charldp
New member
Useful article in the March PBO. Anyone have input as to day to day living costs? Tx a lot Charl
Lefkas liveaboard costs
- Thread starter charldp
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Tranona
Well-known member
Food costs equal to or higher than UK if you are talking in £sterling terms. Reasonable choice in Levkas because it has a substantial local all year round population. Very little local produce, particularly in winter so everything is "imported".
lefkasman
New member
Lefkada cost of living...
Considerably higher than the UK particularly fuel and boat maintenance spare parts etc... food stuff poor choice but getting better expect to pay perhaps 5/10 % higher than UK , but I would say its all relative as to how deep your pockets are, we have all heard the old adage " if you need to ask the price you can't afford it"
Considerably higher than the UK particularly fuel and boat maintenance spare parts etc... food stuff poor choice but getting better expect to pay perhaps 5/10 % higher than UK , but I would say its all relative as to how deep your pockets are, we have all heard the old adage " if you need to ask the price you can't afford it"
blueglass
New member
food costs comparable with UK but balanced out by cheaper local wine and beer, cheaper moorings and free sunshine.
ccscott49
Active member
I found food prices in UK, much cheaper than Barcelona, so looking forward to that as well in Greece, Corfu.
charles_reed
Active member
Simplistic but..
Bearing in mind that food in Greece has a 10% VAT levied on it, you would expect prices to be higher, if you shop in supermarkets. Most stallholders aren't VAT registered, so their prices are significantly lower.
However, if you bear in mind two golden rules - avoid supermarkets and stock up on the mainland whenever possible, one can buy food at about 10-15% less than the UK.
Obviously Levkasman doesn't bother to shop in the Lidl/Aldi (on the Frini road out, I forget which it is) or the markets.
I've spent a good few months in Levkas and have to disagree with his contention, especially if you compare Greek prices with, say, Waitrose.
As to the contention that produce is "tired", do have a look in the market stalls.
Second point, you have to change eating habits from the UK and adopt a more Greek diet.
I can comfortably feed myself in Greece on about €45/week, compared to about £55 in the UK.
Considerably higher than the UK particularly fuel and boat maintenance spare parts etc... food stuff poor choice but getting better expect to pay perhaps 5/10 % higher than UK , but I would say its all relative as to how deep your pockets are, we have all heard the old adage " if you need to ask the price you can't afford it"
Bearing in mind that food in Greece has a 10% VAT levied on it, you would expect prices to be higher, if you shop in supermarkets. Most stallholders aren't VAT registered, so their prices are significantly lower.
However, if you bear in mind two golden rules - avoid supermarkets and stock up on the mainland whenever possible, one can buy food at about 10-15% less than the UK.
Obviously Levkasman doesn't bother to shop in the Lidl/Aldi (on the Frini road out, I forget which it is) or the markets.
I've spent a good few months in Levkas and have to disagree with his contention, especially if you compare Greek prices with, say, Waitrose.
As to the contention that produce is "tired", do have a look in the market stalls.
Second point, you have to change eating habits from the UK and adopt a more Greek diet.
I can comfortably feed myself in Greece on about €45/week, compared to about £55 in the UK.
jimbaerselman
New member
Live Greek.
Simple eat out; €10 a head. Nice eat out, €15 a head. Tourist island eat out, €20 a head.
Greek coffee, €1.00. Latte, expresso etc; €2.50. Smart bars - €3.50.
500ml Beer in simple taverna; €1.80. Seafront smart bar; €4.00. Ditto Mykonos, 330ml €6.00
500ml table wine with food; €1.80 at mom's around the back; €3 on the seafront; €6 in the smart place.
Supermarket packaged fresh produce; €4 per kilo (UK £1 per 200gm); market stall seasonal produce; €2 per kilo.
Pork; €6 per kilo. Beef (pretty tough stuff) €6 - 8 per kilo. Fillet; €20 per kilo. Local butcher's rates about 20% lower than supermarket, but vary enormously depending on local demand. Fine calves liver; €3 per kilo (UK and Italy, €25 per kilo!)
DIY yacht berthing can be free of charge.
Moral, for cheap but fine living: keep off the seafront and street front; keep away from smart bars; shop from stalls and local suppliers; summer islands with international airports cost 30% more.
Fish; €4 per kilo mackeral types; €9 per kilo farmed bream; €15 per kilo really good stuff.
Our per week living costs for all food and booze are about 70% UK costs. In UK we eat out about twice a month, and pub drink once a week; in Greece we eat out twice a week and pub drink 4 a week. We are on the mainland . . . near Kalamata. Not a big tourist area. That helps.
Simple eat out; €10 a head. Nice eat out, €15 a head. Tourist island eat out, €20 a head.
Greek coffee, €1.00. Latte, expresso etc; €2.50. Smart bars - €3.50.
500ml Beer in simple taverna; €1.80. Seafront smart bar; €4.00. Ditto Mykonos, 330ml €6.00
500ml table wine with food; €1.80 at mom's around the back; €3 on the seafront; €6 in the smart place.
Supermarket packaged fresh produce; €4 per kilo (UK £1 per 200gm); market stall seasonal produce; €2 per kilo.
Pork; €6 per kilo. Beef (pretty tough stuff) €6 - 8 per kilo. Fillet; €20 per kilo. Local butcher's rates about 20% lower than supermarket, but vary enormously depending on local demand. Fine calves liver; €3 per kilo (UK and Italy, €25 per kilo!)
DIY yacht berthing can be free of charge.
Moral, for cheap but fine living: keep off the seafront and street front; keep away from smart bars; shop from stalls and local suppliers; summer islands with international airports cost 30% more.
Fish; €4 per kilo mackeral types; €9 per kilo farmed bream; €15 per kilo really good stuff.
Our per week living costs for all food and booze are about 70% UK costs. In UK we eat out about twice a month, and pub drink once a week; in Greece we eat out twice a week and pub drink 4 a week. We are on the mainland . . . near Kalamata. Not a big tourist area. That helps.
chrisgee
Member
Agree with you there Jim.
Booze still cheap if you shop around , so makes up for the more expensive food items.
I`m going on a "liquid "diet this season just to keep costs down !!
Overall bearing in mind we hardly ever pay mooring fees Greece is still the best palce in the Med IMHO.
Davy_S
Well-known member
Living out here, I have to agree with Jim. You can buy from the supermarkets bottles of Amstel, Mythos and Alpha all 500ml and 5% proof for around 90 cents. Fresh produce is exellent, carrots, lettuce, potatoes and chicken taste like nectar, far better than the bland uk versions.
As for the cheap local wine, try a glass, if you are not sure then try another before you make your mind up! buy it by the half litre (miso kilo) or a litre, it works out far cheaper than by the glass. If a Taverna looks full of locals, then go in and enjoy a good cheapish meal, if its full of tourists, walk away.
A good meal on Kefalonia, starter, main course, freebie dessert, plus 1 kilo of house red (each) costs us around 12/15 europs per person.
As for the cheap local wine, try a glass, if you are not sure then try another before you make your mind up! buy it by the half litre (miso kilo) or a litre, it works out far cheaper than by the glass. If a Taverna looks full of locals, then go in and enjoy a good cheapish meal, if its full of tourists, walk away.
A good meal on Kefalonia, starter, main course, freebie dessert, plus 1 kilo of house red (each) costs us around 12/15 europs per person.
Oliveoyl
New member
Davy_S
Well-known member
I simply take my role in helping out the Greek economy and wine sales very seriously! someone has to do it, plus I find it enjoyable
Tranona
Well-known member
However, 10 years ago that would have been £3-4 - that is over 300% inflation for us with sterling incomes! One of the reasons why our long love affair with Corfu is coming to an end.
I remember our first charter in 1999 the boat bills for all food ands drink, mostly eating out came to less than £50 a head for a week.
charles_reed
Active member
Partly inflation, but mostly the depreciation of the £/€ rate, latterly.
charldp
New member
thanks!
Thanks guys for the info - given me some good input.
Thanks guys for the info - given me some good input.
lefkasman
New member
For those of us who actually live on Lefkada and are unwilling to pay the rip off price charged for the PBO over here can you briefly tell us what the useful article in the March issue was about?
charldp
New member
want me to email you a scan of the article? Its about wintering in Lefkas marina - folk on a motor yacht called Bobble.
keithandpam
New member
It was written by Debbie and Jezz White now on Kapsali
Tranona
Well-known member
Even allowing for the recent fall in the value of th £ Greek inflation has been way above anywhere else as a consequence of joining the Euro. Even in Euro terms prices have roughly doubled since joining the currency.
mollyoxford
New member
As an information point, I feed 2 of us (very well!) in the UK for about or less than that £55 mark. I don't drink at all and he hardly, so I suppose that helps. Free mooring and sunshine though - Greece would have to win there. Only ever been on hols, but maybe someday in the next few years I'll get back for a longer stay - I liked it!
Mr Cassandra
Well-known member
£55 mark. I would eat that amount of food and drink in a weekend !!!Greece or England
