Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nicosia and Marsa

For one person, living is cheaper in Nicosia: $1,834 a month against $2,871 in Marsa, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Marsa outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Nicosia, Cyprus
Marsa, Malta
Nicosia
🇨🇾 Cyprus
$1,834
/mo nomad
Marsa
🇲🇹 Malta
$2,871
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nicosia and in Marsa

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

A single person spends $1,834 per month in Nicosia vs $2,871 in Marsa, rent included.

  • Nicosia $1,834
  • Marsa $2,871

A couple spends around $2,858 per month in Nicosia vs $3,976 in Marsa, rent included.

  • Nicosia $2,858
  • Marsa $3,976

A family of three spends $3,882 per month in Nicosia vs $5,081 in Marsa, rent included.

  • Nicosia $3,882
  • Marsa $5,081

Nicosia is about 36% cheaper than Marsa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nicosia and Marsa sit above the global median – Nicosia by 35%, Marsa by 111%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nicosia
Marsa
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.56 €14.78
$19.41 €17.31
-14.68%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.3 €60.9
$85.2 €76.0
-19.90%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.92 €7.96
$13.67 €12.19
-34.75%
Cappuccino
$3.75 €3.34
$2.69 €2.40
39.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.32 €2.07
$2.28 €2.04
1.75%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 €0.78
$2.27 €2.02
-61.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.39 €3.91
$4.58 €4.08
-4.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.52 €4.93
$2.53 €2.25
118.18%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nicosia
Marsa
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.87 €1.67
$1.36 €1.21
37.50%
White Bread (500g)
$1.99 €1.78
$1.29 €1.15
54.26%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.78 €2.48
$4.22 €3.76
-34.12%
Eggs
$4.75 €4.23
$4.33 €3.87
9.70%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.85 €11.46
$8.43 €7.52
52.43%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.73 €7.79
$10.25 €9.14
-14.83%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.06 €11.65
$18.47 €16.48
-29.29%
Apples (1kg)
$3.45 €3.08
$4.27 €3.81
-19.20%
Banana (1kg)
$2.04 €1.82
$2.69 €2.40
-24.16%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.57 €2.29
$3.55 €3.17
-27.61%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.50 €3.12
$3.27 €2.92
7.03%
Potato (1kg)
$1.89 €1.68
$2.25 €2.01
-16.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 €1.41
$1.87 €1.67
-14.97%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.91 €0.81
$2.27 €2.02
-59.91%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.14 €1.02
$1.31 €1.17
-12.98%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.42 €4.84
$6.85 €6.11
-20.88%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.73 €6.90
$8.36 €7.46
-7.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.71 €1.52
$1.63 €1.46
4.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.72 €2.43
$2.33 €2.08
16.74%
🚌 Getting Around
Nicosia
Marsa
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.60 €2.32
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.25 €39.48
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.10 €5.44
$5.75 €5.13
6.09%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.98 €1.76
$2.29 €2.04
-13.54%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$44.92 €40.08
$26.56 €23.69
69.13%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.73 €1.54
$1.47 €1.31
17.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.8K €27.5K
$37.4K €33.3K
-17.57%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.8K €29.3K
$38.4K €34.2K
-14.49%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nicosia
Marsa
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$208 €186
$103 €92.2
101.25%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.45 €18.24
$24.97 €22.28
-18.10%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.64 €29.12
$42.87 €38.25
-23.86%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nicosia
Marsa
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$73.5 €65.6
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.22 €17.15
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.31 €10.09
$10.19 €9.09
10.99%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nicosia
Marsa
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$520 €464
$372 €332
39.76%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,426 €8,410
$11.2K €9,953
-15.51%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nicosia
Marsa
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$103 €91.5
$86.1 €76.8
19.09%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.5 €49.53
$39.89 €35.59
39.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.2 €87.7
$101 €90.4
-3.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 €104
$77.4 €69.1
51.00%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nicosia
Marsa
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$784 €700
$2,481 €2,213
-68.39%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$685 €611
$1,925 €1,718
-64.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,689 €1,507
$2,271 €2,026
-25.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,307 €1,166
$2,758 €2,460
-52.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,120 €2,783
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,327 €2,076
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nicosia
Marsa
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,852 €1,652
$3,229 €2,881
-42.65%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
2.9
54.48%

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

Last update for Nicosia: October 26, 2026

Last update for Marsa: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nicosia
$685
Marsa
$1.9K 181% $1.2K
Groceries & Markets
Nicosia
$303
Marsa
$326 7.4% $22
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nicosia
$261
Marsa
$171 34.4% $90
Eating Out
Nicosia
$250
Marsa
$275 9.9% $25
Clothing & Footwear
Nicosia
$168
Marsa
$137 18.3% $31
Sport & Entertainment
Nicosia
$96
Marsa
$20 * 78.8% $76
Getting Around
Nicosia
$71
Marsa
$17 * 75.7% $53

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $784 in Nicosia versus $2,481 in Marsa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 74% higher in Marsa. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Nicosia versus $85 in Marsa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $326 – making Nicosia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇾 Nicosia
🇲🇹 Marsa
🕒 Local time
21:47 9:47 PM
20:47 8:47 PM
1 h behind Nicosia
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
310,355 Capital
5,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nicosia Marsa 1,710 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Nicosia
  • Marsa

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 Marsa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nicosia cheaper than Marsa?
Yes – Marsa is pricier by about 57%, 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 $4,307 in Marsa. 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 $2,481 in Marsa.
What are total monthly expenses in Nicosia and in Marsa?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,834 in Nicosia and $2,871 in Marsa. That makes Nicosia about 36% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $520 per month in Nicosia and $372 in Marsa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is it better to live in Nicosia or in Marsa?
It depends on your priorities. Marsa has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,834 in Nicosia to $2,871 in Marsa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
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, Marsa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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