Cost of Living Comparison Between Nicosia and Iskele Cost of Living Comparison Between Nicosia and Iskele

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,843 in Nicosia versus $1,936 in Iskele.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,884 in Nicosia versus $3,003 in Iskele.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,926 in Nicosia versus $4,071 in Iskele.

Living in Nicosia costs roughly 5% less than in Iskele, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nicosia 37% above, Iskele 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.07 €14.80

$17.43 €15.10

-2.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.5 €59.4

$69.8 €60.5

-1.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.06 €6.99

$8.60 €7.45

-6.28%

Cappuccino

$3.76 €3.26

$3.66 €3.17

2.73%

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

$1.51 €1.31

$2.14 €1.85

-29.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 €0.76

$1.31 €1.13

-33.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.54 €3.94

$3.75 €3.25

21.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.92 €5.13

$4.21 €3.65

40.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.67 €1.45

17.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.75 €1.52

18.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 €2.51

$2.45 €2.12

18.37%

Eggs

$4.42 €3.83

$4.76 €4.12

-7.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.53 €11.72

$16.98 €14.72

-20.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.29 €8.06

$9.07 €7.86

2.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.55 €10.88

$14.78 €12.81

-15.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 €2.53

$2.80 €2.43

4.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 €1.79

$1.81 €1.57

13.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 €1.96

$2.37 €2.05

-4.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.31 €2.87

$3.89 €3.37

-14.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 €1.48

$1.37 €1.19

24.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.18 €1.02

47.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.85 €0.73

-7.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.91

$0.83 €0.72

26.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.96 €5.16

$5.67 €4.91

5.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.26 €7.16

$9.04 €7.84

-8.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.76

$1.90 €1.65

6.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 €2.69

$2.40 €2.08

29.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.72 €2.36

$2.26 €1.95

20.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.8 €50.9

$52.1 €45.18

12.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.23 €4.53

$8.57 €7.43

-38.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 €1.32

$2.00 €1.74

-24.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.6 €44.70

$21.39 €18.54

141.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 €1.37

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

$30.3K €26.3K

$26.0K €22.6K

16.33%

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

$32.6K €28.3K

$35.5K €30.8K

-8.12%

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

$218 €189

$187 €162

16.27%

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

$22.28 €19.31

$23.24 €20.14

-4.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.93 €31.14

$40.56 €35.16

-11.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.3 €63.5

$71.6 €62.1

2.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.46 €26.40

$29.85 €25.87

2.04%

Cinema Ticket

$11.51 €9.98

$11.61 €10.06

-0.86%

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

$490 €425

$459 €398

6.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,581 €7,437

$7,988 €6,923

7.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.1 €83.3

$88.2 €76.4

9.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.2 €54.8

$54.7 €47.38

15.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 €82.7

$110 €95.5

-13.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$107 €92.7

19.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 €683

$1,132 €981

-30.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$643 €557

$816 €707

-21.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,512 €1,311

$1,870 €1,621

-19.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,280 €1,109

$1,406 €1,219

-9.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,220 €2,791

$3,079 €2,669

4.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,378 €2,061

$2,305 €1,998

3.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,878 €1,627

$941 €815

99.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

4.34

10.60%

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

Last update for Nicosia: June 6, 2026

Last update for Iskele: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $788 in Nicosia and $1,132 in Iskele. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nicosia pays 100% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Nicosia vs $70.0 in Iskele for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $310 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 Iskele: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nicosia wins on cost – living expenses run 5% 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.

Nicosia pays 100% more on average, 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: $788 in Nicosia versus $1,132 in Iskele. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $490 in Nicosia versus $459 in Iskele. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Iskele. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,843 in Nicosia versus $1,936 in Iskele, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nicosia but tight or insufficient in Iskele. 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.

Expats usually find Nicosia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Iskele. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.