Eurostat ratio puts Cyprus below average, yet Limassol buyers still priced out
Cyprus's house price-to-income ratio stayed under its long-term benchmark in 2025, but a study of Limassol listings shows almost nothing within a median earner's budget.
Cyprus recorded a standardised house price-to-income ratio of 91.61 in 2025, essentially level with 2024's 91.63 and still under the long-term benchmark of 100, according to Eurostat data released on Monday. The indicator tracks how property prices have shifted against household earnings since 2000 rather than showing how many years of pay it takes to buy a home.
That gap between the statistic and lived experience is sharpened by recent work from Ask Wire, which looked at 25,550 active listings across the government-controlled areas. Of the 17,532 two- and three-bedroom homes examined, just 1.8 per cent of the Limassol apartments on sale fell inside the estimated €256,000 budget of a household with two median earners and two children.
Across the EU, the ratio stood 6.8 per cent above its 2015 level in 2025, with Portugal posting the largest rise at 60.8 per cent and Romania the deepest fall at 42.8 per cent. The EU-wide reading ended the year slightly above its long-term average, at 100.03.
What it means for residents
An index below 100 is not a signal that homes are cheap — it only compares today's prices with the past relative to pay. For anyone renting or planning to buy, the practical picture is set by asking prices in the district and by what a bank will lend.
- Check your budget against listings, not headlines. The Ask Wire model assumed a 25 per cent slice of net income for repayments, a 3.24 per cent rate over 25 years and a 20 per cent deposit of about €51,200.
- Expect district differences. Limassol's supply within reach of a median salary is thin, so widen the search or factor in a longer saving period.
- Read the number as one indicator. Mortgage costs and the share of income spent on housing each month matter as much as the ratio itself.
This text is written from the source article and is not a translation of it.
