Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nicosia and Iskele

For one person, living is cheaper in Nicosia: $1,834 a month against $2,042 in Iskele, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Nicosia
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Nicosia Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Iskele
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Iskele Living Index

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Nicosia

🇨🇾 Cyprus

$1,834

/mo nomad

Iskele

🇨🇾 Cyprus

$2,042

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nicosia and in Iskele

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,834 in Nicosia versus $2,042 in Iskele.

Nicosia $1,834
Iskele $2,042

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,858 in Nicosia versus $3,141 in Iskele.

Nicosia $2,858
Iskele $3,141

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,882 in Nicosia versus $4,240 in Iskele.

Nicosia $3,882
Iskele $4,240

Living in Nicosia costs roughly 10% less than in Iskele, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nicosia 35% above, Iskele 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.56 €14.86

$22.76 €20.41

-27.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 €61.2

$77.7 €69.7

-12.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.92 €8.00

$9.45 €8.47

-5.61%

Cappuccino

$3.75 €3.36

$3.96 €3.56

-5.30%

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

$2.32 €2.08

$1.89 €1.70

22.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 €0.78

$1.21 €1.08

-28.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.39 €3.93

$5.47 €4.90

-19.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.52 €4.95

$5.73 €5.14

-3.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.68

$1.92 €1.72

-2.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 €1.78

$2.47 €2.22

-19.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.78 €2.49

$3.03 €2.72

-8.25%

Eggs

$4.75 €4.26

$4.59 €4.12

3.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.85 €11.53

$13.31 €11.94

-3.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.73 €7.83

$9.77 €8.76

-10.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.06 €11.72

$13.90 €12.47

-6.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 €3.10

$3.51 €3.15

-1.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 €1.83

$2.33 €2.09

-12.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 €2.30

$2.97 €2.66

-13.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.50 €3.14

$3.85 €3.45

-9.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 €1.69

$2.08 €1.87

-9.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 €1.42

$1.55 €1.39

2.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 €0.82

$1.25 €1.12

-27.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €1.03

$1.11 €0.99

2.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.42 €4.87

$6.55 €5.87

-17.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.73 €6.93

$9.16 €8.22

-15.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.53

$1.84 €1.65

-7.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 €2.44

$2.90 €2.60

-6.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.60 €2.33

$2.28 €2.05

14.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.25 €39.69

$50.3 €45.13

-12.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 €5.47

$10.19 €9.14

-40.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 €1.77

$2.21 €1.98

-10.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.92 €40.29

$21.96 €19.70

104.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.80 €1.61

-3.89%

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

$30.8K €27.6K

$31.0K €27.8K

-0.59%

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

$32.8K €29.4K

$31.6K €28.4K

3.77%

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

$208 €187

$236 €212

-11.76%

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

$20.45 €18.34

$20.55 €18.43

-0.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.64 €29.28

$31.94 €28.65

2.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.5 €65.9

$68.3 €61.2

7.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.22 €17.24

$25.12 €22.53

-23.49%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 €10.14

$13.34 €11.96

-15.22%

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

$520 €467

$677 €608

-23.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,426 €8,455

$10.3K €9,269

-8.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €92.0

$98.2 €88.1

4.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 €49.80

$52.0 €46.61

6.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 €88.1

$109 €98.0

-10.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 €105

$114 €102

2.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$784 €703

$1,061 €951

-26.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$685 €614

$773 €693

-11.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 €1,515

$1,839 €1,650

-8.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,307 €1,173

$1,384 €1,241

-5.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,120 €2,798

$2,912 €2,612

7.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,327 €2,087

$2,196 €1,970

5.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,852 €1,661

$933 €837

98.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

3.93

13.99%

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

Last update for Nicosia: October 26, 2026

Last update for Iskele: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Nicosia

$685 37.4%

Iskele

$773 37.9% 12.9% $88

Groceries & Markets

Nicosia

$303 16.5%

Iskele

$328 16.1% 8.4% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nicosia

$261 14.2%

Iskele

$288 14.1% 10.4% $27

Eating Out

Nicosia

$250 13.6%

Iskele

$309 15.1% 23.7% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Nicosia

$168 9.2%

Iskele

$168 8.2% 0% $0

Sport & Entertainment

Nicosia

$96 5.2%

Iskele

$95 4.7% 1.2% $1.1

Getting Around

Nicosia

$71 3.9%

Iskele

$81 4% 14.2% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $784 in Nicosia and $1,061 in Iskele. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nicosia pays 99% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68 in Nicosia vs $78 in Iskele for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $328 per month, with Nicosia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇾 Nicosia

🇨🇾 Iskele

🕒 Local time

20:21 8:21 PM

Same time as Nicosia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

310,355 Capital

4,490

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Iskele: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nicosia wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Iskele. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Nicosia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 99% higher in Nicosia, 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: $784 in Nicosia versus $1,061 in Iskele. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $520 in Nicosia versus $677 in Iskele. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Iskele. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Nicosia gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Nicosia is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Iskele, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Nicosia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Iskele. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.