Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Hafnarfjordur

For one person, living is cheaper in Berlin: $2,551 a month against $3,877 in Hafnarfjordur, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index
186

Cost of Living Index in Hafnarfjordur
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Hafnarfjordur Living Index

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Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,551

/mo nomad

Hafnarfjordur

🇮🇸 Iceland

$3,877

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin 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 Berlin and in Hafnarfjordur actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,551 per month in Berlin vs $3,877 in Hafnarfjordur, rent included.

Berlin $2,551
Hafnarfjordur $3,877

A couple spends around $3,845 per month in Berlin vs $5,400 in Hafnarfjordur, rent included.

Berlin $3,845
Hafnarfjordur $5,400

A family of three spends $5,139 per month in Berlin vs $6,923 in Hafnarfjordur, rent included.

Berlin $5,139
Hafnarfjordur $6,923

Berlin is about 34% cheaper than Hafnarfjordur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Berlin and Hafnarfjordur sit above the global median – Berlin by 89%, Hafnarfjordur by 187%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.81

$31.03 ISK 3,763

-46.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.7 €68.2

$124 ISK 15.0K

-38.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.47 €11.98

$16.27 ISK 1,973

-17.21%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.89

$6.88 ISK 835

-36.48%

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

$3.48 €3.09

$3.27 ISK 396

6.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.77

$3.07 ISK 372

1.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.34 €4.75

$14.18 ISK 1,720

-62.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 €3.91

$12.22 ISK 1,482

-64.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.70 ISK 207

-25.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.08

$4.18 ISK 507

-44.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.40 €3.02

$3.61 ISK 438

-5.82%

Eggs

$4.50 €4.00

$7.19 ISK 872

-37.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.78 €14.93

$21.88 ISK 2,654

-23.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.91 €10.59

$24.76 ISK 3,003

-51.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 €15.92

$42.29 ISK 5,130

-57.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 €3.07

$3.41 ISK 413

1.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 €1.73

$2.50 ISK 303

-22.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 €2.90

$3.18 ISK 386

2.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 €3.30

$6.33 ISK 767

-41.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$3.87 ISK 469

-45.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.69 ISK 205

23.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.27

$3.69 ISK 447

-61.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.84

$1.81 ISK 220

-47.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.44 €9.29

$13.80 ISK 1,674

-24.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.58 €5.85

$23.94 ISK 2,904

-72.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.13

$3.54 ISK 430

-64.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.85

$3.43 ISK 416

-39.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.34 €3.86

$5.21 ISK 632

-16.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.6 €63.7

$85.4 ISK 10.4K

-16.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.26 €4.68

$6.58 ISK 798

-20.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 €2.75

$2.80 ISK 339

10.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.34 €32.32

$80.9 ISK 9,810

-55.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.05

$2.04 ISK 248

13.24%

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

$32.4K €28.8K

$51.3K ISK 6.2M

-36.80%

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

$38.6K €34.3K

$53.3K ISK 6.5M

-27.57%

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

$382 €340

$70.7 ISK 8,571

440.07%

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

$18.83 €16.75

$33.02 ISK 4,005

-42.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.57 €43.20

$87.0 ISK 10.6K

-44.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.21 €35.76

$64.9 ISK 7,870

-38.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.90 €31.04

Cinema Ticket

$15.73 €14.00

$17.05 ISK 2,068

-7.74%

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

$142 €126

$1,196 ISK 145.1K

-88.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.0K

$25.8K ISK 3.1M

-38.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.4 €84.8

$124 ISK 15.0K

-22.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.32 €41.20

$65.8 ISK 7,980

-29.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.4

$125 ISK 15.2K

-16.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €128

$252 ISK 30.6K

-43.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 €1,306

$2,498 ISK 302.9K

-41.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 €991

$2,087 ISK 253.1K

-46.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,751 €2,447

$3,226 ISK 391.3K

-14.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 €1,875

$2,607 ISK 316.2K

-19.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,454 €7,520

$7,085 ISK 859.4K

19.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,435 €4,834

$6,990 ISK 847.8K

-22.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,543 €3,151

$4,751 ISK 576.2K

-25.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

8.81

-56.87%

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

Last update for Berlin: 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

Berlin

$1.1K 43.7%

Hafnarfjordur

$2.1K 53.8% 87.3% $972

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$449 17.6%

Hafnarfjordur

$191 4.9% 57.5% $258

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$343 13.4%

Hafnarfjordur

$619 16% 80.4% $276

Eating Out

Berlin

$288 11.3%

Hafnarfjordur

$500 12.9% 73.7% $212

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$175 6.9%

Hafnarfjordur

$255 6.6% 45.7% $80

Getting Around

Berlin

$110 4.3%

Hafnarfjordur

$127 3.3% 15.6% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$72 2.8%

Hafnarfjordur

$99 2.6% 38.1% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,469 in Berlin versus $2,498 in Hafnarfjordur. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 34% higher in Hafnarfjordur, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Berlin versus $124 in Hafnarfjordur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $343 vs $619 – making Berlin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇮🇸 Hafnarfjordur

🕒 Local time

05:17 5:17 AM

03:17 3:17 AM

2 h behind Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

31,525

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

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).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Berlin Hafnarfjordur 2,390 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Berlin
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

Berlin vs Hafnarfjordur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hafnarfjordur is pricier by about 52%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,826 per month in Berlin and $5,816 in Hafnarfjordur. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,551 in Berlin and $3,877 in Hafnarfjordur. That's a gap of about 52%.

Public transport costs about 19% less in Berlin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,551 in Berlin and $3,877 in Hafnarfjordur. 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, Hafnarfjordur makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.