Erasmus Experience in Nicosia, Cyprus by Noémie

Why did you choose to go to Nicosia, Cyprus?

It was my first Erasmus and I didn’t want to go in a big city, previous students from my university told me that Cyprus will be the perfect choice. Moreover the fact that Cyprus is divided in 2 parts attracted me

How long is the scholarship? How much money do you receive to help you with living costs?

You don’t receive money at the begin of your Erasmus you have to wait between 3 and 5 weeks ( it depends ). I received scholarship from October till February. 400€ each month and another scholarship of 1200€

What is the student lifestyle like in Nicosia?

It is so easy to go out every evening because there are many events every week. So during the week you enjoy the time shared with your friends and go to esn event. And usually during weekends you tried to travel or discover Cyprus

Would you recommend the city and the University of Nicosia to other students?

Don’t expect a huge capital, it’s stills an island and Nicosia is in development they tried to become more modern and improve the city. I wasn’t at university of Nicosia I spent one semester in Frederick university which is nice and welcoming but quite far from the center

What is the food like?

You can easily find what you want but meet and fish in supermarkets are expensive. Then traditional food of Cyprus is halloumi and souvlaki

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Nicosia?

Not at all we found our flat on airbnb but it’s not a really good idea honestly. The best option is to add the Erasmus society group of Nicosia on social networks like Facebook or WhatsApp and ask them to have contacts for flats.

How much does it cost to live in Nicosia?

I come from France and the cost of living is quite the same but restaurants are less expensive generally. Moreover from Cyprus it’s really easy to travel and to find cheap flight tickets

Is the language easy to get to grips with? Are there language courses available at the University?

Everyone speaks English or have basics, to learn Greek or another languages it depends from your university you have to directly ask them

What's the easiest or most economical way to travel to Nicosia from your city?

By flight, from Brussels to Larnaca it cost me like around 80€ with 30kg of suitcases. And from Cyprus to Belgium I paid like 100€

Where would you recommend to go on a night out in Nicosia?

During summer obviously Aya Napa the night life is awesome. And during the year Limassol or Larnaca may be have great clubs

And for eating? Can you recommend some good restaurants in Nicosia?

You absolutely have to go to piatsa gourounaki, silver pot, wagamama, moondog’s grill and bar. Finally on ledra street there are a lot of restaurants

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

In Nicosia the leventis gallery is nice, like the fairytale museum also the museum of Cyprus. But Paphos have so much historical sites to visit

Is there any other advice that you could give to students going to Nicosia in the future?

Take your sunscreen and sun cream you will need it for sure. The rythm of life is so calm don’t stress you will always have time to do everything in Cyprus !