06 March 2024 , 11:44
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A retired couple has beat the cost of living crisis by quitting Britain - for a life of luxury in Egypt.
Tony Smith, 57, and wife Doris, 50, left the Isle of Wight for Hurghada in September last year. They are now living the dream, they say - spending their days travelling, sunbathing and swimming. Tony says the pair, who have been married for 25 years, are living on just a fraction of what they would spend in Britain.
In fact, he believes he and Doris - who worked as a secretary in his cleaning business - would still be working if they had not moved. The couple pay £200 in rent and £13 in bills every month - and avoid local tax entirely thanks to being temporary foreign residents. This is compared to monthly outgoings of £1,240 per month in Britain - four times as much. Tony said: "Most people we know in the UK think you have to be well-off or rich to be able to live here. But the reality is if we lived in the UK we would still have to work."
Tony in the swimming pool in Hurghada (Tony Smith/SWNS)Tony put the decision to move to Africa down to the "everyday stresses" of living in Britain. Back in the UK, Tony said he was working seven days a week from early in the morning to late at night - sometimes as early as 4am. He said: "We had to be available whenever and go to the offices being cleaned to make sure the work was being done properly."
The "horrible" grey skies and rainy summers were also a factor in choosing to leave Britain. Tony added: "You cannot guarantee the weather in England. One August it rained all the way through." Tony, a dad-of-five, said he and his wife visited Egypt every three to four months every year before moving to the Hurghada in September 2023.
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They now rely on their pensions - and can still afford to have a great time. He said: "We have been coming back regularly for 20 years because the Egyptians are the most welcoming people you could ever meet. We fell in love with Egypt and all the Egyptian people."
Tony and Doris are loving life in Egypt (Tony Smith/SWNS)A typical day involves sunbathing by the beach before dinner in Makadi Bay, a photogenic resort town. A steak meal with dessert costs as little as £10, he says. Despite the low price of fuel, Tony said he doesn't drive because the price of taxis are so cheap: a half-hour journey into Hurghada costs as little as £2.50 on Uber.
Tony, a grandfather-of-eight, hasn't been able to convince the rest of his family to join him. But he said they FaceTime daily and visit regularly. He said: "They did not want us to leave at first - but now they get to holiday here whenever they like." He said he plans on spending the rest of his life in Egypt, but will not buy a property. "Not worth buying because rent is cheap enough."
Tony Smith, 57 with his wife, Doris, 50 in Hurghada, Egypt (Tony Smith/SWNS)UK costs
Rent: £800
Council tax: £140
Gas/electric: £250
Water: £50
Total: £1,240
Egypt costs
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Rent: £200
Council tax: N/A
Water: £6
Electric: £7
Total: £213