The market ranges in 2026
Cyprus price guides and Paphos renovation companies published these ranges this year. Figures are for a professional painter; a handyman doing a quick coat is cheaper and shows it in two summers.
| Interior, per m² of wall, prep and two coats | €10 – €20 |
| Interior, per room | €150 – €500 |
| 2-bedroom apartment, interior | €800 – €1,500 |
| 3-bedroom house, interior | €1,500 – €3,000 |
| Exterior of a 3-bedroom villa | €800 – €2,000 (wash and one coat) to €2,000 – €5,000 (prepared, two coats) |
| Quality emulsion, 5 litres | €30 – €60 |
The spread is the preparation. A room where the painter fills every hole, sands, primes bare patches and applies two full coats takes twice as long as a room where he rolls one thinned coat over the dust. Both are 'painting a room' on the phone.
Where Panos sits
Labour from €140 per room for walls and ceiling in two coats, preparation included. A 2-bedroom apartment with walls, ceilings, doors and frames: €1,100–€1,400 labour plus about €250–€400 of paint on receipt, 3–4 working days. A 3-bedroom villa exterior, prepared and painted in two coats of elastomeric masonry paint: €2,200–€3,800.
That is the upper half of the market, on purpose. The paint is bought on receipt, so the number you compare is labour only, with nothing hidden in it.
Labour or paint: which costs more?
For an apartment, labour is about three quarters of the total. Good paint is not where the money goes: a 2-bedroom apartment takes roughly 25–35 litres of emulsion, about €250–€400 at Paphos prices. Saving €80 by buying the cheapest tin means a third coat and a finish that marks the first time a chair touches it.
For an exterior, the paint matters more. Elastomeric masonry paint costs two to three times a basic exterior emulsion. It bridges hairline cracks, stays flexible in the heat and lets the wall breathe, which is why it lasts five to seven years in Paphos sun instead of two or three.
The five lines a quote must have
- The surfaces: which rooms, walls and ceilings or walls only, doors and frames yes or no, outside which elevations.
- The preparation: filling, sanding, priming, mould treatment, crack repair. If the line is missing, it will not be done.
- The product and the number of coats: brand and type, two coats. 'Paint' is not a product.
- Who buys the paint and how it is charged: on receipt, included, or supplied by you.
- The total, the days, and the guarantee in writing. The total on the quote is the total on the invoice.
A quote with these five lines can be compared with any other. A quote without them cannot, and that is usually the point.
When to paint in Paphos
Inside: any month. Winter is best, because the rooms are cool and the paint cures slowly and evenly. Outside: March to June and September to November. In July and August the wall is too hot and the paint skins before it bonds. From December to February the wall is often damp, and paint needs a dry wall and air below about 80% humidity to cure.
Owners who live abroad book the interior for the winter months while they are away, and the exterior for the spring before they arrive.
Three things that go wrong
- Painting over damp or mould. The stain comes back through the new coat by February. The cause has to go first; see the guide on damp and mould.
- Thinned paint. One tin stretched over two rooms covers badly and marks immediately. Ask to see the tins.
- No primer on bare patches. Filled holes and new plaster drink the first coat and show as dull patches in low sun.