To know the cost of living in Northern Cyprus you would also need to know more about the coastal cities as the city of Kyrenia or Guerna as it is called by the Turks and written in the Turkish language (Girne), is a beautiful coastal city and is considered the most important tourist city of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Kyrenia is the smallest of the provinces in the Six Republic of Cyprus, and the third in Turkish Cyprus.
Kyrenia is an entertainment city that includes wonderful beaches spanning a large area on the Mediterranean coast. The city’s population is about 52 thousand people, all of whom are Turkish Cypriots. The Turkish language is the official language along with the English language that is widely spread among the population, while the Greek language is used by a small number of elderly residents. The city of Kyrenia is bordered to the north and west by the Mediterranean Sea, and the south by the United Nations area, which is an area that divides the two parts of the island of Cyprus into two halves. The Turkish part is the northern side which is Northern Cyprus.
The city’s economy depends on tourism, agriculture and financial support coming from Turkey, and the Turkish lira is the currency adopted in “Kyrenia” like the rest of the cities of Northern Cyprus. The city of Kyrenia includes two universities, namely the University of Kyrenia and the American University of “Guerna”, which are the universities recognized by the Turkish Higher Education Council, but they are not internationally recognized universities. Universities in Northern Cyprus are generally distinguished by their moderate study costs and the quality of the level of education. Let’s get to know more about the cost of living in Northern Cyprus in details.
Accommodation cost of living in Northern Cyprus
Accommodation is always a challenge, especially when it comes to large central cities. The average price per meter square for an apartment in the center of the city is 6321 TL, if it’s outside of the city center it is 5096 TL. If you aren’t planning to buy an apartment but rent one then the average cost per month for a one-bedroom apartment in the city center is 2429 TL and 3831 TL for a three-bedroom apartment. If you’re looking for something cheaper you can rent outside the city center for 1853 TL per month for a one-bedroom apartment and 2791 TL for a three-bedroom apartment.
Food and groceries cost of living in Northern Cyprus
Food is actually one of the cheap affordable things in Northern Cyprus, unlike accommodation. You can find here a detailed grocery list:
Milk (1 liter): 5.24 TL
White Bread (200 g): 5.55 TL
Rice (1 kg): 7.57 TL
Eggs (12 pieces): 11.39 TL
Cheese (1 kg): 39.82 TL
Chicken (1 kg): 29.49 TL
Meat (1 kg): 53.33 TL
Apples (1 kg): 9.1 TL
Banana (1 kg): 8.27 TL
Oranges (1 kg): 6.61 TL
Tomato (1 kg): 7.17 TL
Potato (1 kg): 8 TL
Onion (1 kg): 4.48 TL
Domestic Beer (0.5 liter draught): from 10.5 TL to 20 TL
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle): from 14 TL to 25 TL
Cappuccino (regular): 10.5 TL
Coke (0.33 liter bottle): 8.15 TL
Water (1.5 liter bottle): 2.06 TL
Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range): from 30 TL to 60 TL
Cigarettes 20 Pack: 15 TL
Transportation cost of living in Northern Cyprus
Luckily, transportation is relatively cheap in Northern Cyprus, and the best way to go around it. It is also very clean, convenient, and fast with a variety of vehicles and means. There are busses, sea busses, shared taxis, tram, metro buses, metros, cable cars, and ferries. One-way ticket in public transportation can cost 5.2 TL. Know all about the public transportation cost here
If you have a car, 1 liter of gasoline would cost you around 5.72 Turkish liras. If you want to take a cab, the basic tariff would be 4 Turkish liras and for each kilometer you add around 3.55 Turkish liras.
If you are planning on buying a car, a Volkswagen 1,490KW would cost 131,714 TL and a Toyota 1,619KW would cost 123.966 TL.
Utilities and bills cost of living in Northern Cyprus
By comparing the household bills in Northern Cyprus with other European cities, you would find that it is relatively cheap. Which is also an added plus to living in Northern Cyprus and allows for a low cost of living budget.
Basic utilities for an 85-meter square apartment per month is 408 TL.
Internet cost per month for 6mb per second 123.85 TL.
You can also get monthly maintenance services that ranges from 50 to 500 TL per month depending on services provided.
Dining out cost of living in Northern Cyprus
Dining out and trying cultural foods is a very important thing to add to your cost of living budget so that you get to experience important cultural sides through food, you can find here a price guide:
Meal in a cheap restaurant for two: 32 TL
Three-course Meal for two People in a mid-range restaurant: 120 TL
Fast Food Chains: 29 TL
Sports and other leisure activities cost of living
The average cost of 1 month gym subscription is around 170 TL.
Renting a tennis court to play with friends on weekends would cost around 213 TL an hour.
If you fancy a movie, going to a cinema would cost you 24 TL for 1 ticket.
Shopping in Northern Cyprus
Shopping comes at a convenient price, you can but a pair of jeans at the price of 290 TL from a famous chain store. A summer dress for 195 TL. A medium quality sneaker for 532 TL. Men’s shoes for 388 TL.
Child care can cost around 1852 TL per month for a child in the age of pre-school and younger. A primary international school would cost 44,884 TL per year.
If you’re planning to work in Northern Cyprus, the salary averages at 5135 TL after tax reduction.
All in all, Northern Cyprus is an amazing place to live in, with its amazing nature, modern residential areas, and very convenient cost of living.
