Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Hafnarfjordur

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $3,877 in Hafnarfjordur, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
186

Cost of Living Index in Hafnarfjordur
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Hafnarfjordur Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Hafnarfjordur

🇮🇸 Iceland

$3,877

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Hafnarfjordur actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $3,877 in Hafnarfjordur.

Austin, TX $2,663
Hafnarfjordur $3,877

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $5,400 in Hafnarfjordur.

Austin, TX $4,133
Hafnarfjordur $5,400

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $6,923 in Hafnarfjordur.

Austin, TX $5,603
Hafnarfjordur $6,923

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 31% less than in Hafnarfjordur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Hafnarfjordur 187% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$31.03 ISK 3,763

-33.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$124 ISK 15.0K

-31.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$16.27 ISK 1,973

-24.28%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$6.88 ISK 835

-18.17%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$3.27 ISK 396

13.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$3.07 ISK 372

-18.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$14.18 ISK 1,720

-43.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$12.22 ISK 1,482

-26.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.70 ISK 207

-34.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$4.18 ISK 507

-10.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.61 ISK 438

-9.70%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$7.19 ISK 872

-42.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$21.88 ISK 2,654

-41.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$24.76 ISK 3,003

-42.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$42.29 ISK 5,130

-61.65%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.41 ISK 413

26.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.50 ISK 303

-41.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.18 ISK 386

41.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$6.33 ISK 767

-31.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.87 ISK 469

-33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.69 ISK 205

39.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$3.69 ISK 447

-51.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.81 ISK 220

22.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$13.80 ISK 1,674

-28.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$23.94 ISK 2,904

-37.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.54 ISK 430

-17.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.43 ISK 416

0.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$5.21 ISK 632

-71.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$85.4 ISK 10.4K

-51.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$6.58 ISK 798

-58.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.80 ISK 339

-40.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$80.9 ISK 9,810

-56.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$2.04 ISK 248

-53.43%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$51.3K ISK 6.2M

-29.75%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$53.3K ISK 6.5M

-49.21%

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

$229 $229

$70.7 ISK 8,571

224.03%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$33.02 ISK 4,005

79.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$87.0 ISK 10.6K

-19.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$64.9 ISK 7,870

-11.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$17.05 ISK 2,068

-16.25%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,196 ISK 145.1K

25.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$25.8K ISK 3.1M

-16.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$124 ISK 15.0K

-57.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$65.8 ISK 7,980

-33.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$125 ISK 15.2K

-32.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$252 ISK 30.6K

-59.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$2,498 ISK 302.9K

-23.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$2,087 ISK 253.1K

-38.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$3,226 ISK 391.3K

13.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$2,607 ISK 316.2K

-2.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$7,085 ISK 859.4K

7.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$6,990 ISK 847.8K

-54.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$4,751 ISK 576.2K

7.79%

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 Hafnarfjordur: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Hafnarfjordur

$2.1K 53.8% 63.8% $813

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Hafnarfjordur

$619 16% 52.9% $214

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Hafnarfjordur

$191 4.9% 46.8% $168

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Hafnarfjordur

$500 12.9% 41.4% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Hafnarfjordur

$255 6.6% 99.3% $127

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Hafnarfjordur

$99 2.6% 15.4% $13

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Hafnarfjordur

$127 3.3% 116% $68

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $2,498 in Hafnarfjordur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $124 in Hafnarfjordur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $619 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇮🇸 Hafnarfjordur

🕒 Local time

22:18 10:18 PM

03:18 3:18 AM

5 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

31,525

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.33 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR).

ISK to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Hafnarfjordur 6,330 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Hafnarfjordur

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 Hafnarfjordur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 46% lower than in Hafnarfjordur. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 8% higher in Austin, TX, 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $2,498 in Hafnarfjordur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $3,877 in Hafnarfjordur – a 46% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 105% less than in Hafnarfjordur. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Hafnarfjordur 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 Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Hafnarfjordur. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.