Cyprus-Forum.com

[devil]

That’s based on the assumption that she would be interested in living the life of an old age pensioner in some stupid village growing vegetables and doing barter!

Get real, will you?

[phoenix]

I'm afraid you'll need twice that much to have a comfortable life here.

You don't live up to your moniker, do you? £1400/month would get you a luxurious life, not a comfortable one. £700 will not be easy, I agree, but by no means impossible. IF the lady could find an old village-style house at £200 or thereabouts, with a patch of land for the dog (note the sanitary requirements/quarantine below), she could grow all her own veggies, year round, and be reasonably in a starting position.

That’s based on the assumption that she would be interested in living the life of an old age pensioner in some stupid village growing vegetables and doing barter!

Sounds like "The Good Life" to me! . . . fortified by the odd trip to Nicosia for some urban thrills

[Get Real!]

I'm afraid you'll need twice that much to have a comfortable life here.

You don't live up to your moniker, do you? £1400/month would get you a luxurious life, not a comfortable one. £700 will not be easy, I agree, but by no means impossible. IF the lady could find an old village-style house at £200 or thereabouts, with a patch of land for the dog (note the sanitary requirements/quarantine below), she could grow all her own veggies, year round, and be reasonably in a starting position.

That’s based on the assumption that she would be interested in living the life of an old age pensioner in some stupid village growing vegetables and doing barter!

Sounds like "The Good Life" to me! . . . fortified by the odd trip to Nicosia for some urban thrills

[Get Real!]

That’s based on the assumption that she would be interested in living the life of an old age pensioner in some stupid village growing vegetables and doing barter!

Get real, will you?

No offence intended dear Devil...

[Sotos]

I think you will have to leave the dog behind and get an apartment. If you are lucky you will find a decent apartment within walking distance from your work and your children's school. If you do this you will do ok. If you bring the dog and you are forced to buy a house somewhere very far and then you will have to own a car also then I don't see you managing it with the 700

[michalis5354]

You can find a house or apartment outside the major cities and the cost to rent or buy its cheaper because everyone wants to live in cities than villages. Also another option that you have is to speak to your manager and tell him that you can work more hours or you can do additional/different duties in order to raise your salary to 900 or 1000 / month. Negotiate your Salary you have nothing to loose. Nothing venture nothing gain.

An extra 200 or 300 pounds is nothing for a good company . If the company employs an additional person the cost will be much higher .Also you may be entitled to a 13th salary like any other employee.

[Clare26]

Thank you everybody - you have all been so helpful and we are truly grateful. Paramed, I tried to reply to your message but it didn't work - but thank you so much for your kindness.

All going well, it looks as if we are going to make the move!

Clare

[beverley10]

Hi Clare,
Have been off line as we recently moved.Was reading your replies and no one seems to have mentioned the really important financial cost of health in Cyprus.As a non EU citizen you are entitled to nothing if you have been living in a non EU country.Private health insurance will be a must so factor in the cost of this asap. You cannot live in Cyprus on CY£700 per month if you have to rent anywhere remotely decent and secure.Most areas you will need a car to get around and this is not a cheap option in Cyprus. One of your replies was very wise(check that the job offer is 100% definate),we fell foul of "Cypriot promises" and ended up returning to the UK (we had lived there though) very dissapointed and dissolusioned! Your little dog will also ,as you have read from others,be a big financial burden to take with you and Cypriots poison them given half a chance. I am sorry to hear your plight but genuinely believe that if you are a British Citizen,you stand a far better chance of making it in the UK once you have qualified the 6 months to then be able to access financial help to get you settled.Do you still have friends or relatives in the UK who could help initially? Cyprus is a lovely place to live iff you have money but very hard iff you havent. Good luck whatever you decide but please think very carefully as it is not just you to think about here,it is your children too.The UK is not wonderfull but it is not until you leave it,that you realise how much we do get in help and support when we need it.

[fagash]

Not sure if anyone's mentioned UK child benefit and tax credits.

When I left UK last november, as a married woman (single parents get more), my child benefit was £116.60/month for 2 children.

We were getting £151/month tax credits for 1 child (eldest wasn't doing the right sort of further education to qualify ) our income at the time was roughly £15000.

[cymart]

After living in Cyprus for over 28 years and also knowng the U.K. well from frequent visits since then each year,I can understand why so many people think Cyprus must be better, especially for life quality and safety etc.The main problem is that this is a very small country with its own problems due to the on-going political situation and salaries here are relatively low in comparison to the cost of living.This has always been the case and many people got by because they had their own houses mortgage free from the dowry system which traditionally provided each girl with her own house or at least appartment when she got married.Since 1974 when about a third of Greek-Cypriots lost everything in the north,things have changed and with the very high cost of housng nowadays it is becoming increasingly difficult for local people to afford their own places with the boom in property prices resulting from the influx of foreign buyers,mostly from the U.K.Especially in the last couple of years,the cost of food and services has risen quite alarmingly and with us joining the euro in January things can only get worse!Rumours of a property bubble have been rife for ages here but with the real possibility of a recession in the U.K. in the near future,Cyprus is bound to be hit as well which will be a good thing in many ways as prices are far too inflated already and there has already been excessive development here in many coastal areas which is not doing the reputation of the island much good either.