1 month today till Cyprus

[henryhughes96]

Hi All

I'm hoping you can give me a bit of advise.

I'm 20 and will moving to Cyprus, Paralimni a month today as I have managed to secure a job (working in a resturant) and just wondered what the cost of living is like. I'm aware this depends on your life style and how much you spend but this is just a general break down of my costs. I don't go out drinking alot and probably go out for a meal once evey 2 weeks.

Monthly Wage: 900 Euro
Rent: 250 Euro
Food: 200 Euro
Bills: 150 Euro

Do you think I can realistically live off £300 as spare cash?

I will have the opportunity to do over time to earn more money but just wanted to get a general idea of what people think.

I've read every possible post about living in Cyprus both Pro's and Con's but can't seem to find an average cost of living.

While posting, I have sorted my travel insurance out and also got an EHIC but is there anything else I need to arrange before I leave England?

Apologies about all the questions, I just wanted to make sure I have everything ready

Thanks in advanced,
Henry

[Happy in Cyprus]

Hi Henry. Wish you all the best in your forthcoming move A single person might not need to spend quite as much as €250 monthly rental. I know couples who only spend this much on a nice, modern, 2-bed apartment just outside Paphos. Be aware of the need to haggle a deal on your preferred property. There will be hundreds, if not thousands, of empty properties in Paralimni/Protaras, all begging for a tenant.

Otherwise I would think your estimates are pretty close. Be aware that Paralimni will be VERY quiet during the winter months, a bit like an English seaside resort. Are you hoping to make do without a vehicle? That should be OK. There's a nice and very long retail strip in Paralimni high street, supplying everything you could possibly wish to buy.

Something you might need to think about is a subscription to an iptv provider, so you can watch UK TV like just back home. I suspect the evenings will be very long without this Most people pay the equivalent of €20-€30 a month for hundreds of channels, but it is possible to find a free service for a much smaller number of channels. You will need an internet connection too. We use CYTA, but there are plenty of other providers.

Finally, I'm sure there are many on this forum who wish that they would have €300 spending money left over at the end of each month Go for it!

[henryhughes96]

Hi Happy in Cyprus,

Really appreciate your reply

The property I will be renting has 2 bedrooms and a friend is planning on coming over in march to work for a period of time so the bills/rent will be reduced then.

It was more the cost of food/cleaning products ect. I was also hoping to get internet installed as well but from what I can see online, it looks fairly expensive so I may have to wait for a couple of months.

I currently have a provisional driving license so won't be driving but will be living fairly close to work. From looking online, I can start my lessons after I've been in Cyprus for 6 months - that is the plan anyway as I know buses aren't very reliable.

Thanks again for your reply, there is just so much to organise, I'm trying to think of all the questions haha

Cheers
Henry

[Happy in Cyprus]

Haven't used the bus service myself, but I am led to believe that the bus service these days is good and reliable, though 5 or more years ago that wasn't the case.

In Paralimni High Street you have a Lidl and shopping doesn't come much cheaper than that As most of us will tell you, buy what the locals buy, be prepared to consider Greek/Cypriot brands (most of them are very little different, after all) and you'll live very well for low cost. But if you crave UK brands you will pay more, though the supermarkets here stock many UK brands. For example, Alfa Mega carry quite a lot of Tesco stuff. Just checked, sadly your nearest Alfa Mega is in Larnaca.

[Jim]

Your destination would be well served if you visit Steve's forum in the east of the island..

http://www.easterncyprus.com/index.php


Good luck..

[henryhughes96]

Thanks Jim

[darrow]

Henry,
You could always get a bicycle or moped, but watch out, the drivers here are not the best. You can probably find films etc on internet, but it is more expensive than U.K. If you buy in season foods and buy fresh fuit and veg you can manage quite well. Staples like pasta are not expensive either. Water supply is cheaper, electric on par with U.K., but you should manage O.K. on €900 p.m. It depends on your lifestyle. Some would think a meal for 2 @€100 is reasonable, but you can have a meal out with a drink for €20! Good luck!

[henryhughes96]

Cheers Darren!

Really appreciate the help!!

Looks like I will manage ok then as long as I'm sensible

Thanks
Henry

[nicky]

Hi you will almost certainly have to pay deposits for water and electric unless landlord is keeping in his name good luck

[henryhughes96]

Thanks Nicky,

Do you have any idea how much these normally are?

I've got money out anyway for any emergencies or in case I need deposits for anything so should I be fine.

Thanks again
Henry

[lincoln]

Electricity is a deposit of €200.00 refundable. You will need passport and tenancy agreement. Water varies from region to region.

[juliesewell]

Hopefully Henry, if you've secured a job with a restaurant you may find that some of your meals may be included which will help to spread the cost a little.

Try not to get tied into a rental agreement that lasts more than 12 months too - because if for any reason you're not happy there, you will find it may be difficult or costly to get out of....

You may find it better before getting tied up with a phone or internet contract to simply get a new Cyprus sim card on one of the PAYG tariffs which will give you some data roaming and see how you go with that usage and WiFi first of all. Lots of places have WiFi zones so you may find you can manage with this - TV however, may be the issue or what pushes you to getting a broadband connection but don't rush into it until you know you're settled in your accommodation.

[Mike Strand]

Hi Henry,

You say you've got insurance, by that do you mean health insurance? The EHIC card will give you access to the same health care that locals are entitled to at the General Hospitals, but I would say if you can afford it, take out private medical insurance.

Mike

[Maramike]

Some would think a meal for 2 @€100 is reasonable, but you can have a meal out with a drink for €20! Good luck!

For one person in a local type restaurant I would say less than €20

[henryhughes96]

Hi Henry,

You say you've got insurance, by that do you mean health insurance? The EHIC card will give you access to the same health care that locals are entitled to at the General Hospitals, but I would say if you can afford it, take out private medical insurance.

Mike

Hi Mike, I have got my EHIC and the also taken out travel insurance for the year which covers up to £10 million worth of medical costs. Would I need anything else?

Thanks for the advice,
Henry

[henryhughes96]

Hopefully Henry, if you've secured a job with a restaurant you may find that some of your meals may be included which will help to spread the cost a little.

Try not to get tied into a rental agreement that lasts more than 12 months too - because if for any reason you're not happy there, you will find it may be difficult or costly to get out of....

You may find it better before getting tied up with a phone or internet contract to simply get a new Cyprus sim card on one of the PAYG tariffs which will give you some data roaming and see how you go with that usage and WiFi first of all. Lots of places have WiFi zones so you may find you can manage with this - TV however, may be the issue or what pushes you to getting a broadband connection but don't rush into it until you know you're settled in your accommodation.

Hi Julie,

Defiantly something to consider about the internet and TV. I get unlimited Calls and texts with my current contract to anywhere in Europe so its just the internet I need. Fingers crossed there will be a WiFi hot spot nearby

Thanks
Henry

[gogetemgirl]

The EHIC card is only valid for the first 3 months, then you'll need private health insurance.
Anne.

[juliesewell]

In order to get treatment at the village clinics or general hospitals (similar to UK NHS except you will pay a small amount for each visit and €0.50c for each prescription item) and whilst employed in Cyprus - you must have 3 years of Social Insurance contributions.

Contributions will be deducted from your salary by your employer - it's obligatory if you are employed, and the payment will be credited to your numbered account by your employer.

To get the SI number, you will need to visit the immigration office for an appointment (usually within the first 90 days of arrival) and to complete the necessary paperwork. Your employer may very well help you with this, but without it - you are working illegally so be sure to ask him/her about this.

Until you have accrued 3 years of SI contributions your only option for any medical treatment is either:
a) to pay as you go for a GPs appointment (anything from €20 up to €50 per visit) plus any prescription drugs which you will get from the chemists and any treatment/operations, or
b) take out a private healthcare insurance plan

There are pros and cons for both of the above....
If you are in very good health then you may consider option (a).
However, if you're considering getting a moped or scooter and driving around in Cyprus and have an accident (highly likely to happen in the more touristy areas) then you would have to pay for any treatment or hospitalisation if required. In which case, you may want to think about option (b) but obviously, it will mean paying a monthly amount each month and can be quite costly.

[Brenmar]

To get the SI number, you will need to visit the immigration office for an appointment (usually within the first 90 days of arrival) and to complete the necessary paperwork. Your employer may very well help you with this, but without it - you are working illegally so be sure to ask him/her about this.

You go to the Immigration Department to register and get your yellow slip, but AFAIK you register for Social Insurance at the Social Insurance office, don't you?

Immigration numbers and social insurance numbers are different.

[gmmcmanus]

Hi Henry,

have you checked that your travel insurance covers you for a full year out of your usual domiciled country? If not then it would be best just to check the small print.

Most annual travel insurance only covers you for a certain number of days out of the country but most people assume that it covers them for 365 days of travel. It is not a health insurance policy.

If your insurance company find out that you are living there all year round they may refuse any claim.

You can get policies to cover you for longer periods but I just wanted to make sure that you know this as I work in Insurance and know plenty of people who have been caught out by this assumption.

kind regards

Gail

[lofos-jan]

Yes Brenmar is correct. Social Insurance and immigration are two completely different procedures. If you are being employed, your employer will organise your Social insurance registration so there will be no need to do anything (although advisable to check at the local Social Insurance office every few months to ensure that it is being paid by your employer). You will however need to register at the immigration department for your MEU1 EU registration document (yellow slip) within 4 months of arrival.

Jeanne

[juliesewell]

Your employer "should" do this for you but unfortunately if they think they can get away with it or the employee is unaware of their entitlement - they often choose to ignore it.

If I remember correctly, my employer got my SI number and once I got the Immigration process sorted it was a very simple process at the Social Insurance office in Limassol. I didn't have to go to the Employment Office.

However, things may have changed a little but you must be sure your SI contributions are being met.

[henryhughes96]

Hi All,

Many thanks for all the comments, very helpful.

The employer that I will be working for is very nice as I have previously worked for them in the UK so I can't see there being any issues but at least I know how it all works - it's defiantly going to be a culture shock but i'm excited

Thanks again for the help and i'm lucking forward to my new adventure