10 Reasons to Move to Paphos in Cyprus 

Paphos is a coastal city in southwest Cyprus that’s become popular as a tourist destination, and for good reason. It offers residents a huge number of benefits, with a great quality of life, and excellent healthcare and education. Read on to find out more about the benefits of moving to Paphos.

The cost of living in Paphos is relatively low, especially when compared to the UK. It’s true that Paphos is a popular tourist spot, that can push up prices when compared to other areas of Cyprus. Even so, the cost of living in Paphos is 34% cheaper than in London, not including rental costs. Renting in Paphos is 65% cheaper than in London.

Eating out in restaurants, buying groceries, and utility bills are all cheaper in Paphos than in the UK. The average wage is also considerably lower – £1,134 per month after tax in Paphos compared to London’s £3,473. However, expats still find they can maintain a great quality of life due to low costs in Paphos across the board.

Paphos enjoys a temperate Mediterranean climate, with warm, dry summers and moderate, rainier winters. The average temperature between May to October ranges from 20 degrees up to 26 degrees, hitting highs of 30 in the peak summer months.

It barely rains at all during the summer, with peak rainfall occurring between November and March. The lowest temperatures will be around January and February, but even then, they rarely fall below 7 or 8 degrees.

With 12-13 average daily sunshine hours in the summer, Paphos offers plenty of opportunity to get outside and enjoy the beautiful scenery.

Paphos has a rich and detailed history, going all the way back to the city’s foundation myth. It’s said that the legendary king and sculptor Pygmalion sculpted a statue of the goddess Aphrodite. He was so devoted to this statue that he took it home.

As a result, the daimon, or guiding spirit of the goddess entered the statue, and it became the living goddess Galatea. Galatea then bore Pygmalion a child – Pathos. It was the child of Pathos that then founded the city of Pathos under Aphrodite’s patronage. Another legend says that the city was founded by the legendary warriors, the Amazons.

Now, the city retains a number of important archaeological sites and historic buildings, including the Paphos Archaeological Park, a UNESCO world heritage site. The park includes remains of Roman villas, a theatre, and a necropolis.

Pathos, and Cyprus at large, provides great quality healthcare. Public healthcare can be accessed by residents and is generally good, although it does typically come with long wait lists and might not include all treatments. As such, many expats choose to pay for international health insurance to access the private facilities and treatment, as well as to ensure full coverage.

Private healthcare in Pathos provides top quality facilities, with healthcare professionals who often speak great English. There is a relatively new hospital in Pathos, as well as a number of clinics and pharmacies across the city.

Pathos brings a relaxed, laidback lifestyle with plenty of useful and entertaining amenities. Overall, it provides its residents with a great quality of life.

There’s plenty to keep residents busy in Paphos, such as an annual opera festival that takes place every September in the harbour area. In October, the city hosts an arts festival, with local artists opening their studios for visitors. There’s also an annual flower festival in May and a kite flying competition to celebrate ‘Green Monday’ at the beginning of Lent.

Paphos has a number of beautiful sandy beaches that have even won Blue Flag awards, indicating their high environmental and quality standards. The Paphos Municipal Beach is the most popular for city dwellers and tourists, and is just 900 feet from Paphos castle. Coral Bay Beach has some of the highest ratings on the western side of Cyprus, with golden coves and calm, shallow waters.

As well as relaxation, the beaches of Pathos can provide activities for both nature lovers and sports lovers. For nature lovers, some beaches in Pathos are nesting grounds for turtles, and you can work with local conservationists to help keep them protected. In other areas, such as Sandy Beach, there are perfect swells for surfers. 

Pathos has a generally low crime rate. Like any tourist hotspot, petty crime can occur, especially in the height of summer. However, typically residents enjoy a safe way of life.

People generally feel safe in Paphos, including when they’re walking alone during the night. Various crimes, including assault, muggings and drug crime are low.

The Cypriot people are generally very friendly. Expats can usually find a warm welcome and find the local people to be kind and accommodating. Whilst there is a good expat population in Pathos, many enjoy mixing with local residents to be able to enjoy Pathos life to the fullest.

It’s advised to learn Greek to be able to fully immerse yourself into life in Pathos. However, if you’re not yet fluent, you will usually find you can get by in the city. Many street signs are written in English as well as Greek, and local residents can speak English to a great standard.

Due to the tourist population, there are also plenty of English shops and bars in Pathos, so UK expats could find some home comforts if they get homesick.

If you’re moving to Pathos with children, you’ll find that the standard of education is very high. Cyprus as a whole prioritises education, and is in the top 3% of spenders in the EU, with nearly 7% of the GDP spent on education. 

State education is delivered in Greek and can be a great choice for expats with young children who will be able to pick up the language quickly.

For those that would prefer an international school, Pathos has the International School of Paphos which educates children from aged 2 and a half through to 18. It currently teaches children from around 40 nationalities and provides excellent facilities.