# Cost of Living



## steveandmel (Jun 26, 2013)

Would appreciate some guidance on cost of monthly bills, excluding rent


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## PeteandSylv (Sep 24, 2008)

steveandmel said:


> Would appreciate some guidance on cost of monthly bills, excluding rent


This has been a discussion point in the past and varies tremendously according to people's lifestyle. For example some ex-pats yearn for British imported food and therefore pay a lot more.

The general consensus among many people I know and certainly in my experience is that the bottom line cost is about the same as the UK. Large savings on items like Council Tax are offset by the absurdly high price of electricity and so on.

If you cannot get state healthcare here and have to go private you can find yourself haemorrhaging money.

Pete


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

PeteandSylv said:


> . Large savings on items like Council Tax are offset by the absurdly high price of electricity and so on.
> 
> 
> Pete


Judging by our latest electricity bill the cost of electric has gone down and with the recently announced rise of electric of 9% in the UK the difference in cost seems to be getting less


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## Rema (Aug 12, 2012)

This is totally a lifestyle issue and apart from state regulated things - healthcare, electricity, water etc. its very much up to you - and even then these costs are controllable.

As for cost of living only you can decide if you want a black angus t-bone or beans on toast for tea. If you eat out often or prefer to cook at home will make a big difference as will the location of your preferred eateries - in the tourist area vs village taverns.

We found the initial setting up costs quite high but then we wanted to get everything done to a high standard - curtains/kitchen equipment/furnishings etc. Since then our day to day costs are (we think) very reasonable and much cheaper than living in the UK. For newcomers it's worth keeping a spending diary for the first few months - it can be very surprising where the money goes!

On the other hand, how much do you think sunshine almost every day vs rain is worth? Don't forget to factor that in!


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## Tanager (Mar 14, 2009)

Electricity is ok during the summer months because we don't use aircon but during winter it can be very pricy if you don't have any other forms of heating. 
To get the best prices you have to shop around a bit. Milk, eggs, yoghurt, flour are cheaper in Lidl. You can buy cheaper meat at Papantoniou. 
I love it that fresh fruit and vegetables are far more cheaper than in Ireland.


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