In the past, when I have written articles on this subject, I would provide figures – indeed as I travelled through Greece on my last trip I religiously popped in to shop after shop and jotted prices down. So here I have for instance:

Bread – a loaf €1
Tomatoes per kilo €1.08
Onions per kilo €1.03
Potatoes per kilo €1.19
Milk 2 litres €2.64
Butter 250 grams €3.03
Colgate toothpaste 75 mg €3.08
Beef per kg €9.25
Pork per kg €8.27
Lamb per kg €5.89

Most of these are prices at the Carrefour Shop in Chania in May 2011, so quite a trendy town and on an island, which always increases the cost. Prices would be cheaper on the mainland, especially in places not frequented by tourists.

But just how relevant are these prices today? I sound a bit like my mother when I recall that when I was first married, years ago now, prices stayed the same month after month, year after year. Sadly, I have no doubt that these prices have already increase. Over and above actual product price changes, VAT may also change which will of course impact prices.

What I did discover, and I would be less that honest if I did not share this with you, is that Greece is no longer the cheap destination it once was. Joining the EU increased prices initially and now the economic turmoil has added to their woes. In fact, someone told me that their brother had remarked that Athens was more expensive than Vienna, where he lives!

But all is not lost. Chatting to people living in Greece, there are definitely ways that you can still live fairly frugally.

Petrol is at a premium, especially on the islands, but I found that public transport, especially buses, is generally not expensive and quite good. Many of the older generation in Greece do not have cars and so buses serve most towns and villages.

In terms of food, the answer here is to find out where the locals shop. Buy fresh fruit and vegetables in season and grown locally, or do what Lynne and Jerry do in their Greek village home and grow your own. You may find a neighbour who would be happy to earn a few euros selling you what they grow or you may want to track down the nearest weekly market - ask your Greek neighbours about this. You may also discover a local farmer who can provide you with poultry, meat and eggs at a reasonable cost. If you work it may not be quite so easy to get to a weekday market unless you live in Athens.  There, or in Piraeus, the local markets are open until late once a week.

If you want to go out for a meal, bear in mind that prices vary dramatically and are usually dependent on whether restaurants are catering to tourists. When I compared some of the prices I paid in Corfu Town for instance to the prices I paid near Sinarades, at a restaurant that my local friends took me to - well, there was just no comparison – it was so much cheaper. 

Utilities are fairly reasonably priced, but as you would do in the UK, always compare and swap if you find a cheaper provider. Chat to neighbours about this beforehand though – service does vary and it’s no good having a far cheaper but totally ineffective service!

Items that are fairly expensive include bedding, towels, clothes and house fixtures/fittings.  So, if you can take these with you from the UK, you’ll most likely save a bit. However, having said that, there is an Ikea in Athens, at Athens Airport and in Thessalonika, so help is at hand!

Bear in mind too that the poor performance of the pound and bad exchange rates can badly affect your cost of living. If you are an expat retiree for instance you may well have found that your income has been dramatically reduced. A good currency company can be of enormous assistance in getting better exchange rates that your high street bank, so if this affects you perhaps you should check out www.smartcurrencyexchange.com – they are really nice people and may be able to help you reduce this risk by planning in advance.

I am afraid that prices are going up worldwide at the moment, but being in a place that you love may well be worth it to you. Certainly it is to the many people I chatted to as I moved around Greece – and it’s not hard to see why!