Can’t remember a January this rainy. Apparently a number of roads flooded. Though the benefits of living on a mountainside are clear. The places we stayed in the South were never more than three blocks from the sea and did frequently flood when there was heavy rain. Abetted in that case by poor drains.
Meanwhile there is surprise bordering on indignation in the South at the new monthly minimum wage in the North, which has been set at 52,738 Turkish lira net ($1671 CAD, £894). They point out that this amounts to €1036. Not only higher than the minimum wage in the Republic of Cyprus, it is higher than that in all but five EU countries - Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Ireland, Germany and France.
Similarly ill concealed exasperation on the part of some expats in the North, who see this as another rung in the escalating inflation of prices and wages. And indeed prices are rising, particularly in restaurants - which have to pay staff wages. A rise not matched by the value of the lira which is, as usual, falling. Also, many expats are living on fixed incomes, though usually incomes from countries blessed with more stable currency.
What may not be taken into account in comparisons is that not all countries seem to think of minimum wage in quite the same way. For example the hourly minimum wage in the US is $7.25, translating to approximately $1250 US a month. But nobody supposes it is possible to live on that amount. Many countries do subsidise low income earners one way or another and comparisons are difficult to make.
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