# Costs of dwelling and more, around Phapos



## Jamaar (Oct 17, 2016)

Hello,
I'm a 60+ y.o. Dutch expat, living since 15 years in Thailand for my health (asthma/emphysema).

For several reasons I am thinking of leaving Thailand, one being that I do not feel comfortable in the military dictatorship that Thailand has become since 2014, especially not with the constantly increasing repression.
Because of my health I can't return to cold & rainy Netherlands. I even had problems living in the 'cold' season in North-Thailand, and moved years ago to South-West Thailand.

I noticed that Cyprus had a climate that most likely is warm enough for me, and it has the benefit that I would there qualify for a Cypriotic health-insurance. In Thailand I am not insured, which isn't a comfortable situation.

Problem is that I don't know anyone in Cyprus to turn to, and my modest income does not allow me to first go for a holiday to Cyprus to see before deciding.

My questions right now are these 4:
1. What would be the monthly rental price of a 2-3 room house or apartment in a village at about 20 km outside of Phapos, provided such accomodation is available at all.

2. How much would it cost to hire a cleaner for 3 (half?) days a week.?

3. In case such would not be included in cleaning: are there small laundry-shops where one can have cloths and bedlinen washed and ironed, and what are about the costs ?

4. As I daily need to take several medicines, what kind of medication is in Cyprus at drugstores/pharmacies available over the counter? Can one purchase asthma medication like theophylin, terbutalin and things like antibiotics OTC, or are such things only available at clinics and hospitals?

Thanks in advance for any reply and/or advice.

With kind regards,
/J.


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## Jamaar (Oct 17, 2016)

As I don't see an option for editing: Phapos should of course read Paphos/Pafos.


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

What do you mean by Cypriotic health insurance? If you mean private insurance you would not be covered for any problems related to your current health problems.
If you mean using state hospitals you would only qualify for that if you are receiving an EU state retirement pension.

As for the climate, I suggest you check thoroughly whether in fact Cyprus is Ok for you as we get times when there is a lot of dust in the air, sand from Africa, the middle east, etc. People with lung problems are often recommended to stay indoor with windows closed at these times.


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## Jamaar (Oct 17, 2016)

Hi Veronica,

Thank you for your reply.

As holder of a Dutch passport, I can under EU rules enter the government health insurance of Cyprus (or of any other EU country). Under that EU rules, such insurance have an obligation to accept everyone who applies no matter what existing conditions. Once Insured one will receive an EHIC: European Health Insurance Card. 

As for sand, I'm afraid there are less and less places in the world where the airquality is always healthy. Here in Surat Thani, we have every tear pollution from smoke coming from burning of fields/forest in Indonesia and Malaysia., which lasts about 2 months. 

But, it is good to know of this problem in Cyprus.
Please let me know how often, and for how long those dust-storms in Cyprus usually last.


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

Jamaar said:


> Hi Veronica,
> 
> Thank you for your reply.
> 
> ...


An EHIC is only relevant for short term . Holiday makers etc. You cannot use that long term.
The sand usually comes in the spring and again in the autumn. Can last for up to a month at a time although usually is not as long as that.


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## expatme (Dec 4, 2013)

Hi Jamaar,
If you are recieving a state pension (not private) from an EU country you are eligable to apply for and get the treatment and prescriptions from the state Hospitals here in Cyprus. This is once you have applied for and got resident permit to live here.


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## Jamaar (Oct 17, 2016)

Hi,

According to the information I received by telephone and on the website of zorginstituutnederland.nl , the insurance (valid in state hospitals) has no time limit.

Sandstorm of several weeks doesn't sound fun, but I think it is less of a burden for asthma patients, than the small dust particles contained in the smoke from burning palmoil stubs and other vegetation. I guess sand will not pass a simple mouth/nose mask, whereas inhalation of the PM in that smoke, can only be prevented by expensive and uncomfortable masks.


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## Jamaar (Oct 17, 2016)

Hello expatme,

Thanks for your contribution.

As I have at present no insurance at all, I'll have to take the risk of having to wait some time before I get such permanent resident permit.

Right now, I will wait with further inquiries at authorities in The Netherlands and Cyprus, as I first need to know if other conditions make it financially possible for me to live in Cyprus.

I would appreciate if members would be so kind as to reply to my questions on housing, cleaning and washing, and OTC medication.


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

As both expatme and I have said, IF you are in receipt of a state pension you will be covered for care at state hospitals. 
If not you will need to have private insurance or pay as you go.
The EHIC does NOT cover you for long term health care. It is only to cover people visiting and there is a time limit on it.

Sorry I can't help you with cost of cleaners. 
Rental can vary depending on the location and the condition of the property. For a 2 bedroom apartment it could be as little as 250 euros or as much as 350euros per month.
I suggest you look at some rental websites to give a better idea.


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## Jamaar (Oct 17, 2016)

Hi Veronica,

Thanks for that info.

Healtinsurance: I have a disability pension that according to Dutch authorities entitles me to the same care as holders of a state (retirement-) pension. 

Can you please suggest some websites that have rental prices like the amounts you mentioned?
The only ones I found are meant for holidays, meaning that I only saw prices of rooms rented per night, none with monthly rentals of small housing.

Thanks.


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

Jamaar said:


> Hi Veronica,
> 
> 
> 
> ...


In that case you need to get a form SS1 from your pensions people. You take that to the citizens centre here who will then issue you with a hospital card.

Here are two websites I found by simply googling 'long term rentals Paphos'

http://www.onlinecyprus.com/paphos_long_term_rentals-b568_0-en.html
long term rent cyprus | long term rental cyprus | long term rental paphos


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## Talagirl (Feb 24, 2013)

Hi Jamaar, 
As someone with chronic breathing problems I find the climate in the Paphos area suits me and even though I am not affected by dust I check on this website for air pollution levels in Cyprus. 

Air Pollution in Cyprus: Real-time Air Quality Index Visual Map

Here is the link to the current Medication Price List in Cyprus: 

PHARMACEUTICAL SERVICES - Pharmaceutical Price List

Property rental prices vary enormously and as there are so many different types of accommodation it is difficult to answer a general question regarding price, but if you search 'Paphos + long term rentals' you should find a list of rental agencies and have a look at their options.

With regards to cleaning your property the cost will depend on what type of work is involved.

There are laundries and dry cleaners and also self-service launderettes, but most properties have a washing machine so this could form part of the house cleaning.


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## Jamaar (Oct 17, 2016)

I found a website paphospropertycyprus that has long-time rentals.
I still would appreciate to get info on my other questions.
Thanks.


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## Jamaar (Oct 17, 2016)

Veronica, thanks for the info on insurance and the housing links.

Talagirl: Thanks a lot for your reply.

Both links are very useful for me.
It will be a big step for me to rent a house via website, and move to a new country where I have never been before.
It is comforting to read that the place of my choice, Paphos is okay for your your breathing problems!

On the medicine list I saw that Theodur tablets are about the same price as here, but my Seretide inhaler is at 35€ twice the price I pay in Thailand  
I noticed that medication like alprazolam is not listed, I suppose that means that (like here) that can only be obtained in a hospital.

As for cleaning: due to my asthma, I can hardly do anything straining myself.
A cleaning lady would therefore have to clean everything in the house, except for the dishes.
I think that 2-3 times half a day should be enough for that.
Would be nice if someone would know in what order of price such work would be. Here I pay for about a half day, which is the time it takes to do the cleaning. sometimes 4 hours, sometimes 3 hours.

I'll go study the housing sites for now.


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

Once you have got a doctor at the hospital you should get most of your medicines at the hospital pharmacy. Any that are available at the hospital you will only pay 50cents for them.


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## Jamaar (Oct 17, 2016)

Veronica said:


> Once you have got a doctor at the hospital you should get most of your medicines at the hospital pharmacy. Any that are available at the hospital you will only pay 50cents for them.


Thanks! That is good news


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## Jamaar (Oct 17, 2016)

My next question is on the costs of electricity. 
On the comparision site https://www.costtotravel.com/living-cost the cost is mentioned as 0.315 € per kwh. 
Is that (about) the correct price? 

In an older thread "Electricity Costs ?"I saw that Veronica mentioned a price of 100 € p/m for a 3 bedroom villa with 2 fans and 2 computers on.
I guess the price must have risen since that 1 y.o. post?


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## PeteandSylv (Sep 24, 2008)

If you can't find your medicines on the official list I suggest Googling your medicine name. This will give you links to medical sites many of which helpfully list the alternative names the medicine may be called under generic manufacture.

I just looked at the comparison site you listed. One or two items are about right, the rest is pretty innacurate in my opinion. In comparing London and Paphos it states that London would cost £181 more for the same items but doesn't clarify what the items are. It seems to include taxis but ignores local taxes and so does not reflect a true cost of living. I would totally ignore it. If you want a feel for supermarket costs check out websites for Alphamega, Papantoniou, Carrefour and Lidl.

Our last electricity bill averaged €0.17 per kwh including VAT and adjustments. Electricity prices have reduced quite a bit since their peak here and are about middling for EU countries. The electricity cost the comparison site quotes is wildly innacurate.

You wrote: _It will be a big step for me to rent a house via website, and move to a new country where I have never been before._

I think that this would be rather more than a big step and would be verging on foolishness. Far better to visit and take advantage of cheap lodgings while you travel the entire area to see where you prefer and might like to live. You will also be able to check out places for rent and understand what life here might be like for you.

Pete


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

I agree with Pete. To rent a place without seeing and exploring the area would be foolhardy.
Far better to go for a short term rent first to give you time look around and view a few properties once you get here.


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## Jamaar (Oct 17, 2016)

Hi PeteandSylv,

Thanks for the fast reply.
Same as you, I had also made some other comparisions on costotravel.com and was wondering about things that did seem off. Like banana's being cheaper in Paphos than on the thai countryside.... 
However, that elecrticity worried me, because I had read some older articles about that price being extremely high.

Glad to read that the high price is a thing of the past. The price you mention is at 0.17 € almost the same as the price in Thailand. Which brings me to a question I forgot to ask, as I had here 3 times a power outage in the last 24 hours: how about outage in Cyprus?
In Thailand you do need a good UPS if you want to be able to use a computer, as besides outages (I don't even count those of 2-3 seconds), there often are brownouts.
A PC wouldn't last long if not protected by such a battery backup.

As for your last remark: you're right that would be quite foolish. 
I already decided that if I choose for Cyprus (I'm also considering Crete), I would rent an appartment for 2-4 weeks to use that as a base from where to go look for a long-time rental. I wouldn't want to take the risk of only going by some nice description and pictures, only to find out that the appartment can only be reached by climbing a steep 100 steps flight of stairs, or that it would be located above a disco, restaurant or other noisy or smelly place


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## PeteandSylv (Sep 24, 2008)

Jamaar said:


> Hi PeteandSylv,
> 
> Thanks for the fast reply.
> Same as you, I had also made some other comparisions on costotravel.com and was wondering about things that did seem off. Like banana's being cheaper in Paphos than on the thai countryside....
> ...


Good to hear that you've modified your original suggestion.

We live in a small village about 20 minutes north of Paphos and our electricity supply is pretty stable. Some years ago we would experience failures several times a week but now they are rare. The biggest risk comes when there are thunderstorms and you get a surge. Despite using surge suppressing plugs during one of our last big storms our modem and TV were damaged. There are occasional planned cuts for maintenance and supplies to new houses but these are also rare. If you own a suitable UPS it certainly won't hurt to use it here.

Pete


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## expatme (Dec 4, 2013)

Crete is very similar to Cyprus. However everyone living on the Island of Crete HAS to pay tax. If you have only miniscle income you still have to pay income tax. here in Cyprus there is no income tax to pay un till your in come exceeds €19500.00 per annum.


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## SunnyPaphos (Jul 25, 2016)

We live in Polemi and had one outage in the last few months. That was when a little twister blew two of the powerlines together. The power was back on in a couple of hours, and next day they put dividers in the powerlines to prevent them tripping again. You really can't fault that sort of service.


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## bencooper (Mar 20, 2013)

Jamaar said:


> Hello expatme,
> 
> Thanks for your contribution.
> 
> ...


If you don't qualify for state hospital prescribed medecine and you are truly strapped for cash you may find you can get your particular medecines OTC in the North for less than half price in the Republic. I'm not sure of the legalities, but I have walked across the border at the Nicosia crossing and taken the opportunity to buy cholesterol and hypertension drugs but you wouldn't want to regularly travel from Paphos just to do that (or to rely on that source long term). The signs at the crossing only appear to prohibit importing counterfeit goods, of which there are plenty. If other reasons persuade you to come to Cyprus, you could explore that avenue to mitigate your costs.


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## Jamaar (Oct 17, 2016)

bencooper said:


> If you don't qualify for state hospital prescribed medecine and you are truly strapped for cash you may find you can get your particular medecines OTC in the North for less than half price in the Republic.


I will most likely qualify for state insurance, but thanks for that tip anyhow!


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