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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,778 per month in Protaras vs $1,838 in Nicosia, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,869 per month in Protaras vs $2,922 in Nicosia, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,960 per month in Protaras vs $4,005 in Nicosia, rent included.

Protaras is about 3% cheaper than Nicosia, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Protaras and Nicosia sit above the global median – Protaras by 33%, Nicosia by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.45 €14.94

$17.47 €14.95

-0.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €60.0

$68.9 €58.9

1.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.77 €7.51

$8.03 €6.87

9.22%

Cappuccino

$3.79 €3.24

$3.93 €3.36

-3.56%

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

$2.16 €1.85

$1.51 €1.30

43.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.12

$0.87 €0.75

49.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.76 €3.22

$4.76 €4.08

-21.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 €3.80

$5.77 €4.94

-23.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 €1.42

$1.97 €1.68

-15.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.98 €1.70

-14.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 €2.01

$2.85 €2.44

-17.54%

Eggs

$4.72 €4.04

$4.56 €3.91

3.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.06 €14.60

$13.43 €11.50

27.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.59 €8.21

$9.49 €8.12

1.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.74 €12.62

$12.67 €10.84

16.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 €2.30

$2.91 €2.49

-7.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 €1.60

$2.07 €1.77

-9.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 €2.04

$2.20 €1.88

8.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 €3.29

$3.24 €2.77

18.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 €1.12

$1.66 €1.42

-21.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €0.97

$1.67 €1.43

-32.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.85 €0.73

8.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.71

$1.04 €0.89

-20.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.92 €5.07

$5.78 €4.95

2.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.24 €8.76

$8.31 €7.12

23.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 €1.58

$2.09 €1.79

-11.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €1.98

$3.11 €2.66

-25.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.02

$2.85 €2.44

-17.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.8 €44.38

$57.6 €49.30

-9.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.84 €7.57

$5.33 €4.56

65.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 €1.68

$1.55 €1.32

26.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.92 €17.91

$51.5 €44.06

-59.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 €1.41

$1.63 €1.40

1.23%

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

$25.6K €21.9K

$30.1K €25.8K

-15.22%

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

$36.2K €31.0K

$32.8K €28.1K

10.55%

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

$186 €159

$223 €190

-16.58%

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

$23.83 €20.40

$22.33 €19.12

6.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.58 €33.88

$35.28 €30.20

12.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.9 €60.7

$74.0 €63.3

-4.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.42 €25.18

$30.18 €25.83

-2.52%

Cinema Ticket

$11.48 €9.82

$11.61 €9.94

-1.12%

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

$460 €393

$486 €416

-5.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,946 €6,802

$8,442 €7,227

-5.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.3 €74.7

$96.2 €82.3

-9.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 €47.17

$61.9 €53.0

-10.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.4

$95.3 €81.6

17.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 €90.8

$128 €109

-17.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$771 €660

$764 €654

0.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$652 €558

$649 €555

0.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,510 €1,293

$1,564 €1,338

-3.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,339 €1,146

$1,275 €1,091

5.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,169 €3,569

$3,263 €2,793

27.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,145 €1,836

$2,389 €2,045

-10.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,843 €1,578

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Nicosia: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $771 in Protaras versus $764 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 $70.0 in Protaras versus $69.0 in Nicosia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $313 vs $304 – 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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,778 in Protaras, $1,838 in Nicosia – roughly 3% apart. Nicosia costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,667 per month in Protaras and $2,758 in Nicosia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Protaras, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $460 per month in Protaras and $486 in Nicosia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Nicosia – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Protaras, where all-in costs run around $1,778, than in Nicosia at $1,838. In Protaras it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nicosia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Protaras – 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 Protaras. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nicosia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.