Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Paphos and Nicosia

For one person, living is cheaper in Nicosia: $1,833 a month against $2,062 in Paphos, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Paphos outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Paphos
🇨🇾 Cyprus
$2,062
/mo nomad
Nicosia
🇨🇾 Cyprus
$1,833
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Paphos and in Nicosia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Paphos and in Nicosia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,062 per month in Paphos vs $1,833 in Nicosia, rent included.

  • Paphos $2,062
  • Nicosia $1,833

A couple spends around $3,195 per month in Paphos vs $2,875 in Nicosia, rent included.

  • Paphos $3,195
  • Nicosia $2,875

A family of three spends $4,328 per month in Paphos vs $3,917 in Nicosia, rent included.

  • Paphos $4,328
  • Nicosia $3,917

Paphos costs about 12% more than Nicosia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Paphos and Nicosia sit above the global median – Paphos by 53%, Nicosia by 36%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Paphos
Nicosia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.84 €14.98
$17.00 €15.12
-0.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$56.5 €50.3
$67.8 €60.3
-16.63%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.13 €8.12
$8.71 €7.75
4.82%
Cappuccino
$3.63 €3.23
$3.54 €3.15
2.54%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 €1.62
$2.31 €2.06
-20.78%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.17 €1.04
$0.90 €0.80
30.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.25 €3.78
$4.36 €3.88
-2.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.84 €3.42
$5.56 €4.94
-30.94%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Paphos
Nicosia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.97 €1.75
$1.87 €1.66
5.35%
White Bread (500g)
$1.41 €1.25
$1.89 €1.68
-25.40%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.32 €2.06
$2.83 €2.52
-18.02%
Eggs
$5.02 €4.46
$4.78 €4.25
5.02%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.57 €12.07
$13.32 €11.85
1.88%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.08 €8.08
$8.71 €7.74
4.25%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.48 €11.10
$13.29 €11.82
-6.09%
Apples (1kg)
$3.10 €2.76
$3.30 €2.94
-6.06%
Banana (1kg)
$1.84 €1.64
$2.05 €1.82
-10.24%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.00 €1.78
$2.57 €2.29
-22.18%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.57 €3.17
$3.56 €3.17
0.28%
Potato (1kg)
$1.47 €1.30
$1.85 €1.65
-20.54%
Onion (1kg)
$1.14 €1.01
$1.51 €1.35
-24.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.64 €0.57
$0.97 €0.87
-34.02%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.00 €0.89
$1.13 €1.01
-11.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.49 €4.88
$5.74 €5.10
-4.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.67 €5.93
$7.65 €6.80
-12.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.73 €1.54
$1.67 €1.48
3.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 €1.81
$2.80 €2.49
-27.50%
🚌 Getting Around
Paphos
Nicosia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.17 €1.93
$2.64 €2.35
-17.80%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$55.2 €49.06
$43.89 €39.04
25.68%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$11.27 €10.03
$6.36 €5.66
77.20%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.08 €1.85
$1.95 €1.74
6.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$22.03 €19.60
$43.87 €39.02
-49.78%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.78 €1.58
$1.74 €1.54
2.30%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.6K €29.0K
$33.1K €29.4K
-1.34%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.0K €29.3K
$32.5K €28.9K
1.51%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Paphos
Nicosia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$189 €168
$207 €185
-8.86%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.97 €21.33
$20.18 €17.95
18.78%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.26 €30.48
$33.19 €29.52
3.22%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Paphos
Nicosia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$71.8 €63.8
$72.8 €64.8
-1.46%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.87 €22.12
$18.77 €16.70
32.50%
Cinema Ticket
$11.12 €9.89
$11.23 €9.99
-0.98%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Paphos
Nicosia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$426 €379
$519 €461
-17.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,754 €6,008
$9,360 €8,326
-27.85%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Paphos
Nicosia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$82.8 €73.7
$104 €92.7
-20.57%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.95 €39.99
$54.1 €48.14
-16.96%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.1 €81.9
$99.1 €88.2
-7.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.0 €78.3
$117 €104
-24.56%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Paphos
Nicosia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,077 €958
$791 €704
36.13%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$964 €857
$684 €608
40.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,052 €1,825
$1,678 €1,493
22.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,899 €1,689
$1,343 €1,195
41.37%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,392 €3,907
$3,118 €2,773
40.88%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,536 €2,256
$2,308 €2,053
9.88%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Paphos
Nicosia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,857 €1,652
$1,828 €1,626
1.62%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.31
4.48
-26.12%

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

Last update for Paphos: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nicosia: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Paphos
$964
Nicosia
$684 29% $280
Groceries & Markets
Paphos
$286
Nicosia
$304 6% $17
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Paphos
$247
Nicosia
$261 5.5% $14
Eating Out
Paphos
$247
Nicosia
$250 1.5% $3.8
Clothing & Footwear
Paphos
$139
Nicosia
$168 21.6% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Paphos
$94
Nicosia
$95 1.4% $1.3
Getting Around
Paphos
$86
Nicosia
$71 17.5% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,077 in Paphos versus $791 in Nicosia. 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 2% higher in Paphos, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57.0 in Paphos versus $68.0 in Nicosia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $286 vs $304 – making Paphos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇾 Paphos
🇨🇾 Nicosia
🕒 Local time
12:14 12:14 PM
12:14 12:14 PM
Same time as Paphos
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
32,892
310,355 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

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

On the map
Between locations
  • Paphos Nicosia 97 km
From you
  • Paphos
  • Nicosia

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
Paphos vs Nicosia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Paphos and in Nicosia compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,062 in Paphos, $1,833 in Nicosia – roughly 12% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Paphos compared to Nicosia?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,093 per month in Paphos and $2,750 in Nicosia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Paphos and Nicosia?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Nicosia, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Paphos and Nicosia?
Kindergarten costs $426 per month in Paphos and $519 in Nicosia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Paphos – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nicosia, where all-in costs run around $1,833, than in Paphos at $2,062. In Nicosia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Paphos it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Paphos or Nicosia?
Families tend to lean toward Nicosia – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Paphos and Nicosia?
If budget matters most, go with Nicosia. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Paphos makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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