TRNC Expensive!

Nunu1


Joined: 31/03/2008
Posts: 536

Message Posted:
17/10/2008 02:39

I have to say I still love the TRNC. But on this trip I have noticed how much more expensive it is!!!!



It is on par now with the UK if not more expensive.



Fuel is a tad cheaper especially diesel. But food and drink is expensive.



I managed to find a sacred can of Guiness at the Ship in today, however at 8 YTL for a can is a rip off! Its 3 pounds in UK for a pint at my local and that is near WINDSOR!



Chicken Kebab and 2 cans of Pepsi near the Harbour, 18 YTL!!!!



Thats 1.50 a can of Pepsi Come on guys that is a rip off!



They will not do themselves any favours here if they want Tourists to come back.....and with recession credit crunch biting...what are they going to do? PUT the prices UP!?



nunu

fire starter


Joined: 19/06/2008
Posts: 3401

Message Posted:
17/10/2008 09:40

nunu,

to be honest i don't think they care.

if you eat at the harbour the prices are always more expensive. on your next visit try some local/village restaurants better food and cheeper prices.



i agree with how expensive prices have got here.



when the south adopted the euro back in january the prices rose there. hence the business's here increased there prices in line with them.

i don't know where it will end?

Chessman


Joined: 13/05/2008
Posts: 486

Message Posted:
17/10/2008 09:54

I stayed in a hotel in Windor last weekend. One white wine spritzer and one pint of lager was £9.57. Now that's a rip-off!

kavenkoy


Joined: 10/04/2008
Posts: 1787

Message Posted:
17/10/2008 10:06

i stayed in a hotel in athens 2 weeks ago ......1 bottle local beer 14 euros ... the more famous brands like amstel was 17 euros so what would you class that as ?



kav

mountbatten


Joined: 12/04/2008
Posts: 102

Message Posted:
17/10/2008 10:24

Chessman,ones corgi have to be fed

fire starter


Joined: 19/06/2008
Posts: 3401

Message Posted:
17/10/2008 10:25

we stayed in hotel in uk, a couple of weeks ago. 2 drinks at the bar was just under 8 quid.

hotel was a days inn brand. excellent value, great breakfast thrown into the price.



the hotels here could learn a lot from this chain!

Chessman


Joined: 13/05/2008
Posts: 486

Message Posted:
17/10/2008 10:28

Mountbatten.



Point taken! LOL

simbas



Joined: 16/07/2007
Posts: 5943

Message Posted:
17/10/2008 10:35

entertaining at home is an obvious choice to make , while prices are that high , { thats if you have any friends } , nunu1 ....... 8ytl for a guiness does sound a bit extreme i paid 8ytl for a malibu sunrise at the kaya artemis where you would expect the prices to be high , everywhere else was 6ytl

Chessman


Joined: 13/05/2008
Posts: 486

Message Posted:
17/10/2008 11:09

Kavenkoy



I can't think of a phrase to describe that!

viking


Joined: 09/10/2008
Posts: 36

Message Posted:
17/10/2008 11:12

We were over in May this year and found that food and drink has risen we were having to go to hole in the wall machine at the bank more often than previous years

simbas



Joined: 16/07/2007
Posts: 5943

Message Posted:
17/10/2008 11:21

hi viking , welcome to the forum , hope you enjoy the postings , yes i have to agree there is quite an increase , i was there in may and have to say i did'nt notice it so much as i did this time { came home yesterday }

regards , simbas

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
17/10/2008 12:01

Come on... it's like seeing your niece and nephew once a year... each time you see them they've shot up...



If you come here on holiday you are bound to see jumps in prices...since your last visit, but there are steady increases in all countries and reading the moans about the UK, we gather they have been worse there than many other places ...



On the whole it's still a very cheap place to live.

simbas



Joined: 16/07/2007
Posts: 5943

Message Posted:
17/10/2008 12:05

i would agree that is still a cheap place to LIVE

techtrader


Joined: 06/08/2008
Posts: 126

Message Posted:
17/10/2008 12:39

i do not agree that it is still a cheap place to live

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
17/10/2008 12:43

techtrader



it kinda deepends on what you see as the essentials in life...



If conspicuous consumption is your idea of good living then, no, it's not cheap.



If you live an unsophisticated healthy life it is... you saves your money and you takes your choice....

Aussie


Joined: 17/06/2007
Posts: 657

Message Posted:
17/10/2008 12:53

I think it comes down to local knowledge and looking around to get value here (like most of the World). For example there are two restaurants one at the end of the old harbour doing 3.5 YLT draft efes and the other around the corner in teh next harbour section. Some of the harbour fixed menus are between 22-25 YTl including choice of main whole fish etc and pretty large mezes.



Cheaper and good food is also available in a lot of the local style restaurants in the back streets, plus a lot of YTL4-5 kebabs)



Generally drink Efes Turkish coffee and Tea and water if you want good value. Nescafe, expresso etc are almost always overpriced and not as good anyway in my opinion.



There are many nice local cafes offering turkish tea at 1YTL and coffee between 1.5-2 YLT including a glass of water (in Esentepe its 1 YTL) which is good value in any language.



Aussie

fire starter


Joined: 19/06/2008
Posts: 3401

Message Posted:
17/10/2008 13:13

aussie, i agree that eating in more local places are cheeper.

if you want cocktails or a seat by the sea then it will cost more.



we were lucky, when we first came here we had a friend who was a student at the time. they always know where the best and cheepest food is!

simbas



Joined: 16/07/2007
Posts: 5943

Message Posted:
17/10/2008 13:22

council tax , ni , income tax , fuel ,gas, electricity , water { although electricity has risen dramatically } buying your fruit and veg fresh from the market , and fresh bread from the bakery , i would say it is still quite cheap to live there in comparison with the uk

viking


Joined: 09/10/2008
Posts: 36

Message Posted:
17/10/2008 13:17

Hi Simbas, and everyone thanks for the welcome, Groucho I agree prices have gone up everywhere, especially here in the UK although Petrol has gone down here to less than £1 per litre (how long for we don't know) but house prices have fallen drastically so chances of selling and moving to N Cyprus are becoming a pipe dream for us



Viking

Littlenige



Joined: 24/12/2006
Posts: 3594

Message Posted:
17/10/2008 13:27

Hmmm sounds familiar needed a new back box on the exhaust, Went to the place a few doors down from kar shop in Girne 200ytl



How much !!





No chance hmm ok i give special discount 150 ytl !!



I said there is 130 ytl here take it or leave it, job done for 130 ytl ( £50.42)







Found the same on online today in the uk for £29.13 inc vat !!



That is 75.30 ytl robbed ripped off and fed up

Nunu1


Joined: 31/03/2008
Posts: 536

Message Posted:
17/10/2008 13:44

Thank you for your comments and postings. I think the basic bills here like water, council tax, fresh food groceries, fuel compared to UK is a lot cheaper. The only thing that has gone up is electricity!



However, I have spoken to people that say it has drastically gone done in price............so thats good.....unlike UK things never Bloody go down!



RIP OFF BRITAIN!........I so do not want to go back on Monday!!!



nunu

Pipie


Joined: 05/01/2008
Posts: 5499

Message Posted:
17/10/2008 13:46

We have just returned from TRNC , and we have a new chef at one of our local restaurant , now it is very basic surroundings , you can see him prepare the bread / in the oven , little english boy watching him was mesmorised , any way a bottle of wine , meal for 3 plus a meze came to 60ytl , this restaurant is called celek opposite the small petrol station at Tatlisu . Furthur up the coast line the local council run restaurant , 4 meals , 3 snacks plus drinks came to 87 ytl . The golf club dinner for 3 including drinks and free internet 180 ytl considering the surroundings fab service we could not complain at all .

girne 29


Joined: 06/12/2007
Posts: 1488

Message Posted:
17/10/2008 14:59

Its the inflation thats making things bad not the imports. 2004-07 roughly 3-4 times that that of the south and UK ,Now add electric and motoring.



Not cheaper than the UK, if you compare like for like,even avoiding imported British foods.

Eating out and drinking about the same if avoiding the obvious, everday living materials are dearer,food about the same if you avoid some items,electric dearer, car ownership dearer. Health insurance is needed.



Its all very well saying its cheaper than UK if you avoid this or that, in that case a valid comparison is not being made.Anywhere will be cheaper if you dont drive a car, eat mainly veg,avoid butter ,dont buy shoes,etc etc.



Accept that for the extra bit of expense ,the lifestyle is worth it in TRNC,and by being carefull one can reduce the living costs slightly.Gets too dear, then tough, we have to leave.



Its the people on fixed income, who have sold up in UK, , and have had to live with inflation that couldnt be predicted,I feel

renelapin



Joined: 19/05/2007
Posts: 136

Message Posted:
17/10/2008 17:25

littlenige,



the difference is YTL 55,14 (GBP 21,29). Who robbed the YTL 20,16 ?



regards, rene

girne 29


Joined: 06/12/2007
Posts: 1488

Message Posted:
18/10/2008 13:50

Cyprus Today 11th-17th page 16-17



Good article on cost of living comparison.

Pipie


Joined: 05/01/2008
Posts: 5499

Message Posted:
18/10/2008 13:52

girne 29 re message 25

any chance you can paste/copy please ?

girne 29


Joined: 06/12/2007
Posts: 1488

Message Posted:
18/10/2008 15:00

PIPIE

Sorry, its a two page article and so cant fit here ,after scanning. Cyprus Today isnt on line. You would have to read the whole article for fear of taking things out of context



There was some variation between various surveys,UK, South, TRNC,



Was more interesting for the comments from politicians, traders and commentators,

For example ,I didnt know the average wage in south was twice that of the north.,and yet people in the south are complaining about thier living costs rising.



The govt is saying that the surveys are creating a false impression and is being used to weaken their position at the talks.

breezyboy


Joined: 14/05/2007
Posts: 1179

Message Posted:
19/10/2008 15:18

BUT what about comparative interest rates.

Assuming many people who actually care about the cost of living in TRNC over a full year are retired then depositing your money at 19% gives you a good head start over the best monthly access accounts in the UK.

As an aside, my council tax in UK is 14 times that in TRNC.

girne 29


Joined: 06/12/2007
Posts: 1488

Message Posted:
19/10/2008 22:52

Dont think the article mentioned that.It really concentrated on the cost of living and whether it was as bad a people were saying,

Its a comparison with living in the south or Uk in general.

Correct about council tax,about 15% of my pension would go on council tax in the UK



Dont think you could use the comparison of money in the bank tho, as some would have no money in bank others would have a lot ,whereas we all use roughly the same shopping basket.

lovingcyprus


Joined: 02/03/2007
Posts: 1272

Message Posted:
19/10/2008 23:21

breezyboy



How does does depositing your money at 19% give you a head start over interest rates in the UK when you have to pay 8% tax on the interest and inflation in the TRNC is running at 15% plus??????????????

fire starter


Joined: 19/06/2008
Posts: 3401

Message Posted:
20/10/2008 15:06

add to that the way the lira is loosing value.



also in the uk as a non tax payer you can claim your tax back.



has anyone tried this in the trnc?



is it possible?

girne 29


Joined: 06/12/2007
Posts: 1488

Message Posted:
20/10/2008 15:14

Correct, lovingcyprus.

Also for those of us that dont have a lot in the bank ,both expats and TC's ,19% of very little is very little.



.plus at the inflation you mention ,any amount you have is halved every 4years anyway.,if you spent the interest only.

As mentioned before ,you cant count money in the bank and the interest accrued into the cost of living equation. Someone with £500 in the bank wants a low cost of living and unless borrowing, interest rates are not important.

If you have millions in the bank then you want high interest rates and the cost of living is irrelevant to you.

The other downside of high interest rates for the average citizen and economic well being of the trnc in general ,is that I presume one has to pay that same high interest rate for borrowing.Where are businesses in trnc and house buyers borrowing from.

Is the high cost of and lack of borrowing the not cause of the world crisis at the moment.