This post was most recently updated on January 6th, 2023
Cyprus is such a lovely and beautiful country. But still, Cyprus has some drawbacks too. Today in this article we are going to learn about 7 bad things about Cyprus no one tells you about.
Disclaimer: I have been living in Cyprus for the last 3 years and have faced the good, bad, and ugly parts of living in Cyprus. All these points are from my own point of view. You can like the article or dislike it, it’s totally up to you.
Cyprus has a very hot summer
Everyone talks about the warm morning in winter, but no one talks about the hot afternoon in summer.
During the month of June, July, and August, the temperature goes above 32 degrees Celsius and the humidity is also very high. During the daytime, you can’t work outside, you can’t travel as it’s extremely hot.
You can look at the tables below to see the stats.
| June | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paphos | Larnaca | Limassol | Nicosia | |
| Average high °C | 27.7 | 30.3 | 30.8 | 34.3 |
| Daily mean °C | 22.8 | 25.0 | 25.5 | 26.9 |
| Average low °C | 17.8 | 19.8 | 20.1 | 19.4 |
| Average precipitation mm | 1.60 | 2.70 | 1.4 | 17.6 |
| July | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paphos | Larnaca | Limassol | Nicosia | |
| Average high °C | 29.9 | 32.4 | 33.2 | 37.2 |
| Daily mean °C | 25.2 | 27.3 | 27.8 | 29.7 |
| Average low °C | 20.4 | 22.2 | 22.4 | 22.2 |
| Average precipitation mm | 0.30 | 0.60 | 0.0 | 5.80 |
| August | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paphos | Larnaca | Limassol | Nicosia | |
| Average high °C | 30.4 | 32.7 | 33.3 | 36.9 |
| Daily mean °C | 25.7 | 27.6 | 28.0 | 29.4 |
| Average low °C | 21.0 | 22.6 | 22.7 | 21.9 |
| Average precipitation mm | 0.00 | 0.40 | 0.0 | 1.30 |
Click here to learn more about the weather in Cyprus
Cyprus is expensive
Even though Cyprus is cheaper than the UK or the USA, it is 13% more expensive than countries like Poland, Portugal, and Malta.
Rent in Cyprus is very high. A nice 2-bedroom flat will cost you 700-1000 Euros a month, even higher in tourist areas like Paphos and Ayia Napa.
Cyprus is heavily dependent on Tourism, and still, they charge more fees to the tourists.
Cypriots don’t have a manufacturing sector so they import most of their technology and stuff. Hence the costs are higher than they would be overseas.
The average salary in Cyprus for a general worker or labor is 500 Euros a month. With that much amount, how could they rent a flat and buy groceries?
Life is easier in Cyprus for those who earn a good amount of money.
Click here to read about the average salary income in Cyprus.
Click here to read about the living cost in Cyprus.
Private colleges in Cyprus aren’t of the quality
If you are planning on coming to Cyprus to study and even thinking of choosing a private college, then please don’t. Only the Universities in Cyprus are of European Standard.
Private colleges are nothing more than money-making factories. They claim to be of higher standards, but they are not. The education they provide is very poor. They mainly target international students and take tuition fees in bulk.
You will rarely see a Cypriot student study in private colleges. All of them go to the university or abroad to study.
Private colleges are nothing but a trap. The degrees they provide are not even applicable in most of the countries. One of the bad things about Cyprus is the private colleges.
Even though the Universities are a bit expensive, you should choose them. At least you will have a degree that works.
Very fewer jobs for international students in Cyprus
International students are only allowed to work for 20 hours a week in Cyprus. And, they are usually paid 5 Euro an hour. With that much earning, they can barely make 500 Euros a month.
International students in Cyprus are only allowed to work in certain fields. They are as below:
Housemaids and Domestic workers are underpaid in Cyprus
Do you know how much a Housemaid can earn in Germany? It’s 1000-1200 Euro per month.
And do you know how much a housemaid in Cyprus can earn? It’s 350 – 400 Euro per month. The same goes with the salary of Domestic workers.
They are heavily underpaid. Some may say the housemaids are provided with free food and free accommodation, so the salary is justifiable.
If that’s the case, then the housemaids in Germany or Spain, or Portugal are also provided with a room and food, and still, their salary is higher than that of Cyprus.
I am one of the admins of the official Facebook group of the Housemaid association of Cyprus, so I know a few things here and there about the problems housemaids in Cyprus face.
Bad driving practice
Cypriots are not known for their good driving. Harsh driving and always in rush, brings home the accident.
Also, Cypriots usually don’t want to take public transportation. They are heavily dependent on privately owned vehicles.
They have to take their car even if they are going just a couple of blocks down. This results in chaotic traffic jams during rush hour and leads to accidents.
Public transportation in Cyprus is mainly only used by international students, tourists, housemaids, and middle-class employees.
Some Cypriots are Racist
It’s one of the bad things about Cyprus that Cypriots are racist. Not all of them, but you can say the majority of them. Mainly the people in the villages are old, and they are racist compared to the young generation.
Older adults are traditional, and they think conservatively. Racism starts with them, and it just grows.
Mainly people from Asia and Africa have been the ones to get discriminated against.
Phrases like “does it say ‘black’ on my forehead” or “am I your housemaid” are very common when you ask a Cypriot to do something for you.
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