Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Durham and Nicosia

For one person, living is cheaper in Nicosia: $1,833 a month against $2,052 in Durham, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Durham
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,052
/mo nomad
Nicosia
🇨🇾 Cyprus
$1,833
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Durham and in Nicosia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Durham and in Nicosia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,052 in Durham versus $1,833 in Nicosia.

  • Durham $2,052
  • Nicosia $1,833

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,328 in Durham versus $2,875 in Nicosia.

  • Durham $3,328
  • Nicosia $2,875

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,604 in Durham versus $3,917 in Nicosia.

  • Durham $4,604
  • Nicosia $3,917

Living in Durham is roughly 12% more expensive than in Nicosia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Durham 52% above, Nicosia 36% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Durham
Nicosia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.54 £14.66
$17.00 €15.12
14.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$93.8 £70.4
$67.8 €60.3
38.44%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.27 £8.46
$8.71 €7.75
29.39%
Cappuccino
$4.58 £3.44
$3.54 €3.15
29.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.43 £1.83
$2.31 €2.06
5.19%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 £1.55
$0.90 €0.80
130.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.06 £4.54
$4.36 €3.88
38.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.21 £3.91
$5.56 €4.94
-6.29%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Durham
Nicosia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.94 £1.46
$1.87 €1.66
3.74%
White Bread (500g)
$1.55 £1.16
$1.89 €1.68
-17.99%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.94 £2.20
$2.83 €2.52
3.89%
Eggs
$4.43 £3.32
$4.78 €4.25
-7.32%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.02 £7.52
$13.32 €11.85
-24.77%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.84 £6.63
$8.71 €7.74
1.49%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.52 £16.15
$13.29 €11.82
61.93%
Apples (1kg)
$2.83 £2.12
$3.30 €2.94
-14.24%
Banana (1kg)
$2.48 £1.86
$2.05 €1.82
20.98%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.73 £2.05
$2.57 €2.29
6.23%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.21 £3.91
$3.56 €3.17
46.35%
Potato (1kg)
$1.55 £1.17
$1.85 €1.65
-16.22%
Onion (1kg)
$1.65 £1.24
$1.51 €1.35
9.27%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.11 £0.83
$0.97 €0.87
14.43%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.91 £1.43
$1.13 €1.01
69.03%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.03 £17.28
$5.74 €5.10
301.22%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.59 £7.95
$7.65 €6.80
38.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.31 £2.48
$1.67 €1.48
98.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.17 £2.38
$2.80 €2.49
13.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Durham
Nicosia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.08 £2.31
$2.64 €2.35
16.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$87.6 £65.7
$43.89 €39.04
99.59%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.30 £4.72
$6.36 €5.66
-0.94%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.92 £1.44
$1.95 €1.74
-1.54%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.06 £18.05
$43.87 €39.02
-45.16%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.88 £1.41
$1.74 €1.54
8.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.3K £28.7K
$33.1K €29.4K
15.67%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.9K £30.7K
$32.5K €28.9K
26.04%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Durham
Nicosia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$259 £195
$207 €185
25.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.03 £11.27
$20.18 €17.95
-25.52%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$43.60 £32.71
$33.19 €29.52
31.36%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Durham
Nicosia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.79 £35.10
$72.8 €64.8
-35.75%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$18.77 €16.70
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.40 £9.30
$11.23 €9.99
10.42%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Durham
Nicosia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,314 £986
$519 €461
153.37%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.8K £18.6K
$9,360 €8,326
165.21%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Durham
Nicosia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$106 £79.3
$104 €92.7
1.41%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$69.9 £52.5
$54.1 €48.14
29.17%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 £84.4
$99.1 €88.2
13.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.2 £72.9
$117 €104
-16.64%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Durham
Nicosia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,565 £1,174
$791 €704
97.81%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$720 £541
$684 €608
5.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,730 £2,048
$1,678 €1,493
62.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 £1,211
$1,343 €1,195
20.14%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,063 £3,798
$3,118 €2,773
62.40%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,845 £2,885
$2,308 €2,053
66.60%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Durham
Nicosia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,090 £1,568
$1,828 €1,626
14.33%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.18
4.48
15.62%

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

Last update for Durham: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nicosia: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Durham
$720
Nicosia
$684 5% $36
Groceries & Markets
Durham
$349
Nicosia
$304 12.9% $45
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Durham
$318
Nicosia
$261 18% $57
Eating Out
Durham
$304
Nicosia
$250 17.6% $53
Clothing & Footwear
Durham
$173
Nicosia
$168 2.9% $5.1
Getting Around
Durham
$116
Nicosia
$71 39.1% $45
Sport & Entertainment
Durham
$72
Nicosia
$95 33.1% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,565 in Durham and $791 in Nicosia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durham pays 14% 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: $94.0 in Durham vs $68.0 in Nicosia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $349 vs $304 per month, with Nicosia cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Durham
🇨🇾 Nicosia
🕒 Local time
08:39 8:39 AM
10:39 10:39 AM
2 h ahead of Durham
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
42,100
310,355 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Durham Nicosia 3,450 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Durham
  • Nicosia

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
What is the total cost difference between living in Durham and in Nicosia?
Durham and Nicosia differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($2,052 vs $1,833 including rent). Nicosia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Durham or Nicosia?
Average pay runs 14% higher in Durham, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Durham and in Nicosia?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,565 in Durham versus $791 in Nicosia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city is more expensive overall: Durham or Nicosia?
All in, you'll spend $2,052 per month in Durham versus $1,833 in Nicosia – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How do commuting costs compare in Durham and in Nicosia?
A monthly transit pass in Nicosia runs roughly 100% less than in Durham. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $1,833 in Nicosia versus $2,052 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.
How does quality of life compare between Durham and Nicosia?
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.
Is Durham or Nicosia safer for residents?
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.
Where should expats move: Durham or Nicosia?
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.

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