Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belo Horizonte and Reykjavik

For one person, living is cheaper in Belo Horizonte: $984 a month against $4,037 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $36,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Belo Horizonte
🇧🇷 Brazil
$984
/mo nomad
Reykjavik
🇮🇸 Iceland
$4,037
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belo Horizonte 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 Belo Horizonte and in Reykjavik actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $984 in Belo Horizonte versus $4,037 in Reykjavik.

  • Belo Horizonte $984
  • Reykjavik $4,037

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,589 in Belo Horizonte versus $5,666 in Reykjavik.

  • Belo Horizonte $1,589
  • Reykjavik $5,666

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,193 in Belo Horizonte versus $7,295 in Reykjavik.

  • Belo Horizonte $2,193
  • Reykjavik $7,295

Living in Belo Horizonte costs roughly 76% less than in Reykjavik, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Belo Horizonte is 27% below, Reykjavik is 201% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Belo Horizonte
Reykjavik
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.90 R$29.61
$30.59 ISK 3,727
-80.71%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$37.35 R$187
$136 ISK 16.5K
-72.44%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.86 R$44.45
$27.08 ISK 3,300
-67.28%
Cappuccino
$2.27 R$11.42
$6.72 ISK 818
-66.22%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.43 R$7.16
$3.27 ISK 399
-56.27%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.81 R$4.07
$3.16 ISK 386
-74.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.12 R$10.65
$13.91 ISK 1,695
-84.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.67 R$18.42
$12.06 ISK 1,469
-69.57%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Belo Horizonte
Reykjavik
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.95 R$4.74
$2.04 ISK 248
-53.43%
White Bread (500g)
$1.82 R$9.13
$4.32 ISK 526
-57.87%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.08 R$10.44
$3.67 ISK 447
-43.32%
Eggs
$2.22 R$11.13
$7.02 ISK 855
-68.38%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.91 R$49.72
$22.01 ISK 2,682
-54.98%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.33 R$21.74
$24.70 ISK 3,009
-82.47%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.63 R$38.30
$42.66 ISK 5,198
-82.11%
Apples (1kg)
$1.93 R$9.71
$3.37 ISK 411
-42.73%
Banana (1kg)
$1.15 R$5.78
$2.85 ISK 347
-59.65%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.20 R$6.01
$3.17 ISK 387
-62.15%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.65 R$8.28
$6.39 ISK 779
-74.18%
Potato (1kg)
$1.15 R$5.77
$4.01 ISK 489
-71.32%
Onion (1kg)
$0.97 R$4.88
$1.64 ISK 200
-40.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.85 R$4.25
$3.80 ISK 462
-77.63%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.92 R$4.60
$1.74 ISK 212
-47.13%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.47 R$12.39
$13.80 ISK 1,681
-82.10%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.23 R$41.31
$23.38 ISK 2,849
-64.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.43 R$7.19
$3.53 ISK 430
-59.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.74 R$13.75
$3.45 ISK 420
-20.58%
🚌 Getting Around
Belo Horizonte
Reykjavik
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.25 R$6.29
$5.77 ISK 703
-78.34%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$68.0 R$341
$95.1 ISK 11.6K
-28.55%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.02 R$5.13
$6.63 ISK 808
-84.62%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.77 R$3.86
$2.79 ISK 340
-72.40%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.32 R$31.70
$81.4 ISK 9,915
-92.23%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.32 R$6.62
$2.11 ISK 257
-37.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.0K R$120.5K
$50.8K ISK 6.2M
-52.74%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.5K R$162.9K
$52.7K ISK 6.4M
-38.43%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Belo Horizonte
Reykjavik
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$76.1 R$382
$88.7 ISK 10.8K
-14.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.33 R$51.9
$31.53 ISK 3,842
-67.24%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$21.02 R$105
$84.6 ISK 10.3K
-75.17%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Belo Horizonte
Reykjavik
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$28.07 R$141
$100 ISK 12.2K
-72.04%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$46.30 R$232
$48.20 ISK 5,873
-3.94%
Cinema Ticket
$7.90 R$39.62
$19.87 ISK 2,422
-60.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Belo Horizonte
Reykjavik
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$459 R$2,304
$1,277 ISK 155.7K
-64.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.8K R$69.3K
$31.0K ISK 3.8M
-55.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Belo Horizonte
Reykjavik
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.0 R$311
$161 ISK 19.6K
-61.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$48.86 R$245
$64.9 ISK 7,908
-24.71%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$97.6 R$490
$183 ISK 22.3K
-46.56%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.5 R$359
$254 ISK 30.9K
-71.83%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Belo Horizonte
Reykjavik
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$590 R$2,961
$2,499 ISK 304.6K
-76.39%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$292 R$1,464
$2,000 ISK 243.7K
-85.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$890 R$4,464
$3,452 ISK 420.6K
-74.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$591 R$2,965
$2,742 ISK 334.2K
-78.45%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,358 R$11.8K
$8,001 ISK 974.9K
-70.52%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,121 R$5,627
$6,249 ISK 761.5K
-82.05%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Belo Horizonte
Reykjavik
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$613 R$3,078
$4,691 ISK 571.6K
-86.92%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.25
8.81
27.70%

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

Last update for Belo Horizonte: October 4, 2026

Last update for Reykjavik: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Belo Horizonte
$292
Reykjavik
$2K 586% $1.7K
Groceries & Markets
Belo Horizonte
$198
Reykjavik
$625 216% $427
Eating Out
Belo Horizonte
$128
Reykjavik
$526 311% $398
Clothing & Footwear
Belo Horizonte
$126
Reykjavik
$298 137% $172
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Belo Horizonte
$107
Reykjavik
$205 90.6% $97
Getting Around
Belo Horizonte
$78
Reykjavik
$139 78.3% $61
Sport & Entertainment
Belo Horizonte
$44
Reykjavik
$140 220% $96

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $590 in Belo Horizonte and $2,499 in Reykjavik. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Reykjavik pays 665% 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: $37.00 in Belo Horizonte vs $136 in Reykjavik for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $625 per month, with Belo Horizonte cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Belo Horizonte
🇮🇸 Reykjavik
🕒 Local time
07:51 7:51 AM
10:51 10:51 AM
3 h ahead of Belo Horizonte
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,315,560
136,894 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.62 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.21 USD). 1 EUR = 137 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Belo Horizonte Reykjavik 9,540 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Belo Horizonte
  • 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
Belo Horizonte vs Reykjavik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Belo Horizonte and in Reykjavik?
Belo Horizonte and Reykjavik differ by about 310% in total monthly costs ($984 vs $4,037 including rent). Belo Horizonte is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 665% lower in Reykjavik. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Belo Horizonte and in Reykjavik?
Rent for a central apartment: $590 in Belo Horizonte versus $2,499 in Reykjavik. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Belo Horizonte and Reykjavik?
Childcare runs $459 in Belo Horizonte versus $1,277 in Reykjavik. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 216% higher in Reykjavik. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $984 in Belo Horizonte versus $4,037 in Reykjavik, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Belo Horizonte but tight or insufficient in Reykjavik. The gap between the two cities makes Belo Horizonte the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Belo Horizonte and Reykjavik?
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.
Is Belo Horizonte or Reykjavik safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Belo Horizonte 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.
Where should expats move: Belo Horizonte or Reykjavik?
Expats usually find Belo Horizonte gentler on the wallet – expenses run 310% less than in Reykjavik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Belo Horizonte vs other spots: cost of living compared

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