Newsroom
Cyprus continues to sit slightly below the European Union average in overall price levels, but some everyday costs, especially education, are telling a very different story, according to new Eurostat figures for 2025.
The data, released on Thursday, shows that household spending in Cyprus is around 89% of the EU average. In simple terms, that means Cyprus is still cheaper than many Western and Northern European countries, but not by a huge margin.
Across the EU, the gap remains wide. Denmark tops the list at 140% of the EU average, followed by Ireland (136%) and Luxembourg (132%), while the cheapest countries remain Romania (65%) and Poland (73%).
For Cypriots doing the weekly supermarket shop, there is some reassuring news: food and non-alcoholic drinks in Cyprus are almost exactly at the EU average, at 100.1%. In other words, bread, milk, fruit and basic groceries cost about the same as the European average, no major “cheap island” advantage there.
When it comes to eating out or staying in hotels, Cyprus performs slightly better. Prices in restaurants and accommodation stand at around 85% of the EU average, meaning a night out or a hotel stay is still relatively more affordable than in many northern or western EU countries.
Housing, water, electricity and fuel costs sit at about 87% of the EU average, still lower than many EU states, but not necessarily “cheap” by local expectations, especially given recent energy bills.
Health-related spending is slightly below average at 94%, keeping Cyprus close to the EU midpoint.
But one category clearly stands out: education.
According to Eurostat, education costs in Cyprus are at 137.5% of the EU average, significantly higher than most member states. In fact, only a handful of countries come close to that level, with Luxembourg even higher, while countries like Romania sit far lower.
In practical terms, this means Cypriot families are spending far more than the European average when it comes to schooling and education-related costs, a figure that may raise eyebrows among parents already feeling pressure from private tuition, foreign language lessons, and other school-related expenses.
Eurostat also notes that education remains the most uneven cost category across the EU, showing huge differences between member states depending on how schooling systems are structured and funded.
So while Cyprus still sits below the EU average in overall cost of living, the picture is far more mixed in reality: groceries are average, a night out is relatively cheaper, energy is mid-range, but education is where Cypriots are paying well above what many Europeans do.
