Living in Greece | Cheaper than Living in Turkey?

Is the Cost of Your Favourite British Goodies while Living in Greece Cheaper than getting them while Living in Turkey?


Are you looking to know where your hard earned £ pound is in your favour abroad and where it will go farther? Surprises: Greece! Top end. Turkey: Even more expensive. Hungary: It turns out to be the cheapest of the tourist destinations covered, on a country by country basis. What we are saying here is that after the conversion of the £ to a local currency it goes farthest in Hungary in the country list below to buy our favourite British goods while abroad ....

These were the results from UK's The Post Office which recently conducted an investigation as to how much the £ pound will buy for those like-for-like basket of necessities when you travel abroad.

Of course, the purchased items and services are typical of what Brits would choose while on the move around the world. The like-for-like basket of purchases and services were also found in touristy areas. They included supermarket items such as beer, as well as meals eaten out.

The comparison is based on a similar set of purchases in the UK.

Interestingly Brighton, itself a tourist town in Britain was the UK city to be compared with tourist resorts abroad in the countries mentioned. Brighton I am told, being in the South of England can be 10-15% more expensive in comparison to say Leicester for similar supermarket items. I am sure if you come from other places around Britain you will draw your own conclusions in the price differential domestically.

The foreign exchange rates used are typical of current levels, are for the same day and show what the £pound is able to buy in local currencies. The like-for-like basket of items would cost in pounds equivalent, in:

Hungary (£35.72)
Thailand (£38.39)

Bulgaria (£39.12)
Spain (£44.84)

Indonesia (£48.06)

Kenya (£50.17)
Malaysia (£51.97)
Egypt (£60.76)
Croatia (£62.44)
South Africa (£62.56)
Greece (£63.42)
Portugal (£64.21)
Malta (£64.95)
Turkey (£76.08)

For those holidaying or living in Euroland, the comparison between Spain and Greece (two substantially similar places) for overall costs is most striking. The costs in Greece seem to be 25 per cent more expensive than Spain.

I take a detour for a moment -- Not surprisingly then that so many Spanish products and produce are found in Greece's discount supermarkets. such as Dia%, where many products from Spain appear "cheaper" than locally produced Greek items. Why should it be? Back to the main point -- why should British thingy's be that much more expensive in Greece than Spain? Surely the transport costs are not that much different? Must be to do with level in demand?

So, if we are talking about our insisting upon getting hold of our British made, favourites that we must have when we travel, then we have to be prepared to pay through the nose for them in some places.

That is probably the difference between Greece and Turkey. I always thought that in Turkey, the mighty Pound bought a lot of local Lire? Well it does normally. I even recall the days when the great sales pitch "English Breakfast for £1.00 Only" when at the time in Greek holiday resorts, like Malia in Crete it was already English Breakfast for £1.50 - £2.00 or more.

But The Post Office survey was about "like-for-like" items .....

For the current cost of living in Greece, especially for Brits in Crete, where the price of a litre of petrol has soared to around €1.50,the BiC Forum is the place to visit where a lot is being said by resident Brits and Irish.