Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nicosia and Best

For one person, living is cheaper in Nicosia: $1,834 a month against $2,198 in Best, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Best outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Nicosia, Cyprus
Best, Netherlands
Nicosia
🇨🇾 Cyprus
$1,834
/mo nomad
Best
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,198
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nicosia and in Best

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

A single person spends $1,834 per month in Nicosia vs $2,198 in Best, rent included.

  • Nicosia $1,834
  • Best $2,198

A couple spends around $2,858 per month in Nicosia vs $3,057 in Best, rent included.

  • Nicosia $2,858
  • Best $3,057

A family of three spends $3,882 per month in Nicosia vs $3,915 in Best, rent included.

  • Nicosia $3,882
  • Best $3,915

Nicosia is about 17% cheaper than Best, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nicosia and Best sit above the global median – Nicosia by 35%, Best by 62%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nicosia
Best
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.56 €14.86
$22.20 €19.92
-25.41%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.3 €61.3
$85.9 €77.1
-20.51%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.92 €8.00
$12.39 €11.12
-28.01%
Cappuccino
$3.75 €3.36
$3.50 €3.14
7.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.32 €2.08
$3.22 €2.89
-27.95%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 €0.78
$2.57 €2.31
-66.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.39 €3.94
$5.68 €5.10
-22.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.52 €4.95
$4.82 €4.33
14.52%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nicosia
Best
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.87 €1.68
$1.12 €1.00
66.96%
White Bread (500g)
$1.99 €1.79
$1.92 €1.72
3.65%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.78 €2.49
$2.14 €1.92
29.91%
Eggs
$4.75 €4.26
$3.18 €2.85
49.37%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.85 €11.53
$11.09 €9.95
15.87%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.73 €7.83
$11.14 €10.00
-21.63%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.06 €11.72
$14.90 €13.37
-12.35%
Apples (1kg)
$3.45 €3.10
$1.96 €1.76
76.02%
Banana (1kg)
$2.04 €1.83
$1.58 €1.42
29.11%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.57 €2.30
$1.72 €1.54
49.42%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.50 €3.14
$5.12 €4.60
-31.64%
Potato (1kg)
$1.89 €1.69
$1.15 €1.03
64.35%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 €1.42
$1.17 €1.05
35.90%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.91 €0.82
$1.05 €0.94
-13.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.14 €1.03
$0.78 €0.70
46.15%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.42 €4.87
$11.25 €10.10
-51.82%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.73 €6.94
$5.74 €5.15
34.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.71 €1.53
$1.43 €1.28
19.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.72 €2.44
$2.63 €2.36
3.42%
🚌 Getting Around
Nicosia
Best
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.60 €2.33
$2.49 €2.23
4.42%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.25 €39.71
$72.7 €65.2
-39.10%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.10 €5.47
$3.86 €3.47
58.03%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.98 €1.77
$2.84 €2.55
-30.28%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$44.92 €40.31
$29.53 €26.49
52.12%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.73 €1.55
$2.41 €2.16
-28.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.8K €27.6K
$26.5K €23.8K
16.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.8K €29.4K
$38.7K €34.7K
-15.31%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nicosia
Best
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$208 €187
$184 €165
13.35%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.45 €18.35
$14.85 €13.33
37.71%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.64 €29.29
$38.38 €34.44
-14.96%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nicosia
Best
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$73.5 €65.9
$40.88 €36.68
79.75%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.22 €17.25
$25.29 €22.70
-24.00%
Cinema Ticket
$11.31 €10.15
$13.55 €12.16
-16.53%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nicosia
Best
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$520 €467
$1,260 €1,131
-58.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,426 €8,458
$5,129 €4,602
83.78%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nicosia
Best
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$103 €92.0
$51.1 €45.87
100.59%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.5 €49.82
$33.16 €29.75
67.43%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.2 €88.2
$72.5 €65.0
35.60%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 €105
$57.8 €51.8
102.28%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nicosia
Best
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$784 €704
$1,534 €1,376
-48.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$685 €614
$1,098 €985
-37.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,689 €1,516
$1,990 €1,785
-15.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,307 €1,173
$1,347 €1,209
-2.95%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,120 €2,799
$5,622 €5,045
-44.51%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,327 €2,088
$4,407 €3,954
-47.20%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nicosia
Best
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,852 €1,661
$4,005 €3,593
-53.77%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
3.54
26.55%

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

Last update for Nicosia: October 26, 2026

Last update for Best: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nicosia
$685
Best
$1.1K 60.4% $413
Groceries & Markets
Nicosia
$303
Best
$280 7.5% $23
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nicosia
$261
Best
$237 9.3% $24
Eating Out
Nicosia
$250
Best
$318 27.2% $68
Clothing & Footwear
Nicosia
$168
Best
$97 42.5% $71
Sport & Entertainment
Nicosia
$96
Best
$68 29.3% $28
Getting Around
Nicosia
$71
Best
$101 42.5% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $784 in Nicosia versus $1,534 in Best. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Best are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Nicosia versus $86 in Best. Groceries tell a different story – $303 in Nicosia vs $280 in Best – so Best wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇾 Nicosia
🇳🇱 Best
🕒 Local time
23:21 11:21 PM
22:21 10:21 PM
1 h behind Nicosia
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
310,355 Capital
29,988
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.897 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nicosia Best 2,870 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nicosia
  • Best

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
Nicosia vs Best: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nicosia cheaper than Best?
Yes – Best is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,750 per month in Nicosia and $3,298 in Best. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Nicosia, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $784 there versus $1,534 in Best.
What are total monthly expenses in Nicosia and in Best?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,834 in Nicosia and $2,198 in Best. That makes Nicosia about 17% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 39% less in Nicosia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $3,000 enough for either Nicosia or Best?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,834 in Nicosia and $2,198 in Best, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Nicosia or Best more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Nicosia – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Nicosia. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Best makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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