Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Akranes and Swindon

For one person, living is cheaper in Swindon: $2,399 a month against $3,729 in Akranes, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

180

Cost of Living Index in Akranes
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Akranes Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Swindon
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Swindon Living Index

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Akranes

🇮🇸 Iceland

$3,729

/mo nomad

Swindon

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,399

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Akranes and in Swindon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Akranes and in Swindon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,729 in Akranes versus $2,399 in Swindon.

Akranes $3,729
Swindon $2,399

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,919 in Akranes versus $3,427 in Swindon.

Akranes $5,919
Swindon $3,427

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,109 in Akranes versus $4,456 in Swindon.

Akranes $8,109
Swindon $4,456

Living in Akranes is roughly 55% more expensive than in Swindon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Akranes 175% above, Swindon 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.71 ISK 3,846

$20.89 £15.67

51.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 ISK 15.0K

$63.0 £47.30

95.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$26.60 ISK 3,226

$10.69 £8.02

148.83%

Cappuccino

$5.99 ISK 727

$4.86 £3.64

23.25%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 ISK 397

$2.60 £1.95

25.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 ISK 303

$1.62 £1.22

54.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.45 ISK 1,267

$5.66 £4.25

84.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.01 ISK 971

$4.74 £3.56

68.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ISK 244

$1.58 £1.18

27.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 ISK 247

$1.74 £1.30

17.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.68 ISK 447

$1.80 £1.35

104.44%

Eggs

$6.27 ISK 761

$4.40 £3.30

42.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.60 ISK 2,498

$8.19 £6.14

151.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.62 ISK 2,986

$9.14 £6.86

169.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.22 ISK 5,121

$13.15 £9.86

221.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ISK 393

$3.11 £2.33

4.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 ISK 334

$1.74 £1.31

58.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 ISK 392

$2.71 £2.03

19.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.06 ISK 614

$3.99 £2.99

26.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.89 ISK 472

$2.04 £1.53

90.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 ISK 200

$1.46 £1.10

13.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.67 ISK 445

$1.26 £0.95

191.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ISK 216

$1.80 £1.35

-1.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.67 ISK 1,658

$23.75 £17.82

-42.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.01 ISK 2,912

$10.78 £8.09

122.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.95 ISK 358

$2.78 £2.08

6.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ISK 247

$3.64 £2.73

-43.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.67 ISK 446

$3.22 £2.42

13.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.4 ISK 8,777

$91.1 £68.4

-20.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.68 ISK 810

$3.55 £2.66

88.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 ISK 147

$1.70 £1.27

-28.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.0 ISK 9,586

$21.24 £15.94

272.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 ISK 254

$2.08 £1.56

0.48%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$51.7K ISK 6.3M

$38.0K £28.5K

35.88%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$53.6K ISK 6.5M

$41.1K £30.8K

30.51%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$97.6 ISK 11.8K

$318 £239

-69.31%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$32.84 ISK 3,983

$15.77 £11.83

108.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.6 ISK 10.3K

$38.67 £29.01

118.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 ISK 12.5K

$37.99 £28.50

170.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.22 £17.42

Cinema Ticket

$19.82 ISK 2,404

$15.12 £11.34

31.08%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,170 ISK 141.9K

$1,189 £892

-1.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.1K ISK 3.2M

$5,429 £4,073

381.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$152 ISK 18.5K

$87.6 £65.7

73.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.9 ISK 7,994

$45.11 £33.84

46.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$183 ISK 22.2K

$82.4 £61.8

122.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$245 ISK 29.7K

$87.1 £65.3

181.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,002 ISK 364.1K

$1,226 £920

144.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,904 ISK 230.9K

$1,091 £818

74.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,933 ISK 598.3K

$1,897 £1,423

160.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,754 ISK 455.3K

$1,722 £1,292

118.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,646 £1,985

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,047 £2,286

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,710 ISK 692.6K

$3,021 £2,267

89.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

4.87

80.90%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Akranes: October 17, 2026

Last update for Swindon: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Akranes

$1.9K 51.1%

Swindon

$1.1K 45.5% 42.7% $813

Groceries & Markets

Akranes

$581 15.6%

Swindon

$303 12.6% 47.9% $278

Eating Out

Akranes

$497 13.3%

Swindon

$312 13% 37.2% $185

Clothing & Footwear

Akranes

$291 7.8%

Swindon

$136 5.7% 53.3% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Akranes

$215 5.8%

Swindon

$372 15.5% 73.2% $157

Sport & Entertainment

Akranes

$142 3.8%

Swindon

$68 2.8% 52.1% $74

Getting Around

Akranes

$100 2.7%

Swindon

$116 4.8% 16.3% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,002 in Akranes and $1,226 in Swindon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Akranes pays 89% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $123 in Akranes vs $63.0 in Swindon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $581 vs $303 per month, with Swindon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Akranes

🇬🇧 Swindon

🕒 Local time

12:39 12:39 PM

13:39 1:39 PM

1 h ahead of Akranes

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,800

183,638

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to ISK – Icelandic Króna Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇸 Icelandic Króna (kr)

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Akranes Swindon 1,840 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Akranes
Swindon

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Akranes vs Swindon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Swindon wins on cost – living expenses run 55% lower than in Akranes. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Swindon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 89% higher in Akranes, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $3,002 in Akranes versus $1,226 in Swindon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,729 per month in Akranes versus $2,399 in Swindon – a 55% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Swindon runs roughly 26% less than in Akranes. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,399 in Swindon versus $3,729 in Akranes, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Swindon but tight or insufficient in Akranes. The gap between the two cities makes Swindon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Akranes and Swindon are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Swindon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Akranes. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.