Is Cyprus expensive? Prices and a realistic budget

Whether Cyprus is expensive depends on what you compare it with and how you travel, so I won’t quote you an invented price for a pint. Instead I’ll give you three things with a source behind them, what Eurostat says about price levels, what British visitors actually spend according to the island’s statistics office, and some real 2026 fares, plus where I’d spend and where I wouldn’t.

How do prices compare?

Eurostat publishes a price level index each year where the EU average is 100. In 2024, overall consumption in Cyprus came in at 95.1, a touch below the average. Greece was cheaper at 83.0, and Malta, the other island many British holidaymakers weigh up, slightly cheaper at 93.1. I haven’t used a UK figure from this series, so I won’t compare it with home directly. Spain, for reference, sat at 90.7, which tells you Cyprus is no bargain by southern European standards, but no Scandinavia either.

The detail is where it gets useful. Restaurants and hotels came in at 89.0, below the EU average. Supermarket food, though, was 104.8 and alcohol 119.2. In practice that means eating out doesn’t sting as much as doing a big supermarket shop or drinking every night. There’s more in cheap eats in Cyprus.

What do British visitors really spend?

This is my favourite figure, because it isn’t a blogger’s guess. CYSTAT, the Cyprus statistical service, measures what tourists spend on the island. In 2025, British visitors stayed 9.6 nights on average and spent €909.53 each, around €95 a day. Across all nationalities the average was €815.16 over 8.3 days, about €98 a day, of which €432.33 went on accommodation and €382.84 on extras such as food, transport, shopping and fun. Flights aren’t included.

The gap between package and independent travel is striking. British package visitors spent €117.37 a day over 8.7 nights, while independent travellers spent €72.09 a day over 10.8 nights. A package bundles accommodation and often meals, so it isn’t a straight comparison, but it’s a useful benchmark when you’re weighing up Cyprus package holidays.

If you are staying the night, see the best hotel deals in Larnaca for your dates: the well-placed rooms go fast.

Prices I can actually give you

Some fares are published and help with the sums. A town bus in Nicosia and Larnaca costs €2.70 on paper or €2 with a Motion card since August 2026; in Limassol and Paphos, €2. A day ticket for every town is €20. The airport taxi has a fixed fare of €50 by day for up to four people. A day’s long-stay parking at Larnaca Airport is €12. And in winter, a weekday ski pass on Mount Olympus costs €15 for an adult non-member.

Standard VAT, 19% according to the European Commission, is likewise built into prices in bars and restaurants it’s already in the price along with the 10% service charge. As for metered taxi fares, petrol or a set lunch, I’ve found no official figure to give you.

Pounds, euros and cards

Cyprus uses the euro, so the exchange rate on the day you buy your currency matters as much as local prices. Cash machines work well across the Republic, says Spain’s Foreign Office, but they may charge fees, and some businesses, taxis among them, only take cash. If the card terminal suggests billing you in sterling, I always pick euros, because the conversion the shop’s bank applies is rarely in your favour. In the north the currency is the Turkish lira, though euros are widely accepted. The detail on cards and cash machines is in currency and payments in Cyprus.

So you do not lose the morning at the ticket office, browse tickets and tours in Larnaca on GetYourGuide.

Where the budget runs away

Three places. Beachfront hotels in July and August, when demand peaks. Hire cars in high season, which I’d book well ahead. And nights out, because alcohol is pricey by EU standards. If you want to squeeze, the tricks are in Cyprus on a budget. To trim the bed, see cheap hotels in Cyprus, and to fix your spending in advance, all-inclusive hotels in Cyprus.

Where I’d happily spend

A night in a Troodos village, a boat from Latchi to the Blue Lagoon and a long meze in a village taverna. None of them is expensive, and they’re the bits you remember. Ideas to fill the days are in things to do in Cyprus.

If you would rather go at your own pace, see the car hire deals in Larnaca: the earlier you book, the more cars are left to choose from.

If you are staying the night, see the best hotel deals in Larnaca for your dates: the well-placed rooms go fast.