cost of living in cyprus

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PostPosted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 6:54 pm Reply with quote
gaz73
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Joined: 29 Jun 2009
Posts: 41
Location: Torquay


Milo wrote:
Laughing Laughing Laughing

I love the wit on this Forum, sometimes the insults too Rolling Eyes Rolling Eyes

The first year in Cyprus is by far the most expensive its a never ending money pit when you move house, but moving to another country even more so. You should expect this Shocked

Do get used to a different way of life, accept it, its ok, do not buy UK branded products you don,t need them Rolling Eyes Forget the British way as much as you can and accept a new way. If you can,t do so you will be in the doo doo.

Eat Greek food when out its good and its cheaper, find a butcher for your meat, not the supermarkets, eat the local village bread, not sliced white crap,go to the local shops or markets for fruit and veg, what you pay for a small bag in the UK you get a kilo for here Shocked It tastes better or like us grow your own Cool Cool We have water melons growing Shocked we could,nt grow flowers in the UK(no time)

Don,t switch on your a/c all the time in the steaming weather buy a HUGE ceiling fan, a/c keeps you cool BUT once you go out in the weather again you can,t cope as well.

Bills are cheaper apart from electric, so save elecric, switch off all standbys lights etc when not in use. It will help.

Furniture, white goods etc more expensive here BUT by the time you have shipped over probably near comparable. Clothes are more expensive and you will not find the cheap but good quality, here its either expensive or crap. So as some of us women do on a normal vist back to UK go with an empty suitcase and stock up.

All foriegners from colder climates get Pools, its the novelty of it and of course they are soooooo good now, we have one its our second that we have owned BUT its an expensive toy very expensive!! You don,t need it! you have a BIG POOL very close by wherever you live here, the locals know this, but they forget to remind you when buying or renting a place with a Pool Smile Wink And there is a serious water shortage.

I find that we survive on less than half that we needed in the UK, and we go out to eat ten times more. Mind you we don,t pay rent or a mortgage as we are a little older Rolling Eyes and very rich. Laughing Laughing Its tough for those right now who rely on UK pensions so thats a worry for many, we are surrounded by early retirees from 45yrs Shocked too 65yrs but mostly 50+ we all sold property in the UK and bought outright here, which is the bonus, and all our friends and us have Title Deeds which means we are ok, but thats another story Rolling Eyes Rolling Eyes

Leave your UK ideals back in the UK, expect a lot less moneywise but bring quite a bit with you and rainy day money for IF its not for you. Give yourself a year at least to adapt. But Cyprus is fab but its NOT going to be easy, at least at the start.

I have been here only 3 years, I still am finding out things still adapting and I thought I would fit in easily Rolling Eyes Another thing to remember we holidayed here from 1990 onwards so saw a big change in that time, and living here is not a holiday and I mean that in a nice way.

Importantly learn some Greek!! My OH has, all self taught with books and CD,s and it has defo opened doors for him he is already bi-lingual, I just learned the good manners but am trying more now. Greek speakers will get work much more easily.

Even if you do find it more expensive, you have to ask yourself is THAT the only reason you left the UK. You will have a whinge on occasion but don,t worry it will go away. There is something to be said for throwing open the blinds in the morning and the sun always shining and your cars still on the drive where you left them Cool

We may not be here for ever BUT one thing Cyprus has done for us is show us a quality of life we never had, a slow down of pace needed, a social life we yearned for but where too busy to have, an all round better life for us, and its NOT been without its problems, but we are glad we did it very much Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy


thank you very much,, by far the most sensible and endeering piece of advice yet,, only confirming the fact more that I need to get out of this hole and into the sun.
PostPosted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 6:57 pm Reply with quote
gaz73
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Joined: 29 Jun 2009
Posts: 41
Location: Torquay


cyprusgeoff wrote:
When you first move over to Cyprus you have to switch off your English brain.

The quickest way to save money is quite simple, DON'T buy English food products or anything else imported from anywhere.

Forget about what Tesco's, Asda, Sainsbury's used to charge and what you used to eat in UK 'cos if you look to buy it here it will cost you a lot of money.

Adapt, change and eat what the locals eat. Shop where the locals shop.

DON"T get heavily involved with the ex-pat community, running in and out of each others houses, organising parties and trips to different tavernas and restaurants every other night as it's flippin' expensive when it gets to your round to pay!

There is no '' keeping up with the Joneses'' over here except with some of the ex-pats with more money than sense, so if you have researched it to your satisfaction, come over to live, enjoy your new life.

The sunshine is free and it hardly ever rains but if it does, what the heck,
even the rain is warm.


Nice!
PostPosted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 6:59 pm Reply with quote
gaz73
member
member
 
Joined: 29 Jun 2009
Posts: 41
Location: Torquay


Z4 wrote:
Milo wrote:
Laughing Laughing Laughing

I love the wit on this Forum, sometimes the insults too Rolling Eyes Rolling Eyes

The first year in Cyprus is by far the most expensive its a never ending money pit when you move house, but moving to another country even more so. You should expect this Shocked

Do get used to a different way of life, accept it, its ok, do not buy UK branded products you don,t need them Rolling Eyes Forget the British way as much as you can and accept a new way. If you can,t do so you will be in the doo doo.

Eat Greek food when out its good and its cheaper, find a butcher for your meat, not the supermarkets, eat the local village bread, not sliced white crap,go to the local shops or markets for fruit and veg, what you pay for a small bag in the UK you get a kilo for here Shocked It tastes better or like us grow your own Cool Cool We have water melons growing Shocked we could,nt grow flowers in the UK(no time)

Don,t switch on your a/c all the time in the steaming weather buy a HUGE ceiling fan, a/c keeps you cool BUT once you go out in the weather again you can,t cope as well.

Bills are cheaper apart from electric, so save elecric, switch off all standbys lights etc when not in use. It will help.

Furniture, white goods etc more expensive here BUT by the time you have shipped over probably near comparable. Clothes are more expensive and you will not find the cheap but good quality, here its either expensive or crap. So as some of us women do on a normal vist back to UK go with an empty suitcase and stock up.

All foriegners from colder climates get Pools, its the novelty of it and of course they are soooooo good now, we have one its our second that we have owned BUT its an expensive toy very expensive!! You don,t need it! you have a BIG POOL very close by wherever you live here, the locals know this, but they forget to remind you when buying or renting a place with a Pool Smile Wink And there is a serious water shortage.

I find that we survive on less than half that we needed in the UK, and we go out to eat ten times more. Mind you we don,t pay rent or a mortgage as we are a little older Rolling Eyes and very rich. Laughing Laughing Its tough for those right now who rely on UK pensions so thats a worry for many, we are surrounded by early retirees from 45yrs Shocked too 65yrs but mostly 50+ we all sold property in the UK and bought outright here, which is the bonus, and all our friends and us have Title Deeds which means we are ok, but thats another story Rolling Eyes Rolling Eyes

Leave your UK ideals back in the UK, expect a lot less moneywise but bring quite a bit with you and rainy day money for IF its not for you. Give yourself a year at least to adapt. But Cyprus is fab but its NOT going to be easy, at least at the start.

I have been here only 3 years, I still am finding out things still adapting and I thought I would fit in easily Rolling Eyes Another thing to remember we holidayed here from 1990 onwards so saw a big change in that time, and living here is not a holiday and I mean that in a nice way.

Importantly learn some Greek!! My OH has, all self taught with books and CD,s and it has defo opened doors for him he is already bi-lingual, I just learned the good manners but am trying more now. Greek speakers will get work much more easily.

Even if you do find it more expensive, you have to ask yourself is THAT the only reason you left the UK. You will have a whinge on occasion but don,t worry it will go away. There is something to be said for throwing open the blinds in the morning and the sun always shining and your cars still on the drive where you left them Cool

We may not be here for ever BUT one thing Cyprus has done for us is show us a quality of life we never had, a slow down of pace needed, a social life we yearned for but where too busy to have, an all round better life for us, and its NOT been without its problems, but we are glad we did it very much Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy


Perfect!

yeah, I thought so too!
PostPosted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 8:17 pm Reply with quote
Get Real!
vip
vip
 
Joined: 26 Feb 2007
Posts: 24245
Location: Nicosia


Milo wrote:
Get Real! wrote:
Good on ya Milo, and give my regards to Otis... Very Happy


Ehh?

Milo is my siamese cat, who the sam hill is Otis?

Rolling Eyes

PostPosted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 10:10 pm Reply with quote
Milo
instructor
instructor
 
Joined: 26 May 2008
Posts: 301
Location: Cyprus - East


Get Real! wrote:
Milo wrote:
Get Real! wrote:
Good on ya Milo, and give my regards to Otis... Very Happy


Ehh?

Milo is my siamese cat, who the sam hill is Otis?

Rolling Eyes



Oh yeh, I remember now


My cat would,nt care much to be in films, unless its a horror, he is positively evil.
PostPosted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 8:16 am Reply with quote
CBBB
professor
professor
 
Joined: 20 May 2008
Posts: 6688
Location: Centre of the Universe


Milo wrote:
Get Real! wrote:
Milo wrote:
Get Real! wrote:
Good on ya Milo, and give my regards to Otis... Very Happy


Ehh?

Milo is my siamese cat, who the sam hill is Otis?

Rolling Eyes



Oh yeh, I remember now


My cat would,nt care much to be in films, unless its a horror, he is positively evil.


If you think you have an evil pussy, just compare it with the one in this film

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0780622/

which incidently is on Novacinema 1 at 00:10 tonight!
PostPosted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 9:14 am Reply with quote
Milo
instructor
instructor
 
Joined: 26 May 2008
Posts: 301
Location: Cyprus - East


CBBB wrote:
Milo wrote:
Get Real! wrote:
Milo wrote:
Get Real! wrote:
Good on ya Milo, and give my regards to Otis... Very Happy


Ehh?

Milo is my siamese cat, who the sam hill is Otis?

Rolling Eyes



Oh yeh, I remember now


My cat would,nt care much to be in films, unless its a horror, he is positively evil.


If you think you have an evil pussy, just compare it with the one in this film

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0780622/

which incidently is on Novacinema 1 at 00:10 tonight!


Thats a good name for my cat 'Teeth' add claws and a certain amount of aloofness bordering on insane and there we have him.

If I was a stupid pet owner (which I,m not) he would need therapy. He is seriously deluded and believes our house is his only. Any who enter do so at their own risk. I have rescued millions of lizards from his clutches but refused to let him bring a snake in Shocked He seems to love my screams Embarassed I swear he laughs.

As this thread is about the cost of living in Cyprus can I just add the vets are really good here, very good in fact, although busy, very caring and importantly if you have pets much cheaper than the UK, even IF you rescue here which I did, a pet passport is about half of the UK cost, BUT you need to renew it once a year, cause if you don,t and you HAVE to leave then you will be unable to take your pet for six months.

But have always been pleasantly surprised at treatment costs.

Animal welfare here is another day subject though Rolling Eyes Rolling Eyes
PostPosted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 1:59 pm Reply with quote
DANGAMAN
lecturer
lecturer
 
Joined: 05 Oct 2007
Posts: 1026
Location: Larnaca


Milo wrote:
Laughing Laughing Laughing

I love the wit on this Forum, sometimes the insults too Rolling Eyes Rolling Eyes

The first year in Cyprus is by far the most expensive its a never ending money pit when you move house, but moving to another country even more so. You should expect this Shocked

Do get used to a different way of life, accept it, its ok, do not buy UK branded products you don,t need them Rolling Eyes Forget the British way as much as you can and accept a new way. If you can,t do so you will be in the doo doo.

Eat Greek food when out its good and its cheaper, find a butcher for your meat, not the supermarkets, eat the local village bread, not sliced white crap,go to the local shops or markets for fruit and veg, what you pay for a small bag in the UK you get a kilo for here Shocked It tastes better or like us grow your own Cool Cool We have water melons growing Shocked we could,nt grow flowers in the UK(no time)

Don,t switch on your a/c all the time in the steaming weather buy a HUGE ceiling fan, a/c keeps you cool BUT once you go out in the weather again you can,t cope as well.

Bills are cheaper apart from electric, so save elecric, switch off all standbys lights etc when not in use. It will help.

Furniture, white goods etc more expensive here BUT by the time you have shipped over probably near comparable. Clothes are more expensive and you will not find the cheap but good quality, here its either expensive or crap. So as some of us women do on a normal vist back to UK go with an empty suitcase and stock up.

All foriegners from colder climates get Pools, its the novelty of it and of course they are soooooo good now, we have one its our second that we have owned BUT its an expensive toy very expensive!! You don,t need it! you have a BIG POOL very close by wherever you live here, the locals know this, but they forget to remind you when buying or renting a place with a Pool Smile Wink And there is a serious water shortage.

I find that we survive on less than half that we needed in the UK, and we go out to eat ten times more. Mind you we don,t pay rent or a mortgage as we are a little older Rolling Eyes and very rich. Laughing Laughing Its tough for those right now who rely on UK pensions so thats a worry for many, we are surrounded by early retirees from 45yrs Shocked too 65yrs but mostly 50+ we all sold property in the UK and bought outright here, which is the bonus, and all our friends and us have Title Deeds which means we are ok, but thats another story Rolling Eyes Rolling Eyes

Leave your UK ideals back in the UK, expect a lot less moneywise but bring quite a bit with you and rainy day money for IF its not for you. Give yourself a year at least to adapt. But Cyprus is fab but its NOT going to be easy, at least at the start.

I have been here only 3 years, I still am finding out things still adapting and I thought I would fit in easily Rolling Eyes Another thing to remember we holidayed here from 1990 onwards so saw a big change in that time, and living here is not a holiday and I mean that in a nice way.

Importantly learn some Greek!! My OH has, all self taught with books and CD,s and it has defo opened doors for him he is already bi-lingual, I just learned the good manners but am trying more now. Greek speakers will get work much more easily.

Even if you do find it more expensive, you have to ask yourself is THAT the only reason you left the UK. You will have a whinge on occasion but don,t worry it will go away. There is something to be said for throwing open the blinds in the morning and the sun always shining and your cars still on the drive where you left them Cool

We may not be here for ever BUT one thing Cyprus has done for us is show us a quality of life we never had, a slow down of pace needed, a social life we yearned for but where too busy to have, an all round better life for us, and its NOT been without its problems, but we are glad we did it very much Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy


I love people you respect and enjoy my country. Welcome and I wish you have a long and plesant stay.

For the rest who just like bitching, (including my sister) who comes over with the family, EVERY August... all she does is complain...

The answer is simple... don't like it, don't come.

I must say, I admire the way you treat "living" Bravo!!!
PostPosted: Fri Jul 03, 2009 5:44 pm Reply with quote
Tim Drayton
professor
professor
 
Joined: 21 Jul 2007
Posts: 4133
Location: Limassol/Lemesos


The consumer price index dropped by 0.14% in June, so it is getting cheaper.
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