Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Reykjavik

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,704 a month against $4,037 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
193

Cost of Living Index in Reykjavik
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Reykjavik Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $4,037 in Reykjavik.

Austin, TX $2,704
Reykjavik $4,037

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $5,666 in Reykjavik.

Austin, TX $4,133
Reykjavik $5,666

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $7,295 in Reykjavik.

Austin, TX $5,562
Reykjavik $7,295

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 33% less than in Reykjavik, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Reykjavik 201% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$30.59 ISK 3,730

-33.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$136 ISK 16.5K

-37.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$27.08 ISK 3,302

-54.39%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$6.72 ISK 819

-18.60%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$3.27 ISK 399

16.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$3.16 ISK 386

-20.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$13.91 ISK 1,696

-42.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$12.06 ISK 1,470

-25.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.04 ISK 248

-44.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$4.32 ISK 527

-12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$3.67 ISK 447

-11.44%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$7.02 ISK 856

-41.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$22.01 ISK 2,684

-40.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$24.70 ISK 3,012

-42.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$42.66 ISK 5,202

-62.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.37 ISK 412

29.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.85 ISK 347

-49.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$3.17 ISK 387

43.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$6.39 ISK 779

-34.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$4.01 ISK 489

-34.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.64 ISK 200

43.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$3.80 ISK 463

-53.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.74 ISK 212

24.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$13.80 ISK 1,682

-28.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$23.38 ISK 2,851

-37.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.53 ISK 430

-21.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.45 ISK 420

0.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$5.77 ISK 704

-74.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$95.1 ISK 11.6K

-57.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$6.63 ISK 808

-59.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.79 ISK 341

-43.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$81.4 ISK 9,923

-56.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.11 ISK 257

-53.08%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$50.8K ISK 6.2M

-29.54%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$52.7K ISK 6.4M

-48.47%

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

$219 $219

$88.7 ISK 10.8K

147.29%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$31.53 ISK 3,845

83.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$84.6 ISK 10.3K

-19.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$100 ISK 12.2K

-42.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$48.20 ISK 5,877

-69.25%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$19.87 ISK 2,424

-28.89%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$1,277 ISK 155.8K

18.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$31.0K ISK 3.8M

-30.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$161 ISK 19.6K

-67.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$64.9 ISK 7,914

-32.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$183 ISK 22.3K

-53.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$254 ISK 31.0K

-58.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$2,499 ISK 304.8K

-22.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$2,000 ISK 243.9K

-36.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$3,452 ISK 421.0K

6.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$2,742 ISK 334.4K

-7.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$8,001 ISK 975.7K

-4.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$6,249 ISK 762.1K

-48.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$4,691 ISK 572.0K

8.82%

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 5, 2026

Last update for Reykjavik: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Reykjavik

$2K 50.9% 57.2% $728

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Reykjavik

$625 15.9% 55.2% $222

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Reykjavik

$526 13.4% 51.1% $178

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Reykjavik

$205 5.2% 40.7% $141

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Reykjavik

$298 7.6% 132% $169

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Reykjavik

$140 3.6% 62.6% $54

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Reykjavik

$139 3.5% 144% $82

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $2,499 in Reykjavik. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 9% 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 $136 in Reykjavik for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $625 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🕒 Local time

05:32 5:32 AM

10:32 10:32 AM

5 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

136,894 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.32 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD). 1 EUR = 137 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR).

ISK to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Austin, TX
Reykjavik

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 Reykjavik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Reykjavik. 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 9% 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: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $2,499 in Reykjavik. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $4,037 in Reykjavik – a 49% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 135% less than in Reykjavik. 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 work as nomad bases, but Austin, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,704 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Reykjavik 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 49% less than in Reykjavik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.