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: $2,422 in Cardiff versus $1,805 in Nicosia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,441 in Cardiff versus $2,912 in Nicosia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,459 in Cardiff versus $4,018 in Nicosia.

Living in Cardiff is roughly 34% more expensive than Nicosia, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cardiff 81% above, Nicosia 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.31 £15.13

$17.68 €15.23

14.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.7 £64.5

$68.6 €59.1

26.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.72 £7.99

$8.22 €7.08

30.41%

Cappuccino

$4.67 £3.48

$3.88 €3.34

20.36%

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

$2.47 £1.84

$1.57 €1.35

57.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 £1.27

$0.87 €0.75

96.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.76 £5.03

$4.57 €3.93

47.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.22 £4.64

$5.77 €4.97

7.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.44

$1.97 €1.70

-1.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 £1.29

$2.07 €1.79

-16.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 £2.23

$2.77 €2.39

7.94%

Eggs

$4.65 £3.46

$4.51 €3.88

3.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.18 £7.59

$13.67 €11.77

-25.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.98 £6.69

$9.03 €7.78

-0.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.59 £7.14

$12.89 €11.10

-25.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 £2.13

$2.86 €2.46

-0.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 £1.19

$2.03 €1.75

-21.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 £2.40

$2.28 €1.96

41.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.62 £4.18

$3.20 €2.75

75.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 £1.27

$1.70 €1.47

0.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.74 €1.50

-12.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 £0.85

$0.85 €0.73

34.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 £1.24

$1.01 €0.87

64.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.98 £14.88

$5.70 €4.90

250.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.21 £8.35

$8.25 €7.10

35.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.29 £2.45

$2.12 €1.83

55.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 £2.72

$3.01 €2.59

21.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.16 £2.35

$2.72 €2.34

16.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.5 £57.7

$58.4 €50.3

32.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.16 £3.10

$5.32 €4.58

-21.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.58 £1.92

$1.54 €1.32

67.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.27 £15.10

$52.5 €45.25

-61.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 £1.43

$1.64 €1.41

17.07%

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

$37.8K £28.1K

$30.2K €26.0K

25.07%

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

$54.5K £40.6K

$32.3K €27.8K

68.72%

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

$294 £219

$217 €186

35.81%

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

$20.08 £14.95

$22.21 €19.13

-9.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.76 £32.59

$35.90 €30.91

21.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.71 £28.83

$74.7 €64.3

-48.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.51 £6.34

$30.42 €26.20

-72.02%

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 £5.71

$11.38 €9.80

-32.60%

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

$1,987 £1,480

$481 €414

313.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.6K £25.1K

$8,428 €7,258

299.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.7 £51.9

$95.2 €82.0

-26.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.31 £27.04

$62.2 €53.6

-41.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.2 £54.5

$95.4 €82.1

-23.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.3 £49.40

$124 €107

-46.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,333 £993

$771 €664

72.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,142 £851

$637 €549

79.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 £1,890

$1,520 €1,308

67.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,658 £1,235

$1,287 €1,108

28.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,553 £4,136

$3,191 €2,748

74.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,455 £2,573

$2,414 €2,078

43.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,236 £2,410

$1,891 €1,629

71.09%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Nicosia: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,333 in Cardiff and $771 in Nicosia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cardiff pays 71% 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 $69.0 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 34% in total monthly costs ($2,422 vs $1,805 including rent). Nicosia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Cardiff pays 71% more on average, 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: $1,333 in Cardiff versus $771 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 $69.0 versus $87.0 in Cardiff. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,422 per month in Cardiff versus $1,805 in Nicosia – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,805 in Nicosia versus $2,422 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 34% less than in Cardiff. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.