Cost of Living Comparison Between Cardiff and Nicosia Cost of Living Comparison Between Cardiff and Nicosia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,355 in Cardiff versus $1,807 in Nicosia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,357 in Cardiff versus $2,890 in Nicosia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,359 in Cardiff versus $3,973 in Nicosia.

Living in Cardiff is roughly 30% more expensive than in Nicosia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cardiff 76% above, Nicosia 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.04 £14.90

$17.43 €15.23

14.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.4 £65.7

$70.3 €61.4

25.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 £8.10

$8.09 €7.06

34.73%

Cappuccino

$4.85 £3.60

$3.80 €3.32

27.63%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 £1.89

$1.51 €1.32

68.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 £1.28

$0.86 €0.76

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.82 £5.07

$4.67 €4.08

46.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.22 £4.62

$5.63 €4.92

10.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.99 €1.74

-4.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 £1.30

$2.08 €1.82

-15.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 £2.25

$2.89 €2.52

4.84%

Eggs

$4.63 £3.44

$4.48 €3.91

3.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.13 £7.53

$13.51 €11.80

-25.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.95 £6.66

$9.40 €8.21

-4.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.23 £6.86

$12.49 €10.92

-26.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 £2.09

$2.93 €2.56

-4.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 £1.22

$2.04 €1.78

-19.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 £2.41

$2.19 €1.91

48.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.75 £4.27

$3.20 €2.80

79.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 £1.30

$1.70 €1.49

2.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 £1.10

$1.66 €1.45

-10.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 £0.88

$0.80 €0.70

47.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 £1.29

$1.05 €0.92

65.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.49 £14.49

$5.81 €5.08

235.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.10 £8.25

$7.83 €6.84

41.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.18 £2.37

$2.03 €1.77

56.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 £2.59

$3.07 €2.69

13.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 £2.35

$2.76 €2.41

14.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.9 £58.7

$57.7 €50.4

36.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.03 £2.99

$5.31 €4.64

-24.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.58 £1.92

$1.60 €1.40

61.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.49 £15.23

$53.0 €46.31

-61.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.64 €1.43

16.46%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$38.8K £28.8K

$30.3K €26.5K

27.94%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$54.4K £40.5K

$32.2K €28.2K

68.94%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$292 £217

$217 €189

34.79%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$20.13 £14.96

$21.91 €19.14

-8.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.95 £31.93

$34.92 €30.51

23.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.58 £29.42

$75.7 €66.1

-47.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.55 £6.36

$30.13 €26.32

-71.62%

Cinema Ticket

$7.87 £5.85

$11.69 €10.22

-32.68%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,991 £1,480

$489 €427

307.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.8K £25.2K

$8,438 €7,372

301.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.3 £51.5

$97.3 €85.0

-28.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 £27.37

$63.3 €55.3

-41.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.4 £55.3

$93.7 €81.9

-20.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.2 £49.93

$125 €109

-46.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 £975

$786 €687

66.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,123 £835

$636 €556

76.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,558 £1,902

$1,555 €1,359

64.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,660 £1,234

$1,281 €1,119

29.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,509 £4,095

$3,107 €2,714

77.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,517 £2,614

$2,308 €2,016

52.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,316 £2,465

$1,855 €1,621

78.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

25.00%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Cardiff: July 13, 2026

Last update for Nicosia: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,311 in Cardiff and $786 in Nicosia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cardiff pays 79% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $88.0 in Cardiff vs $70.0 in Nicosia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $315 vs $303 per month, with Nicosia cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cardiff vs Nicosia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cardiff and Nicosia differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($2,355 vs $1,807 including rent). Nicosia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 79% higher in Cardiff, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,311 in Cardiff versus $786 in Nicosia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nicosia – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $88.0 in Cardiff. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,355 per month in Cardiff versus $1,807 in Nicosia – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,807 in Nicosia versus $2,355 in Cardiff, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nicosia but tight or insufficient in Cardiff. The gap between the two cities makes Nicosia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Cardiff and Nicosia are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Nicosia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Cardiff. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.