Country research
Cyprus
Prices overall are about 0.65 of United States prices at market exchange rates (2025), and fixed broadband is 37.6 subscriptions per 100 people (2024). English proficiency is moderate (EF 2025: 537, 40th), the Migration Department has a digital nomad permit for remote workers (capped at 500 permits), and its Category F immigration permit for people living on income from abroad carries a right of residence with no end date. These figures describe the Republic of Cyprus; the census counts only the government-controlled area, not the north. [C1] [K2] [F1] [K1] [R1] [N0]
The Fernshore Index
How it grades, factor by factor.
Each grade is against a published measure, with its source and the date we checked it. It is research information, not advice. Where we have no figure, the row says Unknown.
Cost of living
47 of 100Mixed
Price level 0.647 of United States prices (2025).
Source: Price level index (GDP), Cyprus. Checked 15 October 2026.
Climate
33 of 100Weak
Nicosia, the capital and largest urban area: 5 comfortable months a year (March, April, May, October and November). December misses by 0.2 of a degree (17.8 °C against the 18 °C line), and June to September are over 30 °C. The coastal stations at Larnaca (6 months) and Paphos (8 months) do better. The figures are the Cyprus Department of Meteorology's table on the WMO site, which states no 1991-2020 period.
Source: Climate table, Nicosia. Checked 15 October 2026.
Safety
42 of 100Mixed
Global Peace Index 2026: 80th of 163.
Source: Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank. Checked 15 October 2026.
Healthcare
55 of 100Mixed
WHO UHC service coverage index 76 (2023).
Source: UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1). Checked 15 October 2026.
Schools
Unknown
Our research doesn't cover schools yet.
Community
Unknown
Not covered by Expat Insider 2026
Lifestyle
Unknown
Not covered by Expat Insider 2026
Work and career
85 of 100Strong
Strong: a residence route for remote workers exists (the Cyprus Digital Nomad Visa, capped at 500 permits; about EUR 3,500 a month net) and fixed broadband is 37.6 per 100 people (2024), over the 30 line. To be safe, have more than EUR 3,600 a month net.
Source: Digital nomads and family members (Cyprus Digital Nomad Visa); Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Cyprus. Checked 15 October 2026.
Retirement
85 of 100Strong
Strong: the Category F immigration permit is for people living on income from abroad (pensions, dividends, interest, rents) who do not work in Cyprus. It has no age minimum and no deposit, the right of residence has unlimited validity, and the stated minimum is about EUR 9,600 a year plus about EUR 4,600 for each dependant. To be safe, have more than EUR 9,600 a year. The Immigration Control Committee decides each case, and the permit lapses after 2 years' absence.
Source: Immigration Permits (categories A to F). Checked 15 October 2026.
Internet
84 of 100Strong
37.56 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people (2024), over the 30 line.
Source: Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Cyprus. Checked 15 October 2026.
English
58 of 100Mixed
EF EPI 2025 score 537 (rank 40), in EF's Moderate band; the 2026 edition was not found on 15 October 2026.
Source: EF English Proficiency Index 2025: Cyprus. Checked 15 October 2026.
Visa, United States passport
Unknown
Research for US passports is being checked
Visa, Canada passport
Unknown
Research for Canadian passports is being checked
Visa, Australia passport
Unknown
Research for Australian passports is being checked
Visa, New Zealand passport
Unknown
Research for New Zealand passports is being checked
Topics
The detail on Cyprus.
Guides
Cyprus, by passport.
Each guide is written for citizens of one country.
Questions about Cyprus.
How do prices in Cyprus compare with the United States?
Prices overall in Cyprus are about 0.65 of United States prices at market exchange rates (World Bank price level index, 2025). That is an economy-wide average, not a budget for one household, and it does not show what rent, food or any single item costs.
Is Cyprus in the Schengen area, and can I visit without a visa?
No. Cyprus is in the EU but outside Schengen: the European Commission says border checks have not yet been lifted. Its Foreign Ministry lists Australian, Canadian, New Zealand and US passports as visa-free for up to 90 days as a visitor. Living there needs a permit.
How much income do I need for the Cyprus digital nomad visa?
The Migration Department asks for a stable monthly net income after contributions and taxes, from an employer or clients abroad. To be safe, show more than €3,600 a month. The first permit lasts a year; the scheme is capped at 500 permits. Family may stay but may not work.
Can I live in Cyprus on a pension or savings?
The Category F permit is for people living on income from abroad, such as pensions, dividends, interest or rents. It asks for a yearly income plus an amount per dependant (to be safe, more than €9,600 for one person or about €15,000 for two). You may not work or run a business in Cyprus. A committee decides each case.
Will I pay tax in Cyprus on income from abroad?
You become Cypriot tax resident after more than 183 days in a year, or by a 60-day route with conditions. A private firm lists 2026 rates from 0% up to €22,000 to 35% over €72,000, with exemptions for some pensions, dividends and interest. US citizens still file US returns. Ask an adviser.
What is the weather like in Cyprus?
Daily highs run from 15.7 °C in January to 37.5 °C in July and August in inland Nicosia, 17.4 to 33.5 °C at Larnaca and 17.6 to 31.0 °C at Paphos. Fernshore counts 5, 6 and 8 comfortable months a year (highs of 18 to 30 °C). The WMO table states no period for temperature.
Sources
Where each figure comes from.
Every figure on this page links to the page we read, with the date we checked it.
- [C1] Price level index (GDP), Cyprus, World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2025: 64.71 (United States = 100), read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
- [K2] Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Cyprus, International Telecommunication Union, via the World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2024: 37.56 per 100 people, read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026 (no 2025 figure yet).
- [F1] EF English Proficiency Index 2025: Cyprus, EF Education First (private test-taker index). Checked 15 October 2026. Score 537 (down 21 on the previous score), global rank 40; skill scores: reading 564, listening 539, speaking 510, writing 468; city scores Nicosia 552 and Limassol 549; the 2026 edition was not found on 15 October 2026.
- [K1] Digital nomads and family members (Cyprus Digital Nomad Visa), Migration Department, Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection (gov.cy). Checked 15 October 2026. Page posted 31 December 2025. Non-EU and non-EEA nationals who work remotely for an employer registered abroad or for clients abroad, with a stable net income of at least EUR 3,500 a month after contributions and taxes. First permit 1 year; renewal up to 2 years. Apply within 3 months of arrival at the Department's central offices in Nicosia; fee EUR 70 plus EUR 70 for registration; 5 to 7 weeks. Family members may stay but not work. The cap is 500 permits and the page says applications are accepted again. gov.cy refused automated access (HTTP 403) on 15 October 2026, so the text was read from the Internet Archive copy of 26 September 2026. The department that the brief names, the Civil Registry and Migration Department under the Ministry of Interior (moi.gov.cy/crmd), is now the Migration Department under the Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection.
- [R1] Immigration Permits (categories A to F), Migration Department, Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection (gov.cy). Checked 15 October 2026. Page posted 29 December 2025. Category F: people with a secured annual income from abroad, no business, trade or profession in Cyprus; at least EUR 9,568 (CY 5,600 pounds) for the applicant and EUR 4,613 for each dependant; pensions, dividends, deposit interest and rents count. No age minimum and no deposit. Fee EUR 500 for everyone on the application. The right of residence has unlimited validity (the card is renewed every 10 years); it lapses after 2 years' absence from Cyprus or on permanent residence abroad. Applications only at the Nicosia offices; the Immigration Control Committee recommends and the Deputy Minister decides. The page also lists an expedited procedure for third-country nationals who invest in Cyprus (not opened). gov.cy refused automated access (HTTP 403), so the text was read from the Internet Archive copy of 31 August 2026.
- [N0] Census of Population and Housing 2021: preliminary results, Statistical Service of Cyprus (CYSTAT). Checked 15 October 2026. Release of 18 May 2022. The census counts people with their usual residence in the government-controlled areas of Cyprus on 1 October 2021; it does not cover the north.
- [G1] Geography of Cyprus, Wikipedia (secondary). Checked 15 October 2026. 'An island in the Eastern Basin of the Mediterranean Sea', the third-largest island in the Mediterranean.
- [G2] Population Enumerated by District, Municipality/Community, Sex and Age 1.10.2021, Statistical Service of Cyprus (CYSTAT), CYSTAT-DB. Checked 15 October 2026. Final 2021 census table, read through the CYSTAT-DB data service on 15 October 2026. Total 923,381 in the government-controlled area. Of the 410 municipality and community rows, 400 have fewer than 20,000 residents (counted from the table).
- [G3] Rural population (% of total population), Cyprus, World Bank, World Development Indicators. Checked 15 October 2026. 2025: 33.3% of the population is rural (national definitions), read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
- [G4] Agricultural land (% of land area), Cyprus, World Bank, World Development Indicators. Checked 15 October 2026. 2024: 13.6% of land area, read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
- [G5] Troodos Mountains, Wikipedia (secondary). Checked 15 October 2026. 'The largest mountain range in Cyprus, located roughly in the centre of the island'; highest peak Mount Olympus (Hionistra), 1,952 m.
- [W1] Climate table, Nicosia, World Meteorological Organization, World Weather Information Service (data from the Cyprus Department of Meteorology). Checked 15 October 2026. World Weather Information Service (WMO), climate table supplied by the Department of Meteorology of Cyprus, read from the service's data file on 15 October 2026. Monthly mean daily maximum temperature and monthly rainfall; the service gives the rainfall period as 2002-2011 and states no period for temperature (the entry was supplied by the Department on 31 July 2008). These are not the 1991-2020 normals: the Department's own site (dom.org.cy, Climatological Information) lists daily data, monthly bulletins and papers but no station normals table, and its bulletins compare temperature with 1981-2010. Station Nicosia, 35.17 N, 33.37 E. Monthly mean daily highs 15.7 (January) to 37.5 (July and August); monthly rainfall is under 66 mm in every month.
- [W2] Climate table, Larnaka Airport, World Meteorological Organization, World Weather Information Service (data from the Cyprus Department of Meteorology). Checked 15 October 2026. World Weather Information Service (WMO), climate table supplied by the Department of Meteorology of Cyprus, read from the service's data file on 15 October 2026. Monthly mean daily maximum temperature and monthly rainfall; the service gives the rainfall period as 2002-2011 and states no period for temperature (the entry was supplied by the Department on 31 July 2008). These are not the 1991-2020 normals: the Department's own site (dom.org.cy, Climatological Information) lists daily data, monthly bulletins and papers but no station normals table, and its bulletins compare temperature with 1981-2010. Station Larnaka Airport, 34.88 N, 33.63 E (on the coast, southwest of the city). Monthly mean daily highs 17.4 (January) to 33.5 (August); monthly rainfall is under 103 mm in every month.
- [W3] Climate table, Paphos Airport, World Meteorological Organization, World Weather Information Service (data from the Cyprus Department of Meteorology). Checked 15 October 2026. World Weather Information Service (WMO), climate table supplied by the Department of Meteorology of Cyprus, read from the service's data file on 15 October 2026. Monthly mean daily maximum temperature and monthly rainfall; the service gives the rainfall period as 2002-2011 and states no period for temperature (the entry was supplied by the Department on 31 July 2008). These are not the 1991-2020 normals: the Department's own site (dom.org.cy, Climatological Information) lists daily data, monthly bulletins and papers but no station normals table, and its bulletins compare temperature with 1981-2010. Station Paphos Airport, 34.72 N, 32.49 E (on the coast, southeast of the town). Monthly mean daily highs 17.6 (February) to 31.0 (August); monthly rainfall is under 87 mm in every month.
- [S1] Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank, Institute for Economics and Peace. Checked 15 October 2026. Cyprus ranks 80th of 163 countries, score 1.967 (ranking table, report PDF opened 15 October 2026).
- [H1] UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1), World Health Organization. Checked 15 October 2026. Cyprus: 76 out of 100 (2023), read from the WHO Global Health Observatory data service (indicator UHC_INDEX_REPORTED) on 15 October 2026; 75 in 2020 and 2021, 76 in 2022.