# Price Shock



## Guest (Jan 7, 2011)

Hi all!

Sitting on the ferry between Patra and Ancona.Four hours ago we left the horrible Pontos, that takes trucks from Limassol to Pireus in Greece but also can take some passengers. Most horrible experience in my life, 40 hours of icecold cabin, no warmwater and lousy food.

But to the subject. When being 36 hours in Limassol we decided to do some windowshopping to check prices. I know that we cant look at prices in the tourist shops because they are to high so we found 2 different supermarkets

If I compare with Germany fish and most meat is priced the same. I found an ecological chicken 1,8 kilo for 21 euro but that must have been fed with gold.

But what we also foud was that many other foodstuffs, such as butter, or fruit is twice expensive as in Germany.

Also things like shampoo seems very high priced. I use Head and Shoulders in Germany but I can buy 3 bottles for the same money as I pay for one in Cyprus

Is it really this differences also outside big towns and tourist areas?

Anyway our decision to move to Cyprus still stands. Even this short worktrip was fantastic. And I swam in the sea the 3:rd of January. THAT you CANT do in Germany

Soon we go back for a week looking at houses. We believe Paphos will be perfect.


----------



## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

Vegaanders said:


> Hi all!
> 
> Sitting on the ferry between Patra and Ancona.Four hours ago we left the horrible Pontos, that takes trucks from Limassol to Pireus in Greece but also can take some passengers. Most horrible experience in my life, 40 hours of icecold cabin, no warmwater and lousy food.
> 
> ...


Hi Anders,
I beleive Limassol is more expensive than Paphos for everyday shopping. Also one you know where to shop you will find places which have discount prices so not as bad as the main supermarkets which are a rip off. We avoid them as much as we can.
Also once the Lidl store opens in Paphos later this year it will help with shopping bills.
I know that Germany is a lot cheaper than the UK so the difference between Cypriot and German prices will be more severe. We used to fill our car up with all sorts of things when we lived in ther Uk and we went over to Germany to visit my brother.
Hope you get back home safely.
See you soon.

Veronica


----------



## zin (Oct 28, 2010)

The supermarket prices are now dropping in Limassol with the introduction of Lidl, I've spoken with many people out there and they are happy this is happening as it was getting ridiculous price wise. 12 euros for some basic washing powder - 5 euros in lidl now.


----------



## Guest (Jan 9, 2011)

Yes ecological food is unfortunately ridiculously expensive here so I've been forced to stop buying eco, that's one of the few things I liked and miss about UK that ecological meat, eggs and milk was really high quality and the extra price you paid for the ecological vs regular was quite fair, 

so I used to eat about 4 eco-eggs and drink 3 liters of eco-milk every day for quiet cheap whereas here that would be well expensive.

The good news however is that I'm guessing that since there are so many fruits & vegs local here that they are significally less sprayed since they have less transportation to get to its destination, so that even tho the fruits & vegs aren't technically ecological either they should be pretty close, however I'm just guessing they might be sprayed anyway just so they have longer shell-life? they seem good quality tho.

Bananas are regularly €0.65/kg, tomatoes €0.40/kg, oranges €0.70/kg, potatoes €0.75/kg, 
so for me I've just completely stopped with milk and just get as many of my cals from fruits & vegs instead.


----------



## Toxan (Dec 29, 2010)

You have to remember that 2009 was a drought year and Cyprus had to import a lot of fruit and vegetables due to the water shortage. Last year fruit and vegetables were cheaper. With the opening of the Lidl stores, prices have come down to reasonable levels. They have shown the way of the future, so all the other supermarkets wil have to modernise and be more customer friendly to survive. They just had to open their doors for trade, but they now realise that people are flocking to Lidl, not only for the low prices, but the way the stores look, staff are friendly and it is a pleasure to shop there.


----------



## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

Toxan said:


> You have to remember that 2009 was a drought year and Cyprus had to import a lot of fruit and vegetables due to the water shortage. Last year fruit and vegetables were cheaper. With the opening of the Lidl stores, prices have come down to reasonable levels. They have shown the way of the future, so all the other supermarkets wil have to modernise and be more customer friendly to survive. They just had to open their doors for trade, but they now realise that people are flocking to Lidl, not only for the low prices, but the way the stores look, staff are friendly and it is a pleasure to shop there.


We are eagerly awaiting the opening of the Paphos Lidl store in September.
Although it is on the wrong side of Paphos for us as we are often over that side on business I am sure we will regularly call in there before coming home:clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2:


----------



## Toxan (Dec 29, 2010)

You could try a fer dry runs in Limassol to see how nice it is to shop there.


----------



## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

Toxan said:


> You could try a fer dry runs in Limassol to see how nice it is to shop there.


I have shopped in Lidls many times in The UK and Germany so know what the shops are like.
I am looking forward to some of the German products which I used to love and I am sure they will stock some of them. 
I lived in Germany twice, first with my parents as my father was in the army and then with my first hsuband who was in the RAF. I am very fond of Germany and I can't wait to get my hands on some of the things I used to enjoy when I lived there:clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2:


----------



## Toxan (Dec 29, 2010)

There are many local branded products too, unlike the Lidl stores abroad, which have mainly own brand products.


----------



## Jac (May 4, 2008)

Hi Veronica,
May I ask where the Lidl in Paphos will be???
Thanks
Jac


----------



## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

Jac said:


> Hi Veronica,
> May I ask where the Lidl in Paphos will be???
> Thanks
> Jac


Near the Venus Beach Hotel. Opposite side of the road. It is being built by Hadjidemosthenos


----------



## Guest (Jan 9, 2011)

Toxan said:


> There are many local branded products too, unlike the Lidl stores abroad, which have mainly own brand products.


Yes lets hope they take care of all the excellent local products Cyprus produce.

I cant really understand why a so called 4-star limassol hotel serves something they call orange juice produced in egypt and mostly chemicals and least orange to breakfast instead of pure juice made fromlocal crops

ANders


----------



## zin (Oct 28, 2010)

Anders, you think that's bad? When I went to Ayia Napa as a young man I asked for fresh orange juice, they brought me juice in a carton. When I questioned it the waiter pointed at the carton which said "fresh orange juice" and walked off.


----------



## dstump (Apr 26, 2010)

zin said:


> Anders, you think that's bad? When I went to Ayia Napa as a young man I asked for fresh orange juice, they brought me juice in a carton. When I questioned it the waiter pointed at the carton which said "fresh orange juice" and walked off.


That really struck me last time we visited, orchards full of beautiful fruit, even fruit lying at the side of the road, and no proper fresh juice in the supermarkets. Well, at least I know to bring a juicer when we move over.


----------



## Guest (Jan 10, 2011)

Yes that is one thing we also will accuire.


----------



## Guest (Jan 11, 2011)

I'm looking to sell my Juicer if anyone is interested, barely been used and was the best of the kind according to reviews when I bought it (don't have the exact info on me now). 
bought it because fresh orange juice tastes amazing, but eventually I picked up the habit of just putting an orange on a side-plate every time I eat dinner  and I'm moving to sweden in a couple of months anyway

Agreed of the irony of selling that horrible "tapwater chemical-mix with a hint of orange" here in cyprus, I did see one place which had freshly squeezed fruities but even then if I remember right he squeezed only 1 orange and then way too much ice and some other stuff and then charged ridicolous 3.5 euros for it and it tasted horribly bland, 
at the store I could have gotten 7kg of oranges for that price  (calculating 0.5/kg which it was when I shopped yesterday)


----------

