Cost of Living/Food etc

[edster315]

Hi, i am new to this forum. My wife and I are travelling to N Cyprus in Oct for a holiday with a view to moving permanently to N.C in 2025 . We have booked a private house to stay in for the period in Oct in Tatlisu ..I was wondering what we should budget for food for the 2 weeks...we dont drink alcohol so dont need to factor that in and my partner is vegetarian...so other than eating out a few times ..mostly our food will be just typical groceries that we need to buy in the s/markets to use at home...any ideas what 1- we should budget for food for 10 days and 2- what is the average price of a meal in a local restaurant- (not high end as that is not our thing) .. any advice is very welcome ..anything else that you feel I should need to know is most welcome

[alphamike]

Grocery and restaurant prices are on a par with UK, more or less these days, so go by what you would spend in UK, you won't go far wrong. Coffee is more expensive here, so probably worth bringing some with you if you drink it. Might be an idea to become vegetarian for your holiday, other than eating out, as meat is very expensive too. The veg warehouse in Tatlisu sells fabulous fruit and vegetables at reasonable prices. I won't go anywhere else. Open Tues, Thurs and Sat. Few yards up from the roundabout heading up to Tatlisu village on your right. There are plenty of places to eat in Tatlisu to Esentepe area nowadays, you have plenty of choice. There are a few smaller food stores in Tatlisu area, where you can get most things. A few larger ones heading along main coast road towards Kyrenia in Esentepe area.

[edster315]

Thanks Mike...much appreciated for the info . Cheers again. ed

[alphamike]

You are welcome. You will need a car to get about, as there is no public transport. I have no idea what car hire costs these days.

[Groucho]

You are welcome. You will need a car to get about, as there is no public transport. I have no idea what car hire costs these days.

there are many dolmus (minibuses) that run scheduled timetables and taxis...

[Groucho]

If you like preparing your own food from fresh fruit and veg then we find it's very much cheaper here. We don't tend to buy much that's imported other than frozen peas and occasionally bacon.

[alphamike]

You are welcome. You will need a car to get about, as there is no public transport. I have no idea what car hire costs these days.

there are many dolmus (minibuses) that run scheduled timetables and taxis...

Dolmus in Tatlisu? I know before the dreaded Covid, there used to be a bus run twice daily to Kyrenia during summer period, but to my knowledge that hasn't started up again. I'd be very happy to be wrong.
I know there are taxis, but that would be an expensive way to get about. Afraid that I wasn't impressed with one taxi firm that I will not name who failed to turn up, and have heard the same from others. An hour later just doesn't cut it with me.

I do agree with you regarding imported goods, rarely do. Apart from frozen asparagus at an eye watering price a while back, I just had to have it.

[forestpixie]

Hi, i am new to this forum. My wife and I are travelling to N Cyprus in Oct for a holiday with a view to moving permanently to N.C in 2025 . We have booked a private house to stay in for the period in Oct in Tatlisu ..I was wondering what we should budget for food for the 2 weeks...we dont drink alcohol so dont need to factor that in and my partner is vegetarian...so other than eating out a few times ..mostly our food will be just typical groceries that we need to buy in the s/markets to use at home...any ideas what 1- we should budget for food for 10 days and 2- what is the average price of a meal in a local restaurant- (not high end as that is not our thing) .. any advice is very welcome ..anything else that you feel I should need to know is most welcome

Costs are changing all the time, each visit to the supermarket is becoming more and more expensive. As below pretty much like the UK only with an incredibly low minimum wage. Family visited recently and couldn't believe how similar it is. Red meat is particularly expensive. We don't buy much frozen produce only bacon. Eating out, we had a curry takeway 3 mains, 2 garlic naans approx 1330tl. Not like the old days.

We've started growing veggies, they're still relatively cheap compared to UK.

Before you move also take into account that electric here is not cheap and powercuts are a regular thing when it's very hot or very cold.

Esentepe and surrounding area has a great selection of restaurants you'll be spoilt

[edster315]

1330tl for 3 mains and a couple of naans? that is circa £31/£32 if i am not mistaken...where i live in UK that is cheap for 3 main Indian...last time I bought an indian here in UK 9recently) for 3 of us..£45 ..understand totally that it may be expensive in N.C tho.......when you say Electric is expensive...would you be kind enough to give an average for a month? ..there is only the 2 of us and we are knocking on hahah.... currently here in UK I am paying- £300 pm but tbf that is for gas and elecy combined and i am in credit in each month usually by circa £100 ..thanks for the info tho - it is appreciated

[waddo]

If you move to Catalkoy bring your own water for the summer time or make sure you live in the village!!

[alphamike]

If you move to Catalkoy bring your own water for the summer time or make sure you live in the village!!

I think that's true of many areas Waddo. My gardener who lives in the village, was happily watering all and sundry, nearly gave me a heart attack. Couldn't understand why I turned water off as needed it for household use, due to mains water turned off. He was really surprised. Now I have a fairly new neighbour who used to live in the village. She happily glugs gallons of water out over her patio and road every single day. Think she has a shock coming over this summer when she runs out.

[waddo]

Got to admit that if we did not have a deep water well we could no exist here. Our water is turned off - on the very rare times that it is on - and left off for up to 8 days at a time or until the guy with the key remembers to switch it back on again. This has happened every year for the past 14 years we have lived here and I have given up going down and asking what the problem is. So from the start of June until around the end of September we just live off the well water. It's one of the very small things I miss about the european system of having water under pressure 24/7/365 and being able to just switch the tap on without having to pump the water out of the well first into an outside tank and then pump it again through the water system for the house. At least I don't have to buy it as well - lol.

[alphamike]

Just as well you do have access to a well Waddo, 8 days without water is a long stretch.
We've got a bit of a problem in Tatlisu at the moment, as apparently break in pipe Kucuk Erenkoy, plus several long and many short power cuts caused a problem with the pump at the main water tank pumping air, so going to take days to fill that tank apparently, Kibtek allowing. Notice that we have water coming in again this morning, but quite low pressure. At least we are getting it though, and am being so careful with water usage.

[forestpixie]

1330tl for 3 mains and a couple of naans? that is circa £31/£32 if i am not mistaken...where i live in UK that is cheap for 3 main Indian...last time I bought an indian here in UK 9recently) for 3 of us..£45 ..understand totally that it may be expensive in N.C tho.......when you say Electric is expensive...would you be kind enough to give an average for a month? ..there is only the 2 of us and we are knocking on hahah.... currently here in UK I am paying- £300 pm but tbf that is for gas and elecy combined and i am in credit in each month usually by circa £100 ..thanks for the info tho - it is appreciated

It's a lot when your household income is in Turkish lira and equates to minimum wage or less

Electric varies ours is 2100 - 2800tl a month with no pool and only run ac at night or for 2 hrs late afternoon when the heat becomes unbearable. In all our monthly bills work out around 5000tl which doesn't seem much until you actually have to survive on TL!

[benjaminbutton]

Two of us and electricity is usually 2750 - 3200 per month. I am really mean re fans and AC, and we're in our 80's but have learned to live with the heat. We have a pool but rarely use it because of electricity pump costs. Water bill iffy and never have pool on overflow mode. , BUT when you look at it, a large proportion is Government and Local taxes plus other stuff. In winter, electricity has been up to 5000. I can cope with heat more than the cold.

[Groucho]

Six months total, 7,678tl Jan - Jun = 182gbp June's bill was nearly half the total but that's because it's so hot. Swimming pool hours increased to 5 on overflow to cope with the heat. So glad we switched to inverter dishwasher, washing machine, fridge and air-con. They consume approx 1/3 the power of non-inverter type.

[Mozzy]

Three weeks agoI went back to UK. At the time a 15L bottle of water was 75 TL. Back now in TRNC and went to buy a bottle yesterday - price now 97.5 TL! How can water have gone up 30% in one go - absolutely ridiculous!!

[forestpixie]

Where did you get it from? We paid 158tl for 3 x 19 litres yesterday, this was exchange though.

[Mozzy]

Local supermarket. We usually go to the factory on the way to Girne but needed some urgently. Just couldn’t believe how much it had gone up in one go - if this is the rise for water, then how much for food!

[forestpixie]

So refills then? Seems a lot, ours were from Supreme.

[Groucho]

19lt refill bidon only 25tl at Kosedag water plant Catalkoy. Turning opposite Tamay Motors on the main road near MC Palace

[benjaminbutton]

Yesterday I stood next to a London Cyp whilst doling out my 200's in a Supermarket. He watched me and then asked did I live here or was I on holiday. I said I lived here and he said "I don't know how you cope these days, it's far cheaper to shop in Aldi, Lidl and even Tesco back home. If it wasn't for the fact my Mother still lives here, I wouldn't bother any more" Even locals are commenting so it isn't just us.