Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Grundarfjordur

For one person, living is cheaper in Grundarfjordur: $1,722 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Austin, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Grundarfjordur
Learn more

Grundarfjordur Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Grundarfjordur

🇮🇸 Iceland

$1,722

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Grundarfjordur

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,722 in Grundarfjordur.

Austin, TX $2,663
Grundarfjordur $1,722

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,930 in Grundarfjordur.

Austin, TX $4,133
Grundarfjordur $2,930

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,138 in Grundarfjordur.

Austin, TX $5,603
Grundarfjordur $4,138

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 55% more expensive than in Grundarfjordur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Grundarfjordur 28% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$31.43 ISK 3,812

-33.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$123 ISK 14.9K

-30.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$27.34 ISK 3,316

-54.94%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$6.73 ISK 816

-16.34%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$3.35 ISK 406

11.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$3.02 ISK 367

-17.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$13.78 ISK 1,671

-41.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$12.34 ISK 1,496

-26.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.11 ISK 255

-46.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$4.31 ISK 523

-12.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.60 ISK 437

-9.44%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$7.15 ISK 867

-41.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$21.52 ISK 2,610

-40.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$24.59 ISK 2,983

-42.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$41.30 ISK 5,010

-60.73%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.23 ISK 392

34.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.88 ISK 349

-49.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.27 ISK 396

37.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$6.39 ISK 776

-32.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.96 ISK 480

-34.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.68 ISK 204

39.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$3.67 ISK 445

-51.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.83 ISK 222

21.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$13.67 ISK 1,658

-27.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$23.72 ISK 2,877

-36.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.53 ISK 428

-17.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.48 ISK 423

-0.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$6.67 ISK 809

-59.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.90 ISK 352

-42.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$81.7 ISK 9,913

-56.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$2.02 ISK 245

-52.97%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$51.5K ISK 6.2M

-30.02%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$52.9K ISK 6.4M

-48.85%

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

$229 $229

$97.1 ISK 11.8K

135.88%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$32.85 ISK 3,985

80.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$85.2 ISK 10.3K

-17.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$19.40 ISK 2,353

-26.39%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,191 ISK 144.4K

26.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$25.8K ISK 3.1M

-16.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$147 ISK 17.8K

-64.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$66.1 ISK 8,022

-33.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$185 ISK 22.5K

-54.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$253 ISK 30.7K

-59.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,121 ISK 135.9K

181.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

8.81

-22.93%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Grundarfjordur: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Grundarfjordur

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Grundarfjordur

$621 36.1% 53.5% $216

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Grundarfjordur

$215 12.5% 40% $143

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Grundarfjordur

$533 31% 50.7% $179

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Grundarfjordur

$293 17% 129% $165

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Grundarfjordur

$39 * 2.3% 54.8% $47

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Grundarfjordur

$21 * 1.2% 63.9% $38

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $123 in Grundarfjordur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $621 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇮🇸 Grundarfjordur

🕒 Local time

13:58 1:58 PM

18:58 6:58 PM

5 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

800

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.35 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇮🇸 Icelandic Króna (kr)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.35 EUR).

ISK to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Grundarfjordur 6,260 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Grundarfjordur

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

Austin, TX vs Grundarfjordur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $2,584 in Grundarfjordur to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $1,191 in Grundarfjordur. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Grundarfjordur – a meal for two runs $123 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,722 in Grundarfjordur versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Grundarfjordur but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Grundarfjordur 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, Austin, TX and Grundarfjordur 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 Grundarfjordur gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.