# cost of living,the truth



## leesteath (Sep 1, 2009)

Hi everyone,i have been researching into the cost of living in cyprus(south)from what i can gather the houses /villas are expensives,but the avarage cost of living,as been said to be £500 per month,is this assuming you have purchased your home outright,as i canot see it being possible otherwise,i.e mortgage rent would be that alone,ive read that the average wages are around the £350 per mth mark,and £500 is considred good pay, we are moving over in febuary we plan to rent for the first year at £500 per mth,we also have the running cost of our car,so in all taking the cost of car,rent bills,food etc how much do we need to be looking at earning,im thinking if we are bringing in £1200 that would be more then enough,what is the minimum we could get by on(own buisnesses) any help would be apprciated thanks lee


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

leesteath said:


> Hi everyone,i have been researching into the cost of living in cyprus(south)from what i can gather the houses /villas are expensives,but the avarage cost of living,as been said to be £500 per month,is this assuming you have purchased your home outright,as i canot see it being possible otherwise,i.e mortgage rent would be that alone,ive read that the average wages are around the £350 per mth mark,and £500 is considred good pay, we are moving over in febuary we plan to rent for the first year at £500 per mth,we also have the running cost of our car,so in all taking the cost of car,rent bills,food etc how much do we need to be looking at earning,im thinking if we are bringing in £1200 that would be more then enough,what is the minimum we could get by on(own buisnesses) any help would be apprciated thanks lee


You might just scrape by with that but you wont have many luxuries.
There are just two of us and we spend at least 850 per month and that is without running a car as our business pays for that, also telephone etc is paid by the business.
Oh and we own our house so no rent etc.

Veronica


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## leesteath (Sep 1, 2009)

thank you for that veronica,does what i said about the wages appeare right to you £500 per mth classed as a good wage,and avarage is around the £350 mark,you said that you and your partner spend at least £850 per mth without house,and car,is that figure based on you enjoying a nice lifestyle i.e going out for meals,drinking shoping etc.in the uk me and my partner together bring in around the £2500 a mth out of that we pay for our mortgage,car,insurances, bills, shopping etc,would you say this is what we should be aiming to be looking at earning in cyprus,thank you lee


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

leesteath said:


> thank you for that veronica,does what i said about the wages appeare right to you £500 per mth classed as a good wage,and avarage is around the £350 mark,you said that you and your partner spend at least £850 per mth without house,and car,is that figure based on you enjoying a nice lifestyle i.e going out for meals,drinking shoping etc.in the uk me and my partner together bring in around the £2500 a mth out of that we pay for our mortgage,car,insurances, bills, shopping etc,would you say this is what we should be aiming to be looking at earning in cyprus,thank you lee


850 a month does not include going out for meals etc. That is extra. We dontsmoke nor are we big drinkers, just the occasional glass of wine.
On the whole you really need to budget around the same here as you would in the UK if you want to enjoy the same same level of lifestyle. Remember that there are certain expenses you will have here that you would not have in the UK such as medical insurance as you not qualify for free treatment if you are working. For treatment at the general hospital there is a sliding scale of contributions you would have to make toward treatment depending on how much you earn but most people of working age tend to have private insurance.
I think though that what you have been told is an average wage is out of date, though wages are generally lower than in the UK I dont think that there are many people earning as little as 350.

Veronica


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## Rhyzz (Sep 3, 2009)

Hey Guys,

I've an interest in this thread as it's possible I may be coming to Cyprus.

Cost of living is going to be my main concern. I'm going to be earning more than 4000 Euro per month which is obviously going to be plenty, but I'd like to know what kind of costs I'll be looking at for the luxuries.

Can you get Sky TV over there? How's the broadband? Do they have UK Supermarkets/retailers? How much is it to run a car/buy a car?

Villa's are looking at around 800 per month, so how much are utilities? Electricity is extortionate in Spain which took me by surprise, so I'd like to plan more carefully this time!

Thanks
Paul


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

Rhyzz said:


> Hey Guys,
> 
> I've an interest in this thread as it's possible I may be coming to Cyprus.
> 
> ...


For breakdowns ofcosts go to Cyprus bill.com. They update prices regularly.

We find the cost of living evens out to around the same as the UK as although some things are more expensive others are much less.
Those who moan about the cost of electricity are those who use their airconditioning a lot. We never use it as we don't like the fridge/oven/firdge effect you get when you go in and out of airconditioned rooms. We much prefer to have our windows open for the breeze to blow through and fans where we need them. 
Sky TV is available as is broadband. The broadband isnt as quick as in the UK but it is prefectly adequate. As we have a website based business and we are online most of the day and evening we need reliable broadband and we never have any problems.

No UK supermarkets yet but Tescos is rumoured to be coming. However there are very good supermarkets and also very good smaller local shops. The fruit markets are excellent for good quality low priced fruit and veg and they also tend to have most other things you need at very good prices.
If you stick to the big supermarkets you will find it expensive but if you shop around you will soon leanr where to get the best value for money.

Veronica


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## Beth&Dell (Dec 24, 2009)

Hi Veronica, 
I see you said that you are on the internet all the time! we use it alot at home as we run our own business here and are going to be doing that in Cyprus too!! So what meg do you have? as to get a decent meg its like €80 but i do understand that that isnt needed as not as many people have internet etc. (so balances it out)
Also if you dont mind! Who is your supplier? and we wouldnt be using the land line to make calls but would obviously need it for internet so is that expensive to get?
I am just about to go and have a look at that website you said about the bills so i may find it on there anyway!!

Thanks alot for all your help! Unfortunately we have been put into a situation where we are having to make a quick move! So although i am trailing the forum for answers a may still have a few questions

Thanks Beth


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

Beth&Dell said:


> Hi Veronica,
> I see you said that you are on the internet all the time! we use it alot at home as we run our own business here and are going to be doing that in Cyprus too!! So what meg do you have? as to get a decent meg its like €80 but i do understand that that isnt needed as not as many people have internet etc. (so balances it out)
> Also if you dont mind! Who is your supplier? and we wouldnt be using the land line to make calls but would obviously need it for internet so is that expensive to get?
> I am just about to go and have a look at that website you said about the bills so i may find it on there anyway!!
> ...


Hi Beth,
We are with Cytanet and our bills are around €70 per month but that includes the land line and all calls as well. As we make a lot of calls abroad that is not bad.
I cant rember how many megs we have but we are not on the highest but find the one we are on adequate even though we use the internet for our business.

Veronica


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## BabsM (May 24, 2008)

Beth&Dell said:


> Hi Veronica,
> I see you said that you are on the internet all the time! we use it alot at home as we run our own business here and are going to be doing that in Cyprus too!! So what meg do you have? as to get a decent meg its like €80 but i do understand that that isnt needed as not as many people have internet etc. (so balances it out)
> Also if you dont mind! Who is your supplier? and we wouldnt be using the land line to make calls but would obviously need it for internet so is that expensive to get?
> I am just about to go and have a look at that website you said about the bills so i may find it on there anyway!!
> ...


Hi Beth,
We have 2meg and its adequate. We get our broadband through Cyta. Our bills are a little highter than Veronicas, around 75Eu a month. We run two mobiles on contract within this bill.


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## Beth&Dell (Dec 24, 2009)

Thanks Babs thats great, so you can run landline's and mobiles off of all the same company?
Beth


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## theresoon (Apr 11, 2008)

Beth&Dell said:


> Thanks Babs thats great, so you can run landline's and mobiles off of all the same company?
> Beth


and cable too.


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## Beth&Dell (Dec 24, 2009)

theresoon said:


> and cable too.


Thanks "there soon",
We have been told that we can bring our sky box from the uk and carry on paying for it like normal & just buy a bigger dish?? so i think thats what we intend to do for cable?! Have you heard that?

Thanks Beth


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## BabsM (May 24, 2008)

Beth&Dell said:


> Thanks Babs thats great, so you can run landline's and mobiles off of all the same company?
> Beth


Yes you can with CYTA, the BT equivalent. have a look at their website Welcome to Cytanet Official Website for more info.

I believe you can do something similiar with the cable company Primetel but we don't have cable in our area.


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## zeebo (Nov 15, 2009)

Hello,

been looking on cyprusbill.com and am pretty shocked by the prices!! eg 1kg mince beef 13 euros (£11.75ish)... UK £3.19 tesco...

It is the same story for most products.. aaaaahh!

Seriously worrying as im due out there 2nd week of jan for a job that is less cash than im on in the UK (where it seems the cost of living is cheaper)... doh

why can't life just be simple ;-)

can i swear on here?? %$"!£


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## theresoon (Apr 11, 2008)

zeebo said:


> Hello,
> 
> been looking on cyprusbill.com and am pretty shocked by the prices!! eg 1kg mince beef 13 euros (£11.75ish)... UK £3.19 tesco...
> 
> ...


that has to be wrong.


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## Beth&Dell (Dec 24, 2009)

zeebo said:


> Hello,
> 
> been looking on cyprusbill.com and am pretty shocked by the prices!! eg 1kg mince beef 13 euros (£11.75ish)... UK £3.19 tesco...
> 
> ...


Hi i saw that 2, & me and my partner couldnt work it out!! as that is very expensive, milk seemed more expensive too!!

We are moving in February and just hope that its not the case!! but does say its updated weekly! hopefully just an error


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## zeebo (Nov 15, 2009)

Beth&Dell said:


> Hi i saw that 2, & me and my partner couldnt work it out!! as that is very expensive, milk seemed more expensive too!!
> 
> We are moving in February and just hope that its not the case!! but does say its updated weekly! hopefully just an error


Im really cacking it now!! like I say 2 weeks left to leave UK.. I would be happy to just dismis it but a few people living out there have recomended the site in other threads...

I was out there in November (for a day) and saw petrol was about 0.91 Euros.. so looks right! 

I nearly canned the whole idea of moving out because it seems that everyone in cyprus must be rich to live there but talked out of it.. 

One greek bloke i met out there said "if you continue your english diet it will be expensive, but cypriot food is cheap"...i just hope its true or this could e the shortest migration ever!


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## theresoon (Apr 11, 2008)

zeebo said:


> Im really cacking it now!! like I say 2 weeks left to leave UK.. I would be happy to just dismis it but a few people living out there have recomended the site in other threads...
> 
> I was out there in November (for a day) and saw petrol was about 0.91 Euros.. so looks right!
> 
> ...


now I am curious. In one of the greek papers there is the housewife's basket with prices from grocery stores in the major cities. Cann't find the paper now but will check tomorrow and let you know of prices. Also diesel is cheaper than petrol and you do more miles to a gallon with the new diesel cars. Also Lidl is opening up soon and I have been told their prices are very low.


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## Beth&Dell (Dec 24, 2009)

zeebo said:


> Im really cacking it now!! like I say 2 weeks left to leave UK.. I would be happy to just dismis it but a few people living out there have recomended the site in other threads...
> 
> I was out there in November (for a day) and saw petrol was about 0.91 Euros.. so looks right!
> 
> ...


What is cypriot food??!! 

Honestly I wouldn't worry too much, my brother lives in tala and shops at carfore and he would of said if it was expensive, and he hasn't changed his diet either!! Where are you moving too?


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## kimonas (Jul 19, 2008)

Beth&Dell said:


> What is cypriot food??!!
> 
> Honestly I wouldn't worry too much, my brother lives in tala and shops at carfore and he would of said if it was expensive, and he hasn't changed his diet either!! Where are you moving too?


My daughters's godmother's brother-in-law is president of the butcher's union of Cyprus - had a fantastic boxing day dinner (lots of meat) which he supplied. He's been on TV a lot recently discussing the currently very high prices of meat and the reasons for it. It has something to do with implementing EU directives on animal welfare, and I'm sure is just a temporary blip. Beef is especially expensive because of the cost of feed. There are no rolling fields for grazing in Cyprus where cattle are raised in rather tawdry, ramshackle sheds for shelter from the sun and their feed is tractored to them every day. The cost of lamb has seen the biggest increase as the traditional sheperding where farmers simply let their flocks wander at will across open land has been stopped and all animals are now enclosed (or are supposed to be) again hiking the costs of raising them that are ultimatley passed on to consumers. 

The Cypriots traditionally don't eat a lot of meat in their diet (despite the tourist inspired meze dishes). A great deal of lamb and pork is eaten on feast days, but the traditional dishes are largely vegetable and cheese based with plenty of olive oil, bread and wine to wash it down. There is an emphasis on gleaned food with horta (wild greens), snails, song birds and other game featuring heavily in the traditional menu. At the moment wild mushrooms are in season because of the recent spell of very wet weather we've been having. They can sell for up to 30 euros a kilo, so lots of country folk are out collecting at the moment. The main market for this is the restuarant trade and many are exported (locally they are known as land caviar) - snails are being collected too because they're out in force because of the damp conditions. 

Of course eating like locals does not entail a switch to slurping snails and shooting birds, but simply avoiding imported foods at the supermarket. If ex-pats insist on having imported Cathedral cheddar, Branston pickle, heinz baked beans and imported bacon, and beef mince in their shopping basket, it will be very expensive - but the local alternatives are (on the whole) healthier, tastier and cheaper.


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## Beth&Dell (Dec 24, 2009)

kimonas said:


> My daughters's godmother's brother-in-law is president of the butcher's union of Cyprus - had a fantastic boxing day dinner (lots of meat) which he supplied. He's been on TV a lot recently discussing the currently very high prices of meat and the reasons for it. It has something to do with implementing EU directives on animal welfare, and I'm sure is just a temporary blip. Beef is especially expensive because of the cost of feed. There are no rolling fields for grazing in Cyprus where cattle are raised in rather tawdry, ramshackle sheds for shelter from the sun and their feed is tractored to them every day. The cost of lamb has seen the biggest increase as the traditional sheperding where farmers simply let their flocks wander at will across open land has been stopped and all animals are now enclosed (or are supposed to be) again hiking the costs of raising them that are ultimatley passed on to consumers.
> 
> The Cypriots traditionally don't eat a lot of meat in their diet (despite the tourist inspired meze dishes). A great deal of lamb and pork is eaten on feast days, but the traditional dishes are largely vegetable and cheese based with plenty of olive oil, bread and wine to wash it down. There is an emphasis on gleaned food with horta (wild greens), snails, song birds and other game featuring heavily in the traditional menu. At the moment wild mushrooms are in season because of the recent spell of very wet weather we've been having. They can sell for up to 30 euros a kilo, so lots of country folk are out collecting at the moment. The main market for this is the restuarant trade and many are exported (locally they are known as land caviar) - snails are being collected too because they're out in force because of the damp conditions.
> 
> Of course eating like locals does not entail a switch to slurping snails and shooting birds, but simply avoiding imported foods at the supermarket. If ex-pats insist on having imported Cathedral cheddar, Branston pickle, heinz baked beans and imported bacon, and beef mince in their shopping basket, it will be very expensive - but the local alternatives are (on the whole) healthier, tastier and cheaper.


Yes that sounds logical!! I mean we wouldnt be buying branded products from the uk anyway, but having a healthier diet is all part of the new experience!!

Thanks for clearing that up for us:clap2:


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## zeebo (Nov 15, 2009)

Hello,

Can someone please just make a mental note of the cost of the basics in CY and put it on here.. c'mon there are loads of you out there and you have to shop etc..

something like:
milk
eggs
cheese(feta or anything)
olive oil 1l
chircken brest steaks 
fusili pasts 1kg
antipast sauce 190g
bread..


Pleeeasssse? 

Also 50-80 E per month for <snip> broadband seems massivly expensive.


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## BabsM (May 24, 2008)

zeebo said:


> Hello,
> 
> Can someone please just make a mental note of the cost of the basics in CY and put it on here.. c'mon there are loads of you out there and you have to shop etc..
> 
> ...


Prices of all these things vary... I usually pay around 1.80 eu for 1.5l of yellow label milk but our local supermarket has had it on offer at 99c per litre recently. I pay 2.5 for a dozen eggs from our local corner shop but a neighbour pays 3 for hers from a man who delivers them.

I pay about 4.50 for my feta. You can pay less or more depending on the brand and where you are buying it. Bread... 99c for a local country bread, 2eu for UK-style sliced loaf. I don't use antipesto sauce or buy Fusili pasta. I've been buying my chicken whole and the butcher cuts it up for me but I think I saw breast in Carrefour for about 7eu a kilo.

I don't think broadband is cheap but I am prepared to pay for it as its something we want.


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## BabsM (May 24, 2008)

zeebo said:


> Hello,
> 
> been looking on cyprusbill.com and am pretty shocked by the prices!! eg 1kg mince beef 13 euros (£11.75ish)... UK £3.19 tesco...
> 
> ...


Yes, I have found some strange prices on that site before. I must say I don't know what beef mince they are buying.... must be hand-raised !!!!! I pay around 7eu a kilo for beef mince and around 3eu a kilo for pork mince.

I have always maintained that, overall, the cost of living is less here because our council tax here is around 150eu in total for the year whereas my UK council tax in 2007 was £1750. 
Add to that electricity at about £200 per quarter (100 eu per month), 
gas on average £200 per quarter (50 eu max per YEAR), 
water and sewerage around £600 per year (100 eu per year )

and no, you can't swear on here.


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## dalaney (Oct 7, 2008)

Hi

I would say bills are cheaper than UK apart from internet. Mobile calls are cheap. Only 2cent a text even to UK.

Food is quite expensive though. I would say our weekly shopping bill was around double than the UK. Fruit and veg is good value and a lot nicer than UK.


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

Lidl are opening 14 shops in Cyprus in the next year or two.
Construction has already started on one along the paphos to Coral bay road, near the Venus beach hotel.

Once Lidl are established it will force prices down here as it did in Southern Ireland when they went into there.

Veronica


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## vkyprianou (May 6, 2009)

The following can be helpful to those planning on moving to Cyprus. Please note we are a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 kids), have 2 cars and live in a 220sqm house about 12 km from the center of Nicosia. The list of expenses is should give people a good idea of the cost of living here which we have found to be extremely high after living in the US for over 25 years.

Note that the list assumes: No private schooling for kids, no car/home loans, no restaurants, no sundry items, no gifts, no vacations etc. Also, you can probably get a better deal these days for a combination phone/internet/sat tv.

Prices are in Euros:

CYTA (Phone/Internet)	103
Electricity 133
Water 33
MTN (Mobile) 32
Nova (Sat TV) 50
Insurance (car/home/medical)	415
Groceries 411
Medical 145
Gas 386
Car Expenses (not Insurance)	121
Total Monthly Expenses	1828


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## BabsM (May 24, 2008)

vkyprianou said:


> The following can be helpful to those planning on moving to Cyprus. Please note we are a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 kids), have 2 cars and live in a 220sqm house about 12 km from the center of Nicosia. The list of expenses is should give people a good idea of the cost of living here which we have found to be extremely high after living in the US for over 25 years.
> 
> Note that the list assumes: No private schooling for kids, no car/home loans, no restaurants, no sundry items, no gifts, no vacations etc. Also, you can probably get a better deal these days for a combination phone/internet/sat tv.
> 
> ...


Hi thank you for this.... very useful.

Just for clarification, are these all monthly outgoings? The insurance, gas and medical seem high for monthly figures


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## vkyprianou (May 6, 2009)

BabsM said:


> Hi thank you for this.... very useful.
> 
> Just for clarification, are these all monthly outgoings? The insurance, gas and medical seem high for monthly figures


Yes, these are monthly expenses.

Insurance includes premiums for cars (€100/month) medical plan (overseas coverage) and life (€300/month).

Gas is for two cars.

Medical is before any reimbursements from medical plans.


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## zeebo (Nov 15, 2009)

Hi,

Your living there and you know your own business so am not questioning you but if you add on an average rent / mortgage of around 700 a month you would need about 31k after tax per year just to scratch by (like you say no vacations etc)... wow

Most of the prices you have quoted are higher than other people have told me per year!... 

Which leads me back to my original opinion that you need to own a house outright to live there. 

food for thought thanks.


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

The Cytanet costs, electricty, water and mobile phones quoted by vkyprianou are all a lot more than we pay per month. However there are only two of us not 4 but we do run a business from home so that would make some of our costs more than they would be otherwise. Perhaps we are just more careful than vkyprianou and his/her family. We are always aware of the environmental factors of the use of electricty and water etc so we are careful.
GAS? is this the american term for petrol or is it gas for cooking and heating etc?
Either way that figure looks extremely excessive to me.

Veronica


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## kimonas (Jul 19, 2008)

zeebo said:


> Hi,
> 
> Your living there and you know your own business so am not questioning you but if you add on an average rent / mortgage of around 700 a month you would need about 31k after tax per year just to scratch by (like you say no vacations etc)... wow
> 
> ...


Our petrol (US Gas) bill was 360 last month (for two cars) and I'd judge the list provided earlier in the thread as fairly typical. Of course add on the missing mortgage, education fees (for those opting for private education), gifts, vacation, loans etc and you would need to be earning at more than 31k for a decent lifestyle. This is one of the reasons I have always cautioned younger families with children that (with poor job prospects/low salaries) life is going to be tough here. You do need two salaries coming in to survive (or independent means such as pensions, rental income etc). The cost of living is probably going to work out similar to the UK, so if you can't get by there, you'll face the same problems here.


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## zeebo (Nov 15, 2009)

Hi,

Thanks for that. The funny thing is the job i am taking is less than my UK wages but everyone i have sopken to has said "wow thats loads for cyprus".... a bit of a contradiction.. very difficult.. i can take a pay cut to live somewhere cheaper but the houses are more expensive and if this is anything to go by then so is everything else!

I love cyprus and the history of the whole area and proximity to the holy land etc but it is begining to look like a bit of a gentleman's club... kind of like gibralta or jersey.. u know nice to live if you dont need to work.


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## zeebo (Nov 15, 2009)

i got circa 50k euros offer in cy and there is my my wife and 3 young kids to provide for.. i dont think it is enough..


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## chello (Jun 26, 2009)

We have 45k Eur and have 3 young kids, and we don't starve !
Don't worry.

Monthly expenses :
rent 600
car fuel 200
food 600
internet 55
electricity 50
mobile phone 20
clothes+shoes etc 150

Don't worry.


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## zeebo (Nov 15, 2009)

That is fantastic to hear! I was begining to think you needed 16 hourses in london rented out, a pension and inheritance and a lottery win just to get by. 

Also glad to hear that lots of people are working... I have lived in Cornwall AKA God's waiting room once and dont want to repeat the experiance


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## vkyprianou (May 6, 2009)

zeebo said:


> Hi,
> 
> Your living there and you know your own business so am not questioning you but if you add on an average rent / mortgage of around 700 a month you would need about 31k after tax per year just to scratch by (like you say no vacations etc)... wow
> 
> ...


I left out a lot of other expenses which can be very high but I felt that people can manage them with a conservative lifestyle. However, note that private schooling is about €1,000/month. 

Yes, there are couples here living on a gross income of €1500-2000/month. With that income, though, you can't have a mortgage, you can barely afford rent, you can't send your kids to private schools, you can't afford vacations and most likely your credit cards and overdraft accounts will be loaded. The key here in Cyprus for most locals is the huge financial help they get from their parents.

The place has gotten very expensive. Look at some recent studies where certain products here have ranked most expensive throughout all of EU.


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## Geraldine (Jan 3, 2009)

Hi, 
As a daily visitor to this forum, I have to say that for all of us thinking of jumping out of our comfort zones to join you, your advice is invaluable. Thank you. 

Do you think the cost of living in Cyprus may come down when things get back on an even keel??
Geraldine


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## vkyprianou (May 6, 2009)

It's really hard to say. Most people hope so since they can't really afford living here anymore. There needs to be a serious "Crack" though before that happens. The most anticipated crack, i.e. real estate, has not happened yet at least not to the extend necessary to have a ripple effect elsewhere. Yes, R/E prices have gone down but compared to where they were, NOT ENOUGH! 2010 should prove to be pivotal though in my opinion. If there is a serious correction in prices (and therefore cost of living) it should be very soon, otherwise it will never happen!


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## ifwebelieve (Jan 16, 2010)

*mmmm...*



vkyprianou said:


> It's really hard to say. Most people hope so since they can't really afford living here anymore. There needs to be a serious "Crack" though before that happens. The most anticipated crack, i.e. real estate, has not happened yet at least not to the extend necessary to have a ripple effect elsewhere. Yes, R/E prices have gone down but compared to where they were, NOT ENOUGH! 2010 should prove to be pivotal though in my opinion. If there is a serious correction in prices (and therefore cost of living) it should be very soon, otherwise it will never happen!


Well after reading this my dreams are slowly slipping through my hands, at present anyway. Im a single parent of two young children, does anyone know, if i started my own buisness in wedding hair and make-up, if there would be much chance of it takin off?, and give me enough money for us to get by?, thank you for reading my thread an any helpful replys would be deeply appreiciated


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

ifwebelieve said:


> Well after reading this my dreams are slowly slipping through my hands, at present anyway. Im a single parent of two young children, does anyone know, if i started my own buisness in wedding hair and make-up, if there would be much chance of it takin off?, and give me enough money for us to get by?, thank you for reading my thread an any helpful replys would be deeply appreiciated


I am sorry to add to the shattering of your dreams but many businesses such as this are closing because there are no longer the number of expats coming over here to get married.
My advice is to wait for a few years to see if the economic climate improves and tourism picks up again. 
To take risks like this when you have young children and there would only be one wage coming in would be very foolhardy to say the least unless you have a very large sum of money behind you to see you through until you can establish a business. 
The people who make it work over here are in the main couples with no children or where both partners have good jobs.

Sorry to burst your bubble but its better to have the truth and avoid making a huge mistake with your childrens futures.

Kind regards
Veronica


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## ifwebelieve (Jan 16, 2010)

Veronica said:


> I am sorry to add to the shattering of your dreams but many businesses such as this are closing because there are no longerthe number of expats coming over here to get married.
> My advice if to wait for a few years to see if the economic climate improve and tourism picks up again.
> To take risks like this when you have young children and there would only be one wage coming in would be very foolhardy to say the least unless you have a very large sum of money behind you to see you through until you can establish a business.
> The people who make it work over here are in the main couples with no children or where both partners have good jobs.
> ...


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

ifwebelieve said:


> Veronica said:
> 
> 
> > I am sorry to add to the shattering of your dreams but many businesses such as this are closing because there are no longerthe number of expats coming over here to get married.
> ...


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## mesaka (Mar 2, 2009)

I've been living here 4 months now (in Nicosia) and I thought I'd give my impression on prices and life in general. I should mention that although I am a British ex-pat I moved here after a decade or so of living in Germany where I will return at the end of June.

Overall, I find that a basket of goods and services are generally on the par with Germany. However, this hides some large disparities within the basket. For instance Imported goods / electronics are significantly more expensive; local produce (especially fruit and vegetables) are of higher quality and cheaper. My family have noticed that we have moved to a healthier diet - less red meat more vegetarian style (but we do still eat meat) but I'm not sure if that is health related or cost related. Fuel for heating / cars seems slightly cheaper than we are used to while the internet/cable/telephone deal (we use cablenet who are extremely good) seems reasonable (around EUR80 each month) especially given that we tend to make a lot of international calls around Europe. The one thing that really is horrendously expensive is running children ;-)! The school fees for our two primary school age kids come to around EUR9000 per school year for them both and that is only the fees; books, trips uniforms, etc are more. Clothes for them are also excessively expensive. International travel is both prohibitively expensive and not as flexible as I am used to - one often need to change planes rather than going direct which is a cost in terms of time. Rents seem somewhat cheaper than in Germany whle Mortgage costs are significantly more (interest rates here are higher than the equivalent in either Germany or the UK. If you are paid in euro its worth considering examining getting foreign mortgages rather than Cypriot domestic ones). Eating out is a bit more than I am used to but only marginally so and you do need to avoid known tourist 'rip off' sites.

I am lucky enough to have a very good salary but for the first time in years I am watching our Bank account closely as there often seems to be more month than money.

Given all of this you might think I am not happy here. The reverse is undoubtedly the case - my family love the change in my work / life balance. Children are celebrated rather than considered as necessary evils as they are in the UK and Germany. Even when the weather is bad it is significantly better than life in the north of Europe. But perhaps the best thing are the people here who, while volatile and occaisionally argumentative, live life to the full and even when they are grumbling seem to do so with a smile on their faces.


Andrew


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## BabsM (May 24, 2008)

mesaka said:


> I've been living here 4 months now (in Nicosia) and I thought I'd give my impression on prices and life in general.
> 
> Andrew


Well said Andrew! An excellent post, balanced and fair.


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## yummymummy150 (Sep 8, 2007)

HI If you have a large bank acc , &family here to help with child care.
Then you have as much chance as anyone, but
you needto pay for school extra classes, after school care, .
tuff year the to start new buisness, the ones here are stuggling and closing 
think you should holiday as much as you can save &wait till kids can stand on there own , then take the chance, when its only you to worry about .
dont stop dreaming x


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