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: $2,489 in Cardiff versus $1,927 in Nicosia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,431 in Cardiff versus $2,973 in Nicosia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,374 in Cardiff versus $4,019 in Nicosia.

Living in Cardiff is roughly 29% more expensive than in Nicosia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cardiff 81% above, Nicosia 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.47 £15.18

$17.54 €15.14

16.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.4 £64.8

$69.7 €60.1

25.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.05 £8.20

$9.42 €8.13

17.30%

Cappuccino

$4.72 £3.50

$3.85 €3.32

22.60%

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

$3.19 £2.37

$1.96 €1.69

62.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 £1.52

$0.92 €0.80

123.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.88 £5.84

$4.67 €4.03

68.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.96 £4.42

$5.71 €4.93

4.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 £1.33

$1.85 €1.60

-3.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 £1.13

$2.08 €1.79

-26.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 £1.63

$3.01 €2.60

-26.91%

Eggs

$3.76 £2.79

$5.06 €4.36

-25.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.78 £7.25

$13.83 €11.93

-29.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.62 £6.40

$9.12 €7.87

-5.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.34 £10.63

$13.67 €11.80

4.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 £2.11

$3.53 €3.04

-19.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 £1.18

$2.20 €1.90

-27.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 £2.28

$2.58 €2.22

18.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 £2.40

$3.69 €3.19

-12.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 £1.44

$1.94 €1.67

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 £1.13

$1.61 €1.39

-5.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 £0.83

$1.02 €0.88

9.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 £1.07

$1.18 €1.01

22.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.77 £16.89

$5.97 €5.15

281.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.40 £8.46

$8.16 €7.04

39.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.11 £2.30

$1.73 €1.50

79.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 £2.39

$2.93 €2.53

9.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.25 £2.41

$2.87 €2.48

13.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.3 £60.3

$46.50 €40.12

74.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.71 £3.49

$6.61 €5.71

-28.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 £1.26

$2.07 €1.79

-17.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.79 £27.29

$46.37 €40.01

-20.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 £1.56

$1.76 €1.52

19.89%

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

$39.1K £29.0K

$33.5K €28.9K

16.63%

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

$40.8K £30.2K

$34.5K €29.8K

18.22%

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

$314 £233

$216 €187

45.26%

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

$26.23 £19.46

$21.14 €18.24

24.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.23 £34.29

$34.84 €30.06

32.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.85 £25.11

$76.0 €65.6

-55.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.04 £8.93

$19.58 €16.90

-38.51%

Cinema Ticket

$10.70 £7.94

$11.48 €9.91

-6.79%

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

$2,028 £1,504

$534 €461

279.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.0K £24.5K

$9,682 €8,354

240.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.3 £72.9

$108 €92.8

-8.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.02 £36.36

$56.9 €49.10

-13.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 £86.9

$104 €90.1

12.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.6 £73.9

$120 €104

-17.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 £910

$835 €720

46.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 £821

$710 €612

56.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,203 £1,634

$1,784 €1,540

23.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,547 £1,147

$1,356 €1,170

14.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,566 £4,128

$3,267 €2,819

70.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,550 £2,633

$2,376 €2,050

49.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,282 £2,434

$1,946 €1,679

68.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.11

4.48

14.06%

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

Last update for Cardiff: August 31, 2026

Last update for Nicosia: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,227 in Cardiff and $835 in Nicosia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cardiff pays 69% 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: $87.0 in Cardiff vs $70.0 in Nicosia. Groceries flip the comparison at $300 vs $317, with Cardiff cheaper for home cooking.

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 29% in total monthly costs ($2,489 vs $1,927 including rent). Nicosia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 69% 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: $1,227 in Cardiff versus $835 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 $87.0 in Cardiff. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,489 per month in Cardiff versus $1,927 in Nicosia – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,927 in Nicosia versus $2,489 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 29% less than in Cardiff. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.