Cost of Living Comparison Between Durham and Nicosia Cost of Living Comparison Between Durham and Nicosia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,030 in Durham versus $1,805 in Nicosia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,047 in Durham versus $2,912 in Nicosia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,065 in Durham versus $4,018 in Nicosia.

Living in Durham is roughly 12% more expensive than Nicosia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Durham 51% above, Nicosia 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.69 £13.92

$17.68 €15.23

5.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.7 £71.3

$68.6 €59.1

39.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.91 £7.38

$8.22 €7.08

20.56%

Cappuccino

$4.33 £3.22

$3.88 €3.34

11.60%

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

$2.47 £1.84

$1.57 €1.35

57.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 £1.43

$0.87 €0.75

121.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 £4.44

$4.57 €3.93

30.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 £4.05

$5.77 €4.97

-5.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 £1.33

$1.97 €1.70

-9.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 £1.24

$2.07 €1.79

-19.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 £1.84

$2.77 €2.39

-10.83%

Eggs

$4.04 £3.01

$4.51 €3.88

-10.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.33 £6.95

$13.67 €11.77

-31.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.03 £5.98

$9.03 €7.78

-11.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.33 £6.95

$12.89 €11.10

-27.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 £2.77

$2.86 €2.46

30.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 £1.63

$2.03 €1.75

7.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 £2.39

$2.28 €1.96

40.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.49 £2.60

$3.20 €2.75

9.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 £0.89

$1.70 €1.47

-29.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 £1.17

$1.74 €1.50

-9.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 £0.74

$0.85 €0.73

16.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.01 €0.87

78.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.76 £16.95

$5.70 €4.90

299.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.83 £8.07

$8.25 €7.10

31.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 £2.22

$2.12 €1.83

40.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 £2.23

$3.01 €2.59

-0.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.30 £2.46

$2.72 €2.34

21.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.2 £40.37

$58.4 €50.3

-7.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.78 £3.56

$5.32 €4.58

-10.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 £1.18

$1.54 €1.32

3.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.75 £16.95

$52.5 €45.25

-56.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 £1.47

$1.64 €1.41

20.12%

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

$36.6K £27.3K

$30.2K €26.0K

21.18%

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

$38.7K £28.9K

$32.3K €27.8K

19.92%

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

$278 £207

$217 €186

28.26%

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

$15.59 £11.61

$22.21 €19.13

-29.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.09 £26.13

$35.90 €30.91

-2.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.4 £37.53

$74.7 €64.3

-32.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.42 €26.20

Cinema Ticket

$12.98 £9.67

$11.38 €9.80

14.06%

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

$1,612 £1,201

$481 €414

235.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K £13.9K

$8,428 €7,258

121.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 £78.9

$95.2 €82.0

11.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 £44.97

$62.2 €53.6

-2.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 £92.8

$95.4 €82.1

30.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.4 £65.1

$124 €107

-29.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 £1,087

$771 €664

89.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$826 £615

$637 €549

29.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,583 £1,924

$1,520 €1,308

69.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 £943

$1,287 €1,108

-1.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,215 £3,884

$3,191 €2,748

63.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,889 £2,896

$2,414 €2,078

61.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,135 £1,590

$1,891 €1,629

12.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.45

4.8

13.54%

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

Last update for Durham: June 1, 2026

Last update for Nicosia: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,459 in Durham and $771 in Nicosia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durham pays 13% 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: $96.0 in Durham vs $69.0 in Nicosia. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $303, with Durham 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

Durham vs Nicosia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Durham and Nicosia differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($2,030 vs $1,805 including rent). Nicosia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Durham pays 13% 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: $1,459 in Durham versus $771 in Nicosia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,030 per month in Durham versus $1,805 in Nicosia – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nicosia runs roughly 8% less than in Durham. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,805 in Nicosia versus $2,030 in Durham, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nicosia but tight or insufficient in Durham. 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, Durham 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 12% less than in Durham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.