Cyprus on a budget: how to do it well
Short answer
Yes, especially outside July and August: allow about €88 per person per day, with about €35 for a shared room, €30 for food, €8 for sights and €15 for a share of a hire car and fuel. Free beaches and cheap ancient sites help a lot.
A realistic daily budget
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing) | €35 | €70 | €170 |
| Food & drink | €30 | €50 | €90 |
| Sights & tickets | €8 | €20 | €50 |
| Local transport | €15 | €25 | €40 |
| Per person, per day | €88 | €165 | €350 |
Approximate 2026 prices, two people sharing a room. From our Cyprus day-cost table.
Free things to do
- Walk or swim at Cape Greco National Forest Park, with sea caves and the Kamara tou Koraka natural bridge.
- Visit the Baths of Aphrodite and walk the Aphrodite nature trail on the Akamas Peninsula.
- Stop at Petra tou Romiou, Aphrodite's Rock, the legendary birthplace of the goddess.
- Walk the Finikoudes palm promenade in Larnaca and the Molos seafront in Limassol.
- Cross the Green Line on foot in Nicosia via Ledra Street.
- Watch flamingos on the Larnaca Salt Lake from about November to March.
Cheap eats
- Souvlaki or sheftalia in pitta: about €4-7.
- Halloumi and village bread from a bakery or market: a few euros.
- Full meze in Paphos Ktima: about €20-28 per person, enough for the day.
- Kleftiko (slow-baked lamb) in a Troodos village tavern: about €12-16.
- Loukoumades or a bakery koupepia: a few euros.
Where to sleep for less
The cheapest rooms are in Larnaca's centre and in Troodos agrotourism guesthouses, at about €55-90 for a double. Paphos and Limassol cost more in summer, and hostels are few, so budget travellers usually share a simple hotel or apartment.
Getting around cheaply
Intercity buses link the main towns for about €4-5, and Kapnos airport shuttles run from Larnaca and Paphos airports to the cities. For Troodos and many beaches, a hire car (roughly €25-50 a day) shared between two or more is the cheapest practical option.
A sample budget day
- Morning: Paphos Archaeological Park and its mosaics at 8:30 (about €4.50).
- Lunch: souvlaki pitta in Kato Paphos (about €6).
- Afternoon: Tombs of the Kings (about €2.50) and a swim at a free beach.
- Evening: shared meze in Ktima (about €22), with a shared budget room.
- Total: about €88 including a share of the hire car
More ways to save
- Travel in May, June, September or October for warm seas and lower prices.
- Fill up on a big meze lunch and keep dinner light.
- Buy halloumi, fruit and bread at markets for beach picnics.
- Return the hire car at Larnaca airport on the last day to avoid an extra transfer.
- Eat in Troodos villages, where tavernas are cheaper than on the coast.
- Check Department of Antiquities opening hours before driving to a site.
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Common questions
Can you visit Cyprus on a budget?
Yes: stay in Larnaca or Troodos villages, share a hire car, eat meze and focus on cheap sites and free beaches.
How much do archaeological sites cost?
Most cost €2.50-4.50, such as the Paphos Archaeological Park, Kourion and the Tombs of the Kings.
What is the cheapest airport transfer?
Kapnos airport shuttles from Larnaca and Paphos airports to the main towns, much cheaper than a taxi.