Disclaimer: This article is about the South European part of Cyprus. The island was split into two parts in the year 1974 due to the Turkish invasion.
Do you know what is the ultimate truth? There is no perfect place in the world. Every country naturally has its ups and downs, as long as it is on planet Earth. So if you are seeking that utopian destination, I say “Take your head out of the clouds and land yourself into reality!” Is Cyprus a good place to live? Certainly, I personally love this country, like many others. But that doesn’t mean it’s paradise, because if it was, everyone would want to be here, right? That’s just the standard order of life.
There are endless articles online that you can read about the advantages and disadvantages of living in Cyprus. Why is mine any different? Well, I give you this info from 2 perspectives. I grew up in Cyprus and spent most of my life on the island. At some point in 2014, I left, however, and only returned in 2022 as a completely new person with a completely different income bracket. So, I can tell you a lot about how it was to live here before and how it is to live here now. And if you are determined to relocate here, I have a secondary blog post with suggestions from my experience. Ready? Let’s jump into it!
Advantages
Fantastic climate
Amen! The most frequent reason the word “Cyprus” lands on anyone’s tongue is definitely its incredible climate. It was also one of the causes of my immigration to Cyprus back in 1998, namely due to health reasons. Over 300 days of pleasant sun per year make this island very attractive, especially to hordes of people from cold Northern countries. And the heat here is nicely balanced – it isn’t as extreme as Dubai, for example. Sure, you may have heat waves around July to August, but they are barely comparable. The temperatures range from 30 to 40 degrees Celsius in the summer and 10 to 20 in the winter.
Cyprus is also known as the island where in a single day you can take a swim at the beach and then ski in the mountains. Yes, during a few weeks in the deep winter, we do have snow at the peak of the Troodos mountain, and people do ski. Yet I can’t say the snow and the skiing compare to any Austrian, French, or Swiss ski resort, of course. I would also avoid the beach at this time of year when there is snow up there, as the water is usually rather cold. But hey, people do it!
Top beaches
I’ve been to many countries and experienced a myriad of beaches. None of them, however, were as amazing as the beaches in Cyprus. Most of them are sandy, have wave breakers, and have a convenient, gradual depth increase as you walk into the sea. You will easily find all the necessary facilities to make your beach day memorable. And the Mediterranean Sea is a marvel – clean, warm, and full of life.
The spring, summer, and part of the autumn time will have you partying at the beach all day in one of the beach restaurants or bars. You may spend morning to evening in a swimsuit and flip-flops, and that’s normality here. The best beaches are in Limassol and Ayia Napa, yet Larnaca and Paphos follow closely behind. And sure, you may find rocky beaches with pebbles or cliffs but those are usually wild though still worth exploring.
Preservation of tradition
Sadly, tradition has been dying in more and more destinations globally over the last few years, giving way to globalization. Not in Cyprus. It’s awe-inspiring how tradition continues to live here and it hasn’t much changed since 1998. You can still visit a plethora of cozy, narrow-street traditional villages all over the island. Frequently, you will still run into the original inhabitants of those cute stone houses who are now old, sitting on a stool outside, watching curious tourists roam around.
But it isn’t just about the villages or the historic architecture. The Cypriot people do not seem to be swayed from their origins. No matter how many tourists or foreigners inhabit the island, the Cyprus way seems to be unaffected. No one can take away the local taverns, coffee shops, loud family gatherings, barbecues, music, wine and more. It is a bliss to still be able to visit a village tavern with traditional Cyprus live music, watching traditional dancing while feasting on the mouth-watering and never-ending meze of food throughout the night.
Delicious food
To each his own, I guess, but to me, the Cypriot cuisine is heavenly. And you don’t have to spend days of digustation to get a sense of that. As I mentioned above, just order a meze! Fish or meat, whatever floats your boat. You’ll have dishes brought to you of various flavours and you better hope you have room for dessert. Sure, the menu is normally filled with meat, bread, and other caloric loads, and I won’t dare to say the food is healthy. Yet you will always find lighter options as you skim through.
If the local cuisine doesn’t entice you, worry not! Cyprus has a generous choice of quality restaurants to satisfy your cravings. From Italian to Syrian, British, Indian, and Russian restaurants, making a memorable dinner plan won’t ever be a problem. We have decent sushi joints, a vast choice of pizza places, steakhouses, bakeries, and roadside food vendors of all kinds. Vegans and/or vegetarians won’t be disappointed either!
Low crime rate
When I was living in Cyprus during my college years, one could leave his car keys in the ignition and hop into the supermarket with no second thought. People did it all the time. I still see people do it, yet nowadays, the crime rate is not as low as it used to be. In comparison to other countries around the world, however, Cyprus is still a highly safe destination. Kids can normally play safely in their neighborhoods. Pickpocketing is not common at all. And violent crimes are extremely rare to hear about.
The island’s safety is yet another reason why so many families choose to relocate here for permanent residence. There may be a psychological phenomenon at play here. Since our towns are rather small in size, you get to know a lot of people if you are sociable and it makes you feel more connected to the community. Trust is possible due to seeing similar faces time and again. The havoc of a mega city is absent, together with that feeling that everybody is a stranger who can swiftly disappear in the mayhem of a million residents.
Easy to be foreign
Cyprus is a melting pot of nationalities. English is widely spoken, unlike places like France, Spain, or Portugal, and nobody will expect you to speak the native Greek language. You may even be surprised by someone speaking your native language back to you. Especially lately, the encounter with someone local is starting to become less and less frequent. In addition, the local community is becoming more open to the idea of an even bigger multinational society on the island. Hence, you will be able to blend in frictionlessly.
The most predominant foreign populations of Cyprus are currently the British, Russian, Ukrainian, Philippine, Sri Lankan, Syrian, Israeli, and Greek. It doesn’t stop there, however, as Cyprus is a dream destination for people all over the world. The island’s main source of revenue for many decades has been tourism, so it’s self-explanatory. And despite some rare bouts of racism, you will usually feel rather welcome to be in Cyprus.
Disadvantages
Slow living
The country’s motto is “siga siga” which translates to “slowly slowly.” A rather standard way for many countries surrounded by the Mediterranean, if you ask me. Even though you may find it funny at first, you quickly realize there is no humor contained in this motto. It is serious and has always been. Cypriots are in no rush. You will never find a local man or woman in an upbeat, proactive mode. And that’s just how it is. It is infectious too. The island quickly pulls you into this demise.
Need an electrician or plumber today? Forget about it. Had an appointment at the mechanic? Try next week. Need to buy some essentials on Wednesday afternoon? No way. Wednesday afternoon is officially treated like the weekend here. And while you do get used to this approach, it gets irritating especially if you just relocated from some large megapolis where you could order a cheese toast sandwich delivery at 3 AM. Conveniences tend to be extremely rare here. Naturally, this stretches to bureaucracy and covers the entire spectrum of the island’s life.
Island life
Ask yourself: “Do I truly understand how it is to live on an island?” Despite the glamour portrayed in the movies or on TV, living on an island is not for everybody. Sure, Cyprus is indeed a large island in comparison to many other island countries but you could drive from one end to the other in less than 4 hours. This means that you get to quickly discover the territory and your adventurous excitement just as quickly wanes.
We don’t usually consider this, but life is different in countries that are landlocked or have at least a few bordering neighbors. Trading is significantly better. You don’t always have to receive your goods by ship or plane. Thus, there are few shortages and importing is reasonably affordable. Psychologically, you also feel different – you always have the option to drive across the border into the rest of the world with your car. No need to depend on only planes or ships for travel. From Cyprus, the only way out is by air or sea, of course. You will have to leave your precious car behind.
Limited travel destinations
Perhaps the biggest disadvantage of living on an island like Cyprus is its limited access to easy travel to distant countries. Being a tourist hub, inbound flights are naturally more prioritized. Direct flights are rare to come by, and unless you like layovers, that becomes aggravating. From my perspective, had Cyprus considered making its airports more connected to the rest of the world, it would have an even bigger boost to its economy.
So, if you are an avid traveler like myself, you will find it rather time-consuming to fly anywhere outside Europe or adjacent non-European countries to Cyprus. Does that stop me? Well, no. Comparatively though, when you can travel directly anywhere you wish from cities like London, Lisbon or Paris, you will feel the difference. On the flip side, if you do care not about global travel, Cyprus may be just the place for you.
Lack of services
Cyprus tends to be a decade behind civilization. Fair enough, it’s a small country, and sometimes this is even advantageous. Firstly, the overwhelming evolution of the modern age does not hit your psyche. Secondly, if you are into starting a business, you can always look at “what Cyprus does not have yet.” For example, years before Foody, Wolt, and Bolt even hit the Cyprus market, me and an acquaintance of mine were actually developing a plan to bring a service like that into the market. Had we continued with the idea, we would have capitalized immensely.
Of course, this still causes a level of inconvenience. If you have kids, finding much variety in activities for kids may pose a challenge. If you need a babysitter or a cleaner, the existing services may not cater to your needs fast or at a decent level of quality. Or if you want to buy something in an online store, you will not have access to a local online market. Amazon delivers but at a higher price, and usually, the delivery time is longer. We do find ways around this though – big up Telegram channels!
Expensive to live
From a general view, prices in Cyprus are usually higher than in other European countries. Prices were just as high when I stayed in Luxembourg, but hey, that’s a country you would expect prices to be soaring in. Why is it so expensive here? Well, simply because, again, it’s an island, and most things need to be imported here. Technology has a significant markup. Grocery shopping will make your wallet lose weight (unless you know the secrets of shopping here). Petrol is European-ly pricey. And bills, namely electricity, will make you develop a new habit of switching off unnecessary lights around your home or flat.
Quite recently, a new disturbing price concern has become a standard – rent and property. Since 2022, rent and property prices have been shooting for the stars. Rent is at least two times more than pre-2022. Sometimes, it feels like it’s going out of control. There seems to be no regulatory cap from the government either. The market decides the terms and the market demand is high. What’s worse is that someone local would rather keep their property vacant for months than bring the price down and rent it out.
There you have it. Possibly, that sheds some light on what it is like to reside in Cyprus. If you are considering this country as a future destination for life, my advice to you is to come and visit first. Articles like mine will give you just a glimpse of what it may be like to live here. Plus, remember these are personal experiences, which may be unlike yours. Lastly, feel free to check out my second post with suggestions on what to consider if you wish to relocate to Cyprus. So subscribe to my blog and let’s keep in touch!
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