Cyprus-Forum.com

[houlkz]

Has the changeover to euro made much difference to the cost of living in Cyprus, just wondering if i should take little extra cash for our hols this year

[Bill]

just wondering if i should take little extra cash for our hols this year

Absolutely ~ someones got to make up for the deficit in tourist income in Cyprus this year.

But unless you get offered an exceptionally good rate in the UK bring your sterling here as you will probably get a better rate at the exchange kiosks

Bill

[Biddy]

Base your spending on what you would spend in the UK. Reports coming back from Cyprus suggest that there have been increases

[Bill]

Base your spending on what you would spend in the UK.

Sorry biddy ~ bad advice ~ folk always spend more on holiday than they would do at home ~ it's part of the holiday for them to let themselves go and enjoy for a change.

One thing that is a problem is the high rate that the Euro was pegged at against the Cyprus pound plus the low exchange of the UK pound to the Euro at the moment ~~ that will make a holiday in Cyprus appear very expensive.

Advice ~~ take extra cash and change it in Cyprus unless of course you get an exceptional rate in the UK ~ I paid £500 for €750 in Oct last year at the post office which I thought was such a good deal I went back the next day and bought another 500 pounds worth ~ I only went in the post office initially to post a parcel and then saw the special offer for the Euro and grabbed some while I could.

Bill.

[Catlover1964]

Hi

Agree with Bill. Uk tourists will get a worse deal this year with low rate of sterling v euro.

Some shops have tried to capitalise on the euro by adding 10% or more to their prices. Worst culprits have been the bakery shops where bread has increased (supposedly due to an increase in the price of wheat) but ALSO all the other items they sell like milk, jam etc.

So shop around a little if you are self catering. A few cents amy not seem much but it all adds up!

[Sega]

Has the changeover to euro made much difference to the cost of living in Cyprus, just wondering if i should take little extra cash for our hols this year

It has slightly, prices have marginally increased. However, this is nothing like the extend we witnessed in other European countries. Cyprus was more prepared and most people would tell you the conversation from pounds to euros from the top of their head.

Personally I am used to the UK were we use to have 1 and 2 pound coins, therefore I welcome the change. I now carry around 1/2 euro coins and feel like I can actually purchase something using coins, whereas before the largest coin currency was 50 cents, hardly something you could use.

Anyhow, for what it's worth, the euros have increased the price particularly in food, petrol and so forth, however these probably would have gone up without the euro. It's purely coincidence, something that was just waiting to happen. After all, I can hardly remember when things in Cyprus were cheap, and that had very little to do with the euro, but more to do with the influx of holiday makers and people retiring in the sun.