes life so much more enjoyable. 
Good luck to you.

Veronica


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## Chris & Andrea (Feb 15, 2008)

Mairi said:


> Hi Danny
> My husband and I have just moved to Cyprus.I would say 2000 euro is not a lot depending where you wanted to stay..Apartments are not cheap not even for long term renting.The food is much more expensive here than UK.. The utility bills can be expensive ie air con especially in summer,also you have to buy water.My husband relocated with his job,as yet i haven't found work but im hoping to.Also if you have a toddler things can be expensive for them.I'm sure you'll do your homework and look into everything .
> Good Luck Mairi


Hi Mairi,
I'm quite surprised by the reference to the high cost of utility bills & food in in Cyprus. don't know how long you have been away from the UK, but it's not exactly cheap here. I would have thought utility bills of £280-300 (€320-350) a month here are somewhat higher than in sunny Cyprus? Chris


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## Arranexpat (Aug 17, 2008)

dannyd said:


> Thanks for your advice, Paphos is out of the question then I think!
> 
> I have done some budgets so I know what we need as a household income to live over in Cyprus,
> 
> ...


Hi Danny,

Here's our monthly costs for a couple no kids EUR:

Rent (fully furnished 3 bed villa with private pool) 1200pcm

Car.. was renting 500 pcm each so we bought cars, they are very expensive here and it's expensive to import from the UK if you're working here.

Heat and light: 252.69 and we've been really tight with the heating

Water 27.56

TV Sky, we got a sky plus box sent by my brother in law and have a cable of our neighbours satalite, so no idea

Landline phone bill & broadband: 58 EUR PCM it'll cost you around 175 first month plus 150 cash deposit

Food: 800 easy, clothes and food are about 40% more than the UK

Petrol: 40 to fill the tank so depends on how far you travel

I don't smoke but I think ciggarettes are around 3.50 for a pack of 20

Bottle of well known brand Vodka or Gin 11.50 from local shop, don't buy alcahol from supermarket Crate of Carlsberg 15 EUR

Electronic things are expensive ie: electric blanket 90EUR 44" Flat TV over 1200

Ironing: 20 EUR for a big bag including sheets, your will never iron again!
Cleaner: 50 
Pool cleaner 80
going out... Decent meal for 2 mezze 24 EUR slap up meal for 2 60EUR
No idea how much drinks cost but they seem to be really cheap 

So we spend around 3500 a month but we're not paying for cars as we bought ours outright. It costs more to rent cars in the summer. When we first got here we were spending 1000 a month for two cars. Brian works abroad so i'm here on my own a lot and I still spend at least 150 a week on food.

You'll have your set up costs. A months deposit on everything. Phone calls to the UK are very cheap. Our phone bill is 18 EUR for calls, the rest is all line charges and broadband. Mobile calls are pennies even to the UK. You'll get a pay as you go for around 80 EUR

I live in Paphos, it's about a three hour drive to Nicosia, the roads are rough and the speed limit is 100 K/h Most people sit just under 120  <snip>.Iit'll cost you a fortune to commute. I'd advise to get a short term rent and have a good look round. Larnaca to Nicosia is commutable if you want to be on the coast. Still about 3/4 of an hour to Nicosia.

I'd also advise putting money away for the kids school fees for when they are school age. Fee's are around 5000 a year and increase every year.

Eating out is cheap depending on where you go. The quality of life is worth every penny 

You can get accommodation for a lot less. You'd get a nice 2 bed appartment with shared pool for 4-600.

I don't know about child care but be very careful who you employ. There are a lot of illegal immigrants offering domestic work. You can get in a lot of trouble if you employ someone who is from outside the EU.

The quality of life is well worth it.

Hope this helps.


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## surfuk (Feb 20, 2008)

Hi there, have been reading the replies on thsi thread with great interest. I have been living here now for about a year although i have lived here before about 5/6 years ago i have definately noticed a massive difference in price but having said that it isnt as hard as you may think to live a comfortable life. I am down in the Paphos area , and i work in tourist related businesses, i have an all year round job that pays a min of 1000euro/mnth and as much as 2500euro per month in peak season, also have another partime job, self employed in the peak season which boosts my income. Not sure what it is like in the limassol and nicosia areas, but i can say if you live and work in the tourist areas such as paphos as long as you use your noggin and when you are earning over the odds money in summer, put some aside to supplement the lesser income in winter then a comfortable life can be had over here. Especially as at the moment there is such a scope for play on advertised prices for long term rental. I currently pay 500e per month for a 2 bed maisonette, fully furnished to a good standard all white goods etc etc.... i pay a little over the odds for paphos due to the area i am in, but you can get some stunning apts and houses here for very little money. My advice to you is when you make decisions on how much rent to pay where you live etc, dont be blinded by the summer sun, think about things like, do i really need a detatched villa with a pool etc, as nice as it may be in the summer, you still have maintenance costs of a pool in winter etc etc...... trust me , you will learn to hate your pool over time, lol


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