Northern Cyprus is a retirement haven for many European expatriates. The majority of retirees come from the UK but there are growing communities of retirees from mainland Europe as well who all recognize the benefits of retiring to one of the most beautiful, accessible and desirable locations in the world.
In North Cyprus the climate is conducive to good health, the cost of living is low, the standard of living is high, property prices are highly affordable and taxation is very low and this article lists the top ten reasons to retire in North Cyprus for anyone contemplating their options.
1) Climate
Despite what many holiday brochures claim Cyprus does not have 365 days of sunshine a year - but it does have a temperate winter with annual rains mainly falling in January and February and then the rest of the year is a mixture of beautiful warm days with blue skies in the spring and autumn when the temperatures are perfect for pastimes such as gardening or walking followed by the intense heat of the summer sunshine in July and August. During the heat of the midday summer sun it is quite acceptable to laze beside the pool or in an air-conditioned room until the early evening when everyone ventures out, swims in the sea, eats late and generally socializes until the wee small hours! The climate in North Cyprus can help ease arthritis, it can even sort out asthma and the vast amounts of sunshine available for most of the year keeps everyone feeling youthful, full of energy and basically happy.
2) Natural environment
Northern Cyprus is beautiful – there are no other ways to describe the majesty of the mountains and the spectacle of the sparkling waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Despite the fact that it is becoming popular to retire in North Cyprus or to move to the island to start a new life, the amount of development taking place has not spoilt the natural wealth of beauty that exists in the North. There are castles, monasteries, mosques, monuments, ancient buildings and relics, long sandy beaches, dramatic cliffs and mountain peaks, stunning sunsets, breathtaking sunrises and flora and fauna in abundance.
3) Community
One thing the Turkish and Greek Cypriots definitely have in common is that they are a welcoming, accepting and friendly race of people who readily welcome expatriates into their community and embrace them into their way of life immediately!
No sooner will you have moved into your retirement villa in North Cyprus than you will have an invitation to a barbeque or to meet the family or for a visit to see grandma or all the cousins of your Turkish Cypriot neighbours! Furthermore with the expansion and development of the expatriate communities across Northern Cyprus there are events from bingo and salsa evenings to bridge and badminton, there are church social events, darts nights at the local pub, lunches, dinners and excursions organized by the myriad of clubs, societies and informal gatherings of like minded people in Northern Cyprus to keep even the most active person engaged.
4) Cost of living
The cost of living in Northern Cyprus is cheap – it is in fact the cheapest in the entire Mediterranean region with locally produced meat, fruit, vegetables, milk and staple produce selling for dramatically low prices! The majority of local produce is organic as well meaning you can eat healthy for very little in Cyprus. For those who enjoy a drink, locally produced spirits and beers are available in abundance for very little. Furthermore utilities remain affordable as does LPG for the central heating and petrol for the car.
5) Standard of living
There is so little crime in North Cyprus that petty thievery and car accidents are fully reported in the English language newspapers such as Cyprus Today and the Cyprus Times – just imagine if every incidence of someone pranging their car in the supermarket or of having something taken from their unattended handbag in the main tourist areas of the UK were reported in the British press!!! In North Cyprus it doesn’t matter if you don’t lock your house or car your neighbours will keep an eye on your property for you, children can walk to school unaccompanied (though they do have to watch out for the bad drivers who regularly use pavements as car parks!) and drug and alcohol related misdemeanours are practically unheard of.
As a result of these facts alone the standard of living in North Cyprus is far superior to that available in any other European nation – then add to this the fact that it is so cheap to eat out, it is so cheap to buy DVDs or CDs, that all the creature comforts one desires are available for sale in Northern Cyprus and you will begin to realise just how high the standard of living is for retirees in TRNC.
Well, if you hadn’t already realised it property in North Cyprus is for sale at the lowest prices in the Med – you can get far more for your accommodation budget in North Cyprus than you can in even Bulgaria or Turkey and the choice of properties for sale in locations across TRNC is vast. Apartments built to a standard high enough to live in full time (as opposed to holiday in part time) start from GBP 35,000 with villas with communal pools in desirable locations starting from just GBP 60,000. Naturally the more you spend the more you get – but you do not have to spend a small fortune to get a small castle!
7) Government incentives
Despite the fact that officially personal income tax rates are between 20 and 40% in Northern Cyprus, foreign residents only have to pay tax on money they remit to the island and their exemptions – especially if retired – are so generous that most retirees living in Northern Cyprus are living here completely legally tax free – that beats even the 5% income tax that retirees have to pay in Southern Cyprus doesn’t it!
Other TRNC government incentives exist for those who move to North Cyprus to start a business that benefits the tourism industry – they can import goods tax free, earn income tax free for example and receive as much support as possible to make their venture a success.
8) Accessibility
Now that most border crossings between Northern and Southern Cyprus are open 24/7 365 days of the year it means that there are three airports in Cyprus available to all – Ercan close to Nicosia in Northern Cyprus as well as Larnaca and Paphos in Southern Cyprus. In the summer there are many cheap charter flights available and in the winter the main carriers such as CTA, BA, Cyprus Airways etc., offer discounts to flyers to fill up their planes meaning that it is getting cheaper and cheaper and easier and easier to fly to and from Cyprus meaning that it is accessible for all a retiree’s family and friends who will be excited at the prospect of a free holiday with their loved ones!!!
9) Welfare
The cost and availability of medical care in North Cyprus is something that all those considering a move to the country will have in mind. Fortunately the cost is low and the availability is good – all major towns have private and state hospitals, private and state ambulance services and private care services such as home helpers and carers…those with a specific medical condition should however research the health care side of things in the North more closely to ensure that they can be properly taken care of – but for those who are in general good health the welfare available in North Cyprus is good.
Those retiring on a budget would be sensible to set aside some money in case they ever need hospital treatment or a flight back to the UK to see a specialist.
10) Living the dream
Ultimately – if you have a dream of retiring to a villa with a pretty garden, a beautiful pool, stunning sea and mountain views and a great climate where you can afford and maintain a good standard of living why not retire in North Cyprus…there are many more retirees waiting to welcome you!
