Cyprus (CY)
Cyprus is a Mediterranean island nation and EU member state situated at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa.
Daily Life
Practical day-to-day information for living in Cyprus.
🛒 Supermarkets
Cyprus's largest supermarket chain. Wide range, competitive prices. Most towns have at least one branch.
Operates as Carrefour or Carrefour Express. Good range of international and local products.
German discount chain. Best prices for staples. Limited but growing number of branches in Cyprus.
Greek-origin chain now operating in Cyprus. Good fresh produce section and bakery.
Cypriot supermarket chain. Strong presence in Nicosia and Limassol.
British products and premium ready meals. Popular with British expats. Limassol and Nicosia.
Wholesale/semi-wholesale. Membership required. Good for bulk purchases and catering.
Opening Hours
Supermarkets: Monday–Friday 8:00–21:00, Saturday 8:00–21:00. Most supermarkets closed on Sundays. Some Lidl branches open Sunday mornings. Local shops: 9:00–13:00 and 16:00–19:00 (siesta/mesimeri break in the heat). Banks: Monday–Friday 8:30–13:00 (some branches open afternoon). Government offices: Monday–Friday 7:30–14:30.
Sunday Rules
Sundays are generally quiet commercial days in Cyprus. Supermarkets are largely closed. Restaurants, cafés, petrol stations and tourist-facing shops are open. Many families eat out or visit family. Shopping malls in Limassol (My Mall) and Nicosia (Mall of Cyprus) are open on Sundays.
Recycling
Cyprus has a colour-coded recycling bin system. Green bins: general waste (mixed non-recyclable). Blue bins: paper and cardboard. Yellow bins: plastic, metal and cartons (tetra pak). Brown bins: organic/food waste (selective municipalities). Glass: special glass collection points at supermarket car parks. WEEE (electrical): collection points at large retailers. Recycling culture is improving but still developing; compliance varies by area.
Dining Out
Dining out is central to Cypriot social life. Tavernas serve traditional meze and grilled meats. Most restaurants open from 12:00 for lunch and 19:00 for dinner. Dinner is typically served late (21:00–22:30 for locals). Reservations recommended at weekends. Average meze dinner: €20–30 per person including wine. Most restaurants have English menus and English-speaking staff.
Utilities & Internet
Electricity: provided by EAC (Electricity Authority of Cyprus). Average household bill: €80–150/month. Water: supplied by municipalities or Water Board. Average: €20–40/month. No natural gas grid in Cyprus — LPG cylinders or electric appliances used for cooking. Internet: typical 100 Mbit fibre plan €25–40/month. All utilities require a Cyprus address and usually a TIC number.
Cultural Tips for Expats
- → The siesta (mesimeri) is real — many local shops close 13:00–16:00 in summer. Plan errands for morning or late afternoon.
- → Cypriot bureaucracy moves slowly. Bring all documents in triplicate, expect queues, and don't plan anything else on a 'quick government errand' day.
- → Coffee culture is central — social and business conversations happen over coffee (frappe, frappuccino, Cypriot coffee) at a kafeneio or café.
- → Driving culture is relaxed about rules — expect lane drifting, late indicating, and casual parking. Drive defensively.
- → English is so widespread that you can live comfortably in Cyprus without speaking Greek. However, learning even basic Greek phrases earns enormous goodwill from locals.
- → Sunday is genuinely sacred for family time — expect deserted offices, closed shops and busy family tavernas.
- → Cyprus has very low crime rates — petty theft and pickpocketing are uncommon but not unheard of in tourist areas.
Quiet Hours
Cyprus law prescribes quiet hours to protect residential amenity. These are enforced by municipal police and can result in fines.
Residential areas — no drilling, power tools, loud music, or construction noise.
All residential areas — no loud music, noise from parties, or machinery.
Construction and heavy machinery prohibited. Social noise should be kept reasonable.
- •Drilling or doing construction work during afternoon siesta hours
- •Playing loud music after 23:00 — particularly relevant for apartment buildings
- •Running pool pumps or generators during quiet hours
Municipal police can issue fines of €85–500 for first offences. Repeat offences result in higher fines. Noise complaints from neighbours are common in apartment buildings.
Postal Services
Cyprus Post (Κυπριακά Ταχυδρομεία) operates the national postal service. Service is reliable for domestic mail. International parcels can be slow (1–3 weeks to EU countries). Private courier services (DHL, FedEx, TNT) are used for fast international deliveries.
Cyprus Post does not have parcel lockers. Parcels are delivered to the door or to the local post office for collection. You will receive a collection slip if away.
Registered mail and parcels require ID and signature upon collection at the post office.
Συστημένη Επιστολή — recommended for important documents. Tracking number provided. Delivery confirmation available.
Cyprus Post offers a mail forwarding service (Ανακατεύθυνση Αλληλογραφίας) at a fee. Apply at any post office.
- →Cyprus postal addresses do not use postcodes in the same way as UK/Germany — the street name, number and city are the key elements.
- →Many businesses use PO Box addresses (Τ.Κ.) — ensure you provide a physical address for deliveries.
- →Amazon.com.cy and online shopping deliveries are handled by local DHL, ACS or Cyprus Post.