Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nicosia and Durham

For one person, living is cheaper in Nicosia: $1,860 a month against $2,092 in Durham, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Nicosia
🇨🇾 Cyprus
$1,860
/mo nomad
Durham
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,092
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nicosia and in Durham

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 Durham actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,833 in Nicosia versus $2,092 in Durham.

  • Nicosia $1,833
  • Durham $2,092

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,875 in Nicosia versus $3,368 in Durham.

  • Nicosia $2,875
  • Durham $3,368

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,917 in Nicosia versus $4,644 in Durham.

  • Nicosia $3,917
  • Durham $4,644

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nicosia 36% above, Durham 55% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nicosia
Durham
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.11 €15.22
$19.90 £14.93
-14.02%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.4 €60.9
$91.8 £68.9
-25.45%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.82 €7.85
$11.53 £8.65
-23.50%
Cappuccino
$3.70 €3.29
$4.77 £3.58
-22.43%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.32 €2.07
$2.52 £1.89
-7.94%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 €0.78
$2.13 £1.60
-59.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.46 €3.97
$6.16 £4.62
-27.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.58 €4.96
$5.27 £3.95
5.88%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nicosia
Durham
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.87 €1.67
$2.02 £1.51
-7.43%
White Bread (500g)
$1.97 €1.76
$1.57 £1.18
25.48%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.90 €2.58
$3.01 £2.26
-3.65%
Eggs
$4.65 €4.13
$4.38 £3.29
6.16%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.21 €11.75
$10.06 £7.55
31.31%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.74 €7.77
$9.08 £6.81
-3.74%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.98 €11.55
$22.07 £16.56
-41.19%
Apples (1kg)
$3.35 €2.98
$2.96 £2.22
13.18%
Banana (1kg)
$2.13 €1.89
$2.54 £1.91
-16.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.53 €2.25
$2.87 £2.15
-11.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.51 €3.12
$5.14 £3.85
-31.71%
Potato (1kg)
$1.90 €1.69
$1.49 £1.12
27.52%
Onion (1kg)
$1.55 €1.38
$1.67 £1.25
-7.19%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.94 €0.84
$1.12 £0.84
-16.07%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.16 €1.03
$1.86 £1.39
-37.63%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.75 €5.12
$23.57 £17.68
-75.60%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.02 €7.13
$10.83 £8.13
-25.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.72 €1.53
$3.22 £2.41
-46.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.47
$3.33 £2.50
-16.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Nicosia
Durham
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.70 €2.40
$3.13 £2.35
-13.74%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.18 €39.30
$86.8 £65.1
-49.11%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.40 €5.69
$6.67 £5.00
-4.05%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.94 €1.73
$1.96 £1.47
-1.02%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$43.98 €39.12
$24.21 £18.16
81.66%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.81 €1.61
$1.90 £1.42
-4.74%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.0K €27.6K
$38.3K £28.7K
-18.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.1K €29.5K
$40.7K £30.5K
-18.50%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nicosia
Durham
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$212 €189
$263 £197
-19.42%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.91 €17.71
$15.07 £11.30
32.12%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.49 €29.79
$44.02 £33.03
-23.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nicosia
Durham
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$74.3 €66.1
$45.87 £34.41
62.00%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.23 €17.10
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.15 €9.92
$12.77 £9.58
-12.69%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nicosia
Durham
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$505 €450
$1,344 £1,009
-62.41%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,255 €8,232
$25.7K £19.3K
-63.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nicosia
Durham
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 €92.4
$107 £80.6
-3.34%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.4 €48.40
$70.6 £53.0
-22.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100 €89.2
$113 £84.7
-11.13%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118 €105
$96.5 £72.4
21.99%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nicosia
Durham
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$783 €696
$1,567 £1,176
-50.06%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$699 €622
$743 £558
-5.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,727 €1,536
$2,721 £2,041
-36.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,358 €1,208
$1,631 £1,223
-16.72%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,148 €2,800
$5,198 £3,900
-39.44%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,311 €2,055
$3,791 £2,844
-39.04%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nicosia
Durham
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,857 €1,652
$2,080 £1,561
-10.73%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
5.18
-13.51%

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

Last update for Nicosia: October 20, 2026

Last update for Durham: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nicosia
$699
Durham
$743 6.3% $44
Groceries & Markets
Nicosia
$305
Durham
$353 16% $49
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nicosia
$265
Durham
$322 21.4% $57
Eating Out
Nicosia
$254
Durham
$311 22.5% $57
Clothing & Footwear
Nicosia
$169
Durham
$174 3% $5
Sport & Entertainment
Nicosia
$97
Durham
$71 26.1% $25
Getting Around
Nicosia
$71
Durham
$116 62.9% $45

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $791 in Nicosia and $1,567 in Durham. 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: $68.0 in Nicosia vs $92.0 in Durham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $353 per month, with Nicosia cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇾 Nicosia
🇬🇧 Durham
🕒 Local time
12:59 12:59 PM
10:59 10:59 AM
2 h behind Nicosia
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
310,355 Capital
42,100
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

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

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).

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

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 Durham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Nicosia and in Durham?
Nicosia and Durham differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($1,833 vs $2,092 including rent). Nicosia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 14% lower in Durham. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Nicosia and in Durham?
Rent for a central apartment: $791 in Nicosia versus $1,567 in Durham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city is more expensive overall: Nicosia or Durham?
All in, you'll spend $1,833 per month in Nicosia versus $2,092 in Durham – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How do commuting costs compare in Nicosia and in Durham?
A monthly transit pass in Nicosia runs roughly 98% 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 $2,092 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 Nicosia and Durham?
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 Nicosia or Durham safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Nicosia and Durham 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: Nicosia or Durham?
Expats usually find Nicosia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Durham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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