Cost of Living Comparison Between Protaras and Nicosia Cost of Living Comparison Between Protaras and Nicosia

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,794 per month in Protaras vs $1,793 in Nicosia, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,885 per month in Protaras vs $2,888 in Nicosia, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,976 per month in Protaras vs $3,983 in Nicosia, rent included.

Protaras and Nicosia have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.26 €14.95

$17.45 €15.11

-1.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €61.2

$70.4 €60.9

0.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 €7.53

$8.03 €6.96

8.34%

Cappuccino

$3.78 €3.27

$3.93 €3.40

-3.82%

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

$2.15 €1.86

$1.52 €1.31

41.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.12

$0.83 €0.72

56.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.68 €3.18

$4.65 €4.03

-20.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 €3.77

$5.64 €4.88

-22.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.94 €1.68

-12.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.53

$2.07 €1.79

-14.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 €2.03

$2.89 €2.50

-19.03%

Eggs

$4.80 €4.16

$4.51 €3.91

6.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.25 €14.94

$13.47 €11.66

28.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.35 €8.10

$9.20 €7.97

1.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.43 €12.50

$12.75 €11.04

13.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 €2.35

$2.94 €2.54

-7.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 €1.57

$2.00 €1.73

-9.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 €2.05

$2.29 €1.98

3.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.97 €3.44

$3.32 €2.87

19.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.73 €1.50

-20.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 €0.97

$1.65 €1.43

-32.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.80 €0.69

5.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$1.04 €0.90

-15.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.67 €4.91

$5.90 €5.11

-3.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.00 €7.80

$7.82 €6.77

15.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.61

$2.05 €1.78

-9.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.07

$3.09 €2.68

-22.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 €1.94

$2.73 €2.37

-17.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 €45.82

$58.2 €50.4

-9.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.83 €7.65

$5.42 €4.69

62.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 €1.73

$1.57 €1.36

26.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.62 €18.72

$52.9 €45.83

-59.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.58 €1.37

3.80%

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

$25.3K €21.9K

$30.6K €26.5K

-17.55%

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

$35.6K €30.9K

$32.7K €28.3K

9.13%

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

$187 €162

$224 €194

-16.44%

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

$23.21 €20.10

$21.94 €19.00

5.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.48 €34.19

$36.13 €31.29

9.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.4 €61.0

$75.6 €65.5

-6.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.61 €25.64

$30.18 €26.13

-1.89%

Cinema Ticket

$11.70 €10.13

$11.48 €9.95

1.92%

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

$464 €402

$498 €431

-6.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,698 €6,666

$8,331 €7,214

-7.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 €77.5

$98.9 €85.6

-9.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 €48.03

$63.9 €55.3

-13.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €94.1

$96.2 €83.3

13.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 €90.8

$128 €111

-18.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$787 €681

$784 €679

0.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$649 €562

$648 €562

0.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,320

$1,527 €1,322

-0.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,336 €1,157

$1,285 €1,113

3.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,628 €3,142

$3,119 €2,701

16.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,444 €2,116

$2,365 €2,048

3.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,893 €1,639

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.34

4.8

-9.58%

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

Last update for Protaras: July 28, 2026

Last update for Nicosia: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $787 in Protaras versus $784 in Nicosia. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Protaras versus $70.0 in Nicosia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $311 vs $303 – making Nicosia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Protaras vs Nicosia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,690 per month in Protaras and $2,690 in Nicosia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Protaras, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

Kindergarten costs $464 per month in Protaras and $498 in Nicosia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nicosia, where all-in costs run around $1,793, than in Protaras at $1,794. In Nicosia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Protaras it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Nicosia. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Protaras makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.