Cost of Living Comparison Between Nicosia and Cardiff Cost of Living Comparison Between Nicosia and Cardiff

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,805 in Nicosia versus $2,422 in Cardiff.

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

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

Living in Nicosia costs roughly 25% less than in Cardiff, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.23

$20.31 £15.13

-12.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.6 €59.1

$86.7 £64.5

-20.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.22 €7.08

$10.72 £7.99

-23.32%

Cappuccino

$3.88 €3.34

$4.67 £3.48

-16.92%

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

$1.57 €1.35

$2.47 £1.84

-36.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 €0.75

$1.71 £1.27

-49.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.57 €3.93

$6.76 £5.03

-32.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 €4.97

$6.22 £4.64

-7.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.94 £1.44

1.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.73 £1.29

19.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$2.99 £2.23

-7.36%

Eggs

$4.51 €3.88

$4.65 £3.46

-3.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.67 €11.77

$10.18 £7.59

34.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.03 €7.78

$8.98 £6.69

0.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.89 €11.10

$9.59 £7.14

34.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 €2.46

$2.85 £2.13

0.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.60 £1.19

26.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 €1.96

$3.22 £2.40

-29.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.20 €2.75

$5.62 £4.18

-43.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.71 £1.27

-0.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.53 £1.14

13.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.14 £0.85

-25.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 €0.87

$1.66 £1.24

-39.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.70 €4.90

$19.98 £14.88

-71.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.25 €7.10

$11.21 £8.35

-26.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 €1.83

$3.29 £2.45

-35.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.59

$3.66 £2.72

-17.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.72 €2.34

$3.16 £2.35

-13.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.4 €50.3

$77.5 £57.7

-24.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 €4.58

$4.16 £3.10

27.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 €1.32

$2.58 £1.92

-40.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.5 €45.25

$20.27 £15.10

159.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.92 £1.43

-14.58%

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

$30.2K €26.0K

$37.8K £28.1K

-20.04%

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

$32.3K €27.8K

$54.5K £40.6K

-40.73%

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

$217 €186

$294 £219

-26.37%

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

$22.21 €19.13

$20.08 £14.95

10.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.90 €30.91

$43.76 £32.59

-17.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 €64.3

$38.71 £28.83

92.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.42 €26.20

$8.51 £6.34

257.46%

Cinema Ticket

$11.38 €9.80

$7.67 £5.71

48.37%

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

$481 €414

$1,987 £1,480

-75.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,428 €7,258

$33.6K £25.1K

-74.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.2 €82.0

$69.7 £51.9

36.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.2 €53.6

$36.31 £27.04

71.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 €82.1

$73.2 £54.5

30.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$66.3 £49.40

87.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$771 €664

$1,333 £993

-42.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$637 €549

$1,142 £851

-44.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,520 €1,308

$2,538 £1,890

-40.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 €1,108

$1,658 £1,235

-22.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,191 €2,748

$5,553 £4,136

-42.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,414 €2,078

$3,455 £2,573

-30.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,891 €1,629

$3,236 £2,410

-41.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

-20.00%

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

Last update for Nicosia: May 31, 2026

Last update for Cardiff: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $771 in Nicosia and $1,333 in Cardiff. 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: $69.0 in Nicosia vs $87.0 in Cardiff for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $315 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

Nicosia vs Cardiff: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, Cardiff earns 71% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $771 in Nicosia versus $1,333 in Cardiff. 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 $1,805 per month in Nicosia versus $2,422 in Cardiff – 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, Nicosia and Cardiff 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.