British pensioners in Cyprus feel the squeeze
"David Cornthwaite, the Chairman of the UKCA in Paphos told the Sunday Mail that the biggest topic of conversation among expats at the moment is the financial crisis.
“The government of Cyprus is saying that we’re OK, but this simply isn’t so. They’re living in fantasyland.” He continued, “The full force of the impact has yet to be felt, but it’s begun already.”
“Two of our members, the Crawfords, are shortly returning to the UK. They’ve done all their sums and worked out that they’re far better off there. They’ve been comparing prices between UK supermarkets and those in Paphos, and they will get substantially more groceries in their weekly shopping trolley in England.”
“Due to a combination of the poor exchange rate from sterling to the euro and local inflation, they’ve worked out that they’re 42 per cent worse off here.”
Brian and Barbara Crawford decided to retire to Cyprus just over two years ago."
“The government of Cyprus is saying that we’re OK, but this simply isn’t so. They’re living in fantasyland.” He continued, “The full force of the impact has yet to be felt, but it’s begun already.”
“Two of our members, the Crawfords, are shortly returning to the UK. They’ve done all their sums and worked out that they’re far better off there. They’ve been comparing prices between UK supermarkets and those in Paphos, and they will get substantially more groceries in their weekly shopping trolley in England.”
“Due to a combination of the poor exchange rate from sterling to the euro and local inflation, they’ve worked out that they’re 42 per cent worse off here.”
Brian and Barbara Crawford decided to retire to Cyprus just over two years ago."