Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Akureyri

For one person, living is cheaper in Berlin: $2,545 a month against $3,060 in Akureyri, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
Learn more

Berlin Living Index

Jump to prices

Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,545

/mo nomad

Akureyri

🇮🇸 Iceland

$3,060

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Akureyri

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

A single person spends $2,545 per month in Berlin vs $3,060 in Akureyri, rent included.

Berlin $2,545
Akureyri $3,060

A couple spends around $3,901 per month in Berlin vs $4,123 in Akureyri, rent included.

Berlin $3,901
Akureyri $4,123

A family of three spends $5,257 per month in Berlin vs $5,186 in Akureyri, rent included.

Berlin $5,257
Akureyri $5,186

Berlin is about 17% cheaper than Akureyri, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Berlin and Akureyri sit above the global median – Berlin by 90%, Akureyri by 128%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.81 €15.00

$24.64 ISK 3,004

-31.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.6 €71.0

$133 ISK 16.2K

-40.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 €11.94

$22.95 ISK 2,799

-41.70%

Cappuccino

$4.27 €3.81

$4.93 ISK 602

-13.39%

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

$3.40 €3.03

$3.44 ISK 420

-1.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.79

$3.12 ISK 381

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.48 €4.89

$11.08 ISK 1,352

-50.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 €4.07

$9.43 ISK 1,150

-51.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$2.77 ISK 338

-54.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 €2.19

$2.30 ISK 280

6.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.30 €2.94

$3.18 ISK 388

3.77%

Eggs

$4.45 €3.97

$7.93 ISK 967

-43.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.10 €15.26

$15.52 ISK 1,892

10.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.19 €10.88

$24.79 ISK 3,024

-50.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.30 €16.33

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 €3.19

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.77

$2.91 ISK 355

-31.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 €2.92

$3.49 ISK 426

-6.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.81 €3.40

$5.89 ISK 719

-35.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.90

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 €1.97

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.33

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 €0.90

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.49 €9.37

$13.61 ISK 1,660

-22.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.76 €6.03

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.20

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.87

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.37 €3.90

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 €63.3

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.29 €4.72

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.05 €2.73

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.30 €32.39

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.52 ISK 307

-9.52%

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

$33.2K €29.7K

$41.1K ISK 5.0M

-19.18%

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

$39.1K €34.9K

$66.4K ISK 8.1M

-41.22%

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

$379 €339

$124 ISK 15.1K

206.46%

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

$19.31 €17.23

$26.03 ISK 3,174

-25.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.41 €43.20

$162 ISK 19.7K

-70.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.31 €35.97

$86.8 ISK 10.6K

-53.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.51 €31.69

Cinema Ticket

$15.53 €13.86

$15.18 ISK 1,852

2.31%

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

$144 €128

$364 ISK 44.3K

-60.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.6 €84.5

$82.6 ISK 10.1K

14.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.33 €41.34

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.2

$123 ISK 15.0K

-16.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €126

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 €1,328

$1,800 ISK 219.5K

-17.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 €980

$1,787 ISK 217.9K

-38.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,665 €2,378

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,080 €1,856

$2,153 ISK 262.6K

-3.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,578 €7,655

$6,605 ISK 805.5K

29.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,438 €4,853

$6,467 ISK 788.7K

-15.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,487 €3,112

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

9.4

-59.57%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 3, 2026

Last update for Akureyri: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.3%

Akureyri

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$447 17.6%

Akureyri

–

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$351 13.8%

Akureyri

–

Eating Out

Berlin

$289 11.4%

Akureyri

–

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$174 6.8%

Akureyri

–

Getting Around

Berlin

$109 4.3%

Akureyri

–

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$71 2.8%

Akureyri

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,488 in Berlin versus $1,800 in Akureyri. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in Berlin versus $133 in Akureyri. Groceries tell a different story – $351 in Berlin vs $327 in Akureyri – so Akureyri wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇮🇸 Akureyri

🕒 Local time

10:33 10:33 AM

08:33 8:33 AM

2 h behind Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

19,219

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.31 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

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 = 7.31 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Berlin Akureyri 2,280 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Berlin
Akureyri

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

Berlin vs Akureyri: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Akureyri is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,818 per month in Berlin and $4,590 in Akureyri. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Berlin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in Berlin and $133 in Akureyri. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Akureyri – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,545 in Berlin and $3,060 in Akureyri. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Berlin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Berlin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Akureyri makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.