Limassol is cheaper than Brighton

DESPITE THE spiraling cost of living on the island, it is still cheaper to holiday in Limassol than in Brighton, according to a recent study by Tesco Bank.

The study, which did not factor in the cost of transport to the local British destination or Cyprus, showed that a typical one-week holiday for a family of four in August, including accommodation, car hire, eating out and family entertainment would cost £1,739 (€2,150) in Limassol, and £2,209 (€2,733) in Brighton.

The cheapest destination was Sofia at £1,221 (€1,510), while the most expensive, Reykjavik, cost an eye watering £3,383 (€4,185).

John Howells, head of travel money at Tesco Bank, said holiday costs have been impacted by the euro exchange rate.

Howells was quoted by the Daily Mail saying “With the average cost of a holiday for one week coming in at £2,076 (€2567), a two per cent increase on last year, it is essential holidaymakers are not just looking into the cost of travel but also the expenses they are likely to incur once they are there.

He added “For instance, car hire and accommodation make up 71 per cent of weekly spend and have risen six per cent on last year.”

This is good news for local residents who are considering a staycation, but it is unlikely to entice Brits at the last minute, given the cost of booking late flights to Cyprus.

For example, four return flights from London to Larnaca in August would cost a minimum of £1,144 (€1,414) via Easyjet, bringing the total cost to €3,877.

For Cypriots keen to skip the island, the report has revealed several Eastern European city breaks to be good value for money.

Sofia, Warsaw and Budapest all came in cheaper than Limassol, while Ljubljana in Slovenia, which costs €2,163 for a week for four, was just £11 (€13) more expensive.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.