Retiree enjoys lower living costs in Cyprus

Monday June 30th , 2008

The cost of living in Cyprus is up to 20 per cent cheaper than it is in the UK, an expatriate has revealed.

Tony Blackwell and his wife left their Manchester home for the Mediterranean island back in 2003.

Speaking to the Associated Press, the retired electrician said he now has smaller outgoings as a result of the country's favourable tax regime.

This means that while Cyprus is being affected by global issues such as rising fuel prices, he is paying less than he would have done had he stayed in the UK.

However, he admitted that he is now taking cost-saving measures such as comparing prices and looking carefully at his expenditures.

Mr Blackwell commented: "You have to be very astute at what you do, but it's frustrating that there's nothing you can do to change that."

This comes after Paul Collins from BuyAssociation said Cyprus is popular with British retirees partly because it offers a number of similarities with the UK.

He highlighted its legal system as an example of where it is comparable, as it is based on the rules and regulations in Britain.