Cost of living in north Cyprus

[Rambling Rose]

Flower Fairy: When I acquired my dogs (except the last one which is another story) the costs were far cheaper and I was so glad to live in a country where I could afford to keep dogs - just because a lot of Brits with false values have sent prices up, what am I supposed to do throw them back on the street?. This would be a better place to live if, instead of knocking people who spend time and money on taking animals off the street, and neutering, vaccinating them etc. they were given some support.

Posh: What is upsetting some of us is the rise in prices from when we settled here, which has upset our calculations. Hopefully when you settle here the factors that caused the rising inflation (influx of people who could afford to spend more on luxuries among others) will have settled down, so you can do your sums more reliably.

Philoz: I was interested in your comments about TV Licences and Internet. Against the costof a TV Licence you have to use Internet and as I didnt have Internet in UK I am interested in comparative prices, not just service providers, but purchasing hardware. Btw I dont have TV (except currently limited stations by couresy of Multimax but I gather that is to be withdrawn and I will have to pay for another service if I wantit).

Hippo: I suggested elsewhere (but would be interested in anyone knows more) that the reason supermarkets all have sales at the same time is because of the embargo and they all buy at the same time from the sale wholesale supplier, so "sell by" dates co-incide. I dread the thought of the big chains coming here - the cost of missing a few favourites and sale prices, is overweighed for me by the chance to purchase in comparative peace without mybrain being addled by heavy sales pressure which makes me spend more money on items I dont really need. And, as a general rule, the service is so much better, particularly if you take the trouble to get to know people. Would a chain chemist in the UK say "pay next time" if I forgot my credit card and didnt have enough money onme?

[PoshinDevon]

Rambling Rose - fully understand. Costs are rising everywhere not only in the TRNC. Still believe overall TRNC is cheaper than UK, but appreciate what seems reasonable to me may not be for others.

Halffull provided very usefull info for me as someone resident on the island as property size, lifestyle, income etc is and would be similar to ourselves. Just need to decide when best to make the move.


Best Wishes

[Rambling Rose]

Yeah, Posh , I realised that, and I didnt provide the details myself because my circumstances are different. The point I was trying to make was that some of us who appeared to be complaining were not really saying that here was not still better, but that the increases compared to incomes based on the UK cost of living index are becoming more difficult . I live very simply and am quite happy to do without expensive entertainment etc, but what does upset me is that so many of the pleasures that were free or cheap as part of the normal lifestyle of the country are increasingly accessible to the rich (and/or very active) only.

I am sure you will do well here, because you know the country and have taken the trouble to do a lot of homework and hope you will join us soon. Just be aware that the nature of the country and the expat population in general is changing (in my view not for the better) andyou need to factor in unexpected increases.

[deputydawg]

I am pleased that some can find a lifestyle here cheaper than UK but for how much longer ? I prefer to look at the bottom half and the top half in a glass, make pragmatic judgements over a protracted period, comparing like with like. Petrol usage costs here for the many who are obligated to have a gas guzzling 4 X 4 due to having to daily use tracks etc cannot be compared with UK where modern cars of 1.4 litre and good roads can deliver as much as 3 times the mileage to the gal. If diesel oil or gas central heating is used here there are no VAT concessions and the cost to keep warm and dry is astronomical. Some may prefer to sit over a calor gas fire or oil heater risking risking their health and watching the plaster blow on the walls due to excessive dampness and sleep in damp bedding next to their damp clothes in the wardrobes. Many here have to pay for their medicines and hospital treatments so that adds to the tally. UK properties tend to increase in value over the life of a mortgage. Once a building here is approx 7 or 8 years old if much money has not been spent trying to keep it as new inside and out the sale value is likely to plummet. Some are unlikely to be standing after 30 years. With regard to Looseboots comment on food it may be that the UK is cheaper but the gap is decreasing year on year. I believe there is a trend of ever increasing prices here being punctuated by rafts of large increases each time TL takes a hit against the £ or US dollar. With regard to beer being cheaper here (?) it of course varies from approx 4 to 10 TL at bars though 50 CL bottles are only 87% of a pint in volume ! I once bought the Wildebeest (bless her) a pint of best bitter which she said tasted disgusting and I replied "that is right, do not keep accusing me of going out enjoying myself"

[flowerfairy]

well I suggest you all take a ride into the old part of Lefcosia. Take a look at how the poor families live there.
It will totally make you feel that you are all rich in money and quality of life.
If you can't afford to feed you pets, try giving them pasta, because I bet these children would love a plate of that each evening.
Sorry to sound so unsympathetic, but please don't ask to help feed animals, when these children are so poor.

[Rambling Rose]

Oh dear, here we go again. I will try to be polite and restrained and not upset the mods

Flower Fairy: I cant afford to go to Lefkoşa* often, but I dont need to , there are very poor people in my own village, as well as some very rich ones. Unlike some people (not necessarily you, I hasten to add, I dont know who you are) I dont seek publicity about what I do for people like them. Most of us are somewhere in the middle and our funds and quality of life are being seriously eroded by thougtlessness and it is helpful (not necessarily moaning) to compare notes.

In my opinion the increasing large gap in financial resources, in the local and expatriate and Mainland turkish populations, is a large part of the problem.

I dont ask people to help me feed my dogs - I can do that still fairly cheaply because I make their meals (yes, including a lot of pasta on cheap offer) or chose the cheapest tins in v. hot weather - some people seem to spend more on their pampered pedigrees than I do on my groceries for myself and dogs! What I do have problems with is Vet's bills which are inflated because there are so many people importing or buying pedigrees (instead of adopting strays) who can afford to pay high prices. What I would ask , when I am too ill, is if someone could walk my dogs , as I used to (for free) for the elderly when I was younger, or sit with them for a while so I could have a day out, but I know better than to expect it. What I am entitled to expect it that people who care for others whether four and two footed (and there are some who do far more than I on less money) should be respected and not criticised when we have problems beyond our control and no support or help.

* I assume you meant Lefkoşa , which is Turkish, rather than the Greek Lefkosia - its a very long time since I had the time or money to visit the latter..



I am

[Philoz]

Deputy.
If you bought a badly built house down a dirt track in the UK you would still have the same problems but more expensive in terms of the 4x4 and the house maintenance surly?.

As for the medical side of things-well I guess that must be a calculated risk once you leave Britain (and more importantly, make it obvious to the authorities in the UK that you have left).

As far as beer is concerned-my local bar here sells proper pints for TL5 (about £1.60 ish)-Village bar sells pints on a Wednesday for TL3 (About £1)-lots of bars do good deals on certain nights if you shop round,but you don't get stung here for the expensive mixers as you do in the UK,which In my experience in the UK can cost around £1.50 for a bottle the size of a thimble.

If you drink at home ,Gold Fassl costs about TL 9 for 3 litres-that works out a little over £1 per pint for a reasonable copy(albeit sometimes a bit cloudy)of a decent Austrian Pilsner.
The going rate for a pint in the UK was £3 last time I was there.
The closest you get to cheap beer in the UK is good old Wetherspoons,who seem to be able to sell good beer at good prices and still turn in a good profit every year-Although I was surprised how much their prices had gone up last time I retuned to Blighty.

Heating, especially electricity is the killer here-I haven't worked it out exactly ,but I think it is at least twice as expensive as the UK ;However, the heating season is around 7months of the year in the UK, compared with around 3 months here,so,there is a bit of cancelling out to do.

It's a lifestyle choice whichever way you look at it ,but overall,I still think It's cheaper here by far,and as per my previous post on this thread,there are things you can't measure with money which more than swing the balance for me.

If I get Ill,and /or broke, then I will move back to the UK,but for now I love nearly everything about the place.

[Philoz]

Sorry-bad maths re cost of Gold Fassl -it works out at around 65p a pint.

[Halffull]

Had a big reply for DD but it failed to go, but what an assumption that we all drive 4x4s the same economical cars are available here
You forget that cars in the UK are knackered after a few years through rust whereas they go on forever here very much corrosion free
I used modern efficient aircon to heat my place for the 5 or 6 weeks I need it it increases my electrical bill by a third for those weeks no big deal when you consider the heating is already on in the UK and wont go off until April if their lucky. This also means no condensation and damp reduction
Any building anywhere in the world will depreciate without maintenance
Most medicines I have had to purchase here have been cheaper than a NHS prescription
You use the "here" as if you live in the TRNC but all you seem to want to do is knock it
Everyone accepts (or not) that there are warts here but life is so much more relaxed and pleasant here if you accept the niggles and don't turn them into issues.
As someone said if you want a little Britain your in the wrong place.

[woodspeckie]

I can't get my head round this, if you love living in NC and can have a happy life you enjoy why bother what is going on in the UK and why do posts always end up getting compared to what is happening in the UK?

[Halffull]

Unfortunately when someone is thinking of moving here then they have to make comparisons to ensure they are making the right move, but yes woody your right we who live here happily don't for the most part make a comparison

[PoshinDevon]

From the postings it is clear that some feel that N Cyprus is more expensive than the UK whereas others feel it is less expensive for a range of products and services.

I am sure we could all continue to produce a list of reasons to support our views - the thing I suppose you should ask is "are you happy with the lifestyle where you are?" If yes then really thats all that counts. If not then its time to consider what to do...if it is possible of course.

I do like the UK, where we live and our lifestyle - if your fortunate to earn the money then things here do not seem out of reach. But like everywhere costs are going up. However for me the draw of N Cyprus is always there and hence we hope to spend longer periods on the island. When we look at the costs in N Cyprus we believe that we could continue to have a pleasant lifestyle on considerably less income. All relative I suppose.

But as Looseboots who started this thread has said it was not really about comparing N Cyprus costs to the UK, it was asking if people had noticed costs increasing sharply in N Cyprus...guess we are all guilty of drifting away from the original question. Made for an interesting read tho and certainly has made me think!

By the way you can still get a pint of decent ale in Wetherspoons for £1.99!

[Hippocampus]

A lot of posters on this forum seem to instantly assume that anybody who states either an opinion or fact as they find it is "knocking" the TRNC! Along with a message to the effect that if they don't like it then they should go back to the UK.

It would be better if those people would take the time to read postings properly if they wish to comment on them.

[PoshinDevon]

Hippocampus.... Do not think that it was as strong as if you dont like it go back to the UK, more like a lot of different views with examples to support their opinion.

People have moved to the TRNC for many reasons. The first year or two may seem paradise but sometimes living in a foreign country is not what people thought it would be and this can eat away and before they know it they start to run the place down or moan that its not like this at home.

It's when people really start to not enjoy their lifestyle either here in the UK or in the TRNC then I think they should consider if they have an alternative. Again the alternative may not always be available to them for a variety of reasons. But if its really that bad and it can be done then move back with your head held high...after all they gave it a go.

[Rambling Rose]

Posh: That was exactly what I though when I moved here. Made sure I had enough money to keep myself in basics for three years here, and a further six months in the UK. Said to myself "If you dont try , you will never know and if you have to go back at least you tried"! That was l6 years ago and I am still here! But the first 8 years were the best, since 2004 it has gone downhill. Still I wouldnt want to, and probably coundt go back, so now I try to remember Maurice Chevalier's advice when asked what it was like to be 80 years old - "Think of the alternative",

[deputydawg]

Hippo, thank you for that as I was starting to wish that I never tried to contribute to this thread my comments having been misconstrued and distorted. I wonder whether or not these people live/own property in TRNC and whether or not they are still in holiday mode ? TRNC does not build properties with the same high standards of weatherproofing and insulation as in UK. Only 6 weeks of dry heating per year, within 2 winter seasons, is likely to render a property to the state of the Oram's former property, derelict. Nor is 3 months dry heating sufficient in the longer term, more like 4 or 5 months which is far in excess of the UK costs for 7 or 8 months. There may be fuel frugal vehicles also available in TRNC but they are useless in boggy terrain. I made no assumptions whatsoever but wrote of the necessity for some people. If the building boom around 2002 and the builder's heavy lorries destroyed metalled roads (not yet repaired) to properties, that is not buying a house up a country track in UK is it. If income is from UK it is prudent to make comparisons, and check exchange rates, or how else can you manage your budget ? Those of us who truly love Cyprus and want to stay here do not need telling to visit the poor. I did what I could to protect the poor in Lefkosa in the troubles of the 70s. At this moment in time the Wildebeest (bless her), in spite of flu, and a trapped nerve, is painting pictures to raffle for local charities.

[cyprusishome]

Live here permanently, pay the prices that are charged and that is it. What is the point of comparison with the UK, RoC or the Moon unless you are wishing to live there.

North Cyprus has had more than its share of % increase but we have no control over it. Of course we do the same as all the men in the coffee shops, have a good moan about it but as some seem to indicate we are not whingers just doing the same as everyone else. I am sure it is the same in every country on the planet, especially at present. Just go to Greece or Spain!!!!!

I did not hear many folk complaining when credit interest was in the region of 20%, who was paying for that cos someone must have had huge loan interest. We were extatic at those rates as we had calculated our income from interest at 5%. Still very happy at 9%.

[andrew4232]

well said

[Halffull]

Just got back from my therapist after all the negativity on this post and just can't be bothered with answering the nonsense
Well said cyprusishome

[Bond.JamesBond]

Thread locked as subject run it`s course.