What is the cost of living in Northern Cyprus?
Living costs in the Northern Cyprus are much cheaper than the UK and most of Europe. There is no rates system at present, or community tax. The main costs are electricity which costs 0.106 New Turkish Lira per KW which is the equivalent of 4 pence per KW. (approx. 15 monthly per house), water costs 20 New Turkish Lira + %13 VAT for 0-20 Tons of water per month which is the equivalent of 8 for 0-20 tons of water per month and an annual council tax is less than 40 (2.90 per month which includes waste collection, pavement and road cleaning, etc.). Central heating is rare in N Cyprus but is usually run on gas or oil. Most cookers are run on gas canisters (1 gas canister costs approx. 6 and lasts as long as 2/3 months) and/or electricity.
The cost of living in Northern Cyprus is cheap compared to other countries in Mediterranean region (Southern part of the island in particular) or popular European destinations. The utility bills are exceptionally affordable. Living in Northern Cyprus, you will be looking to pay £ 200 a year for electricity and water for an apartment. A lot of the houses and apartments are built with the solar water heating systems, which ensures cheap running costs even in winter. Communal maintenance fees are also payable, depending what facilities you share (pool, security, sewage, etc) Northern Cyprus living is changing for the better. In recent years the number of the supermarkets that sell foreign (including leading English brands) food has grown, which has brought the price of the export goods slightly down but it they still remain higher than in the UK. Turkish produced food could be purchased at a fraction of that and is good quality and varied choice.
