Is Cyprus Expensive? A Guide to Prices in Cyprus in 2024 (2024)

Is Cyprus expensive? What are the average prices in Cyprus? Many travellers ask themselves these questions before booking a trip to the Mediterranean nation, wanting to make sure that they take care of their purse strings while also enjoying the perennial sunshine and crystal clear waters that Cyprus boasts.

Located in the Southeastern Mediterranean, the island nation of Cyprus has been enticing visitors to its sun-soaked coastline and historic cities for decades. With numerous budget airlines connecting the island to mainland Europe, more and more people are flocking to Cyprus for a warm seaside escape than ever before.

Cyprus doesn’t have to be expensive to visit. With an average cost of roughly €70-200, visitors can easily get a lot out of this island nation while on a mid-range budget. Accommodation, transport and food prices aren’t excessively high, but it isn’t necessarily the ultra-budget destination many believe it might be, either.

If you’re wondering how much to expect to spend for your own Cyprus trip, read on to find out more about the prices in this Mediterranean country.

Accommodation Prices

The first most pressing, and generally the most expensive aspect of any trip to Cyprus is going to be accommodation. You are going to need a place to sleep and that does, unfortunately, cost money. But how much, do you ask? Well, it really depends on your travel style.

There isn’t a lot of budget accommodation in Cyprus, save for a handful of hostels and guesthouses in cities like Nicosia or Paphos.

If you’re on a budget, your best bet for affordable accommodation is going to be found on platforms like Airbnb, where you can generally find a reasonably cheap private room in a local’s home in the city centre or an entire apartment located a bit outside of the main sites for roughly €40-60 per night.

A mid-range hotel will cost somewhere along the lines of €60-80 per night, again depending on what is on offer at whichever establishment you may choose to stay.

Many people visiting Cyprus opt to stay in bigger hotels or resorts. This is going to be the most expensive accommodation option available out there and it is highly unlikely that you will find any option available for under €150 per night and if you want more luxury or are travelling in the high season, expect prices to begin at €200 per night.

All in all, accommodation prices in Cyprus aren’t necessarily the cheapest in Europe, they aren’t overly exorbitant either, especially depending on the season or the type of place you choose to stay.

Transportation Prices

If you plan your Cyprus itinerary with the intent of getting around by public transit while also wanting to head to remote beaches or mountain villages, you’re going to have to think again, unfortunately.

While there is a public bus network that affordably connects major cities in Cyprus and urban areas do have limited public transit options, Cyprus is very much a destination where a car is more or less necessary if you want to venture outside of your hotel.

Because of the general need for a rental car in Cyprus, this means that your transportation costs will generally be higher than in other European nations where having a car is less of a necessity.

To help save money on car hire, we browsing Rentalcars.com. The platform conglomerates many great deals from different companies, ensuring that you can find a low price for your car rental. Alternatively, check out Localrent to rent from smaller companies or private individuals.

We would also recommend taking out an excess insurance policy with iCarHireInsurance. This will ensure that you won’t have to pay a high deductible should any damage happen to your rental.

Depending on what kind of car you choose to hire, you can expect the most basic, economy car to start at around €20-35 per day. Keep in mind that it is often cheaper to rent a car with a manual transmission rather than an automatic so if you can drive stick, it could end up saving you some of your hard-earned cash.

If you’re on a budget and just want a car to easily get around, then you should be fine with the economy option as most roads in Cyprus are in great condition. If you plan to visit some of the more far-flung places and natural sites, however, it might be worth considering renting a 4WD.

While this is certainly not necessary and some unpaved roads are more or less fine to drive on in a normal car, a 4WD can give you some peace of mind if you want to drive yourself to a number of the hard-to-reach areas in Cyprus like the Adonis Baths, Lara Beach, or the Blue Lagoon. Keep in mind that this is going to be more expensive than renting an economy vehicle.

If you’re renting a car, you’re going to need to factor in petrol prices when figuring out your transportation costs in Cyprus. Luckily, Cyprus is a pretty small country and you aren’t likely going to be driving incredibly long distances during your holiday meaning you won’t need to fill up your tank all that often.

When you do, fuel prices in Cyprus cost about €1.40 per litre. Keep in mind that petrol stations in Cyprus are not self-service, so an attendant will fill your tank for you.

All in all, while it is pretty much necessary to rent a car in Cyprus, you can get an affordable deal provided you choose an economy option with a manual transmission.

Food Prices

Is Cyprus expensive to eat out? While accommodation and transportation prices can fall more on the high end, you can start getting better value for money when you factor in the cost of food in Cyprus.

Sure, there are some high-end restaurants that will leave a significant dent in your bank account should you choose to patronise them. In general, though, we found restaurants and food prices in Cyprus to be pretty affordable and sometimes you could find a great deal.

Like most everywhere else in the world, you’re going to pay lower prices at a restaurant if you head to a place that is more catered toward locals than it is toward tourists.

One of our favourite things about eating at local taverns in Cyprus was the fact that you often get a free appetiser of some dips and spreads like tahini or tzatziki and bread included with your meal.

You very well might also get a complimentary dessert or plate of fruit after you finish your meal. The less tourist-focused the restaurant is, we found, the more elaborate the freebies were.

In general, you can expect a meal for two at a mid-range restaurant to cost around €20-30, depending on the type of establishment and whether or not you order alcohol. If you’re searching for some great value meals, we recommend looking into ordering a mezze, which normally includes a lot of food for pretty affordable prices.

If you want to cook for yourself, grocery prices are on par with other European countries, with locally produced products costing significantly less than imported ones. If you want to cut costs, I recommend heading to the deli counter where you can purchase heaps of delicious local halloumi, dips, or olives all for incredibly low prices.

If you’re a fan of Greek cuisine and like to eat out a lot, you will find that food prices are actually quite affordable and offer a very good value for money.

Activity Prices

Now that we’ve covered some of the most basic aspects of any trip budget — the cost of food, accommodation, and transportation — it’s time to discuss how much it will cost to actually do things in Cyprus.

Activity prices in the island nation are actually where Cyprus becomes quite an affordable destination and it is truly possible to have an active and fulfilling holiday in Cyprus without spending much at all on daily activities. On an island so rich in ancient historical sites, great museums, and stunning natural scenery, this is great news for those travellers trying to visit Cyprus on a budget.

If you want to spend your days seeking out ancient Greek ruins and archaeological sites, you will be happy to hear that this doesn’t cost much. What is incredibly convenient for travellers is that numerous archaeological sites are often clustered together into one open-air museum.

For instance, the Kato Paphos Archaeological Park groups ancient mosaics and numerous other ruins together for an entrance fee of €4.50 — and this is on the expensive end of sightseeing. Most singular historical sites — like the Tombs of the Kings or the Kolossi Castle — cost €2.50 per person entry. This is pretty standard across the board.

Certain attractions and sites don’t cost anything to enter — this includes things like the numerous monasteries scattered throughout the country and even some well-curated museums like the Levantis Museum in Nicosia.

If all you want to do is lounge on the beach and swim in the warm Mediterranean waters while you’re in Cyprus, this activity doesn’t have to cost a penny! Most beaches in Cyprus are completely free to visit and the only place where you will be required to pay anything is if you wish to hire a sun lounge or umbrella for the day — and even this should only cost around €5.

All in all, activities don’t have to cost a lot at all and you can have an incredibly fulfilling holiday in Cyprus full of history and culture all while spending less than €5 per day.

Entertainment Prices

While on holiday, almost everyone likes to go out and get a drink or even party into the small hours of the night. But how much does this cost in Cyprus?

Well, obviously it depends on your habits and the kind of establishments you choose to patronise, but on the whole, it doesn’t have to make a significant dent in your Cyprus travel budget.

If you want to go and get a glass of wine along the harbour in Paphos, it is likely going to be more expensive than finding a local bar a bit more inland but there is nowhere in the world where you don’t pay a premium for a view.

On the whole, however, you can expect a glass of local wine in Cyprus to cost you around €3-5 depending on the type and quality of wine and a bottle of local wine will probably be around €15-20. Beer prices vary as well, depending on if you grab a local lager or a fancy IPA. In general, expect to pay about €3-4 for a pint of local draft beer.

co*cktails tend to be a bit more expensive, especially depending on the esteem of the establishment that you happen to be drinking in and what kind of spirits you are drinking. On average, you can expect to pay anywhere from about €6-10 on a co*cktail depending on what it is that you order.

Going out for a drink in Cyprus isn’t too expensive, thankfully, and you can still enjoy a glass of wine or two without having to worry about the effects on your hard-earned holiday budget.

Is Cyprus Expensive? Average Cyprus Trip Cost

As discussed in the article above, there are definitely some areas in Cyprus that are far more expensive than others.

All in all, with all the above factors considered, this is how much you should expect to spend per person per day on average in Cyprus, assuming that you are splitting the costs of things like accommodation and car hire between two people:

Accommodation: €20-100 / night

Transportation: €25-50 / day

Food: €15-25 / day

Activities: €5-10 / day

Entertainment: €5-15 /day

Taking into account all of the previously discussed prices in Cyprus, plan to spend at least about €70-200 per person per day while on the island. Of course, there are certainly ways that you could spend much much more and there are some ways you could cut back (cooking most meals yourself is a key factor), however, this is an average as it applies to most people.

Is it expensive to visit Cyprus? Well, prices certainly aren’t the lowest that you’ll find in Europe, however, it also isn’t necessarily a super expensive destination and there are ways that you can save money and still enjoy your trip.

Are you trying to calculate your Cyprus trip cost? Have any questions? Let us know in the comments!