Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Keflavik

For one person, living is cheaper in Berlin: $2,551 a month against $2,992 in Keflavik, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. The total is higher in Keflavik despite lower rent and utilities.

124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Keflavik
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Keflavik Living Index

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Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,551

/mo nomad

Keflavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$2,992

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Keflavik

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

A single person spends $2,551 per month in Berlin vs $2,992 in Keflavik, rent included.

Berlin $2,551
Keflavik $2,992

A couple spends around $3,845 per month in Berlin vs $4,538 in Keflavik, rent included.

Berlin $3,845
Keflavik $4,538

A family of three spends $5,139 per month in Berlin vs $6,084 in Keflavik, rent included.

Berlin $5,139
Keflavik $6,084

Berlin is about 15% cheaper than Keflavik, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Berlin and Keflavik sit above the global median – Berlin by 89%, Keflavik by 122%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.81

$24.71 ISK 2,997

-32.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.7 €68.2

$124 ISK 15.0K

-37.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.47 €11.98

$20.40 ISK 2,475

-33.97%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.89

$4.06 ISK 493

7.64%

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

$3.48 €3.09

$3.18 ISK 386

9.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.77

$3.19 ISK 387

-2.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.34 €4.75

$8.00 ISK 970

-33.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 €3.91

$8.34 ISK 1,012

-47.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$2.10 ISK 255

-39.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.08

$4.23 ISK 513

-44.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.40 €3.02

$2.53 ISK 307

34.39%

Eggs

$4.50 €4.00

$6.32 ISK 767

-28.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.78 €14.93

$19.06 ISK 2,311

-11.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.91 €10.59

$24.38 ISK 2,958

-51.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 €15.92

$41.25 ISK 5,003

-56.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 €3.07

$2.48 ISK 301

39.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 €1.73

$2.51 ISK 304

-22.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 €2.90

$2.44 ISK 296

33.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 €3.30

$4.01 ISK 486

-7.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$3.20 ISK 388

-34.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.70 ISK 206

22.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.27

$3.84 ISK 465

-63.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.84

$1.78 ISK 215

-46.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.44 €9.29

$13.97 ISK 1,695

-25.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.58 €5.85

$16.58 ISK 2,012

-60.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.13

$3.61 ISK 438

-64.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.85

$2.94 ISK 356

-29.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.34 €3.86

$3.68 ISK 446

17.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.6 €63.7

$77.6 ISK 9,407

-7.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.26 €4.68

$6.63 ISK 804

-20.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 €2.75

$2.58 ISK 312

19.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.34 €32.32

$80.2 ISK 9,727

-54.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.05

$2.10 ISK 255

10.00%

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

$32.4K €28.8K

$50.1K ISK 6.1M

-35.33%

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

$38.6K €34.3K

$54.7K ISK 6.6M

-29.39%

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

$382 €340

$94.8 ISK 11.5K

302.61%

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

$18.83 €16.75

$33.29 ISK 4,038

-43.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.57 €43.20

$85.0 ISK 10.3K

-42.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.21 €35.76

$78.5 ISK 9,526

-48.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.90 €31.04

Cinema Ticket

$15.73 €14.00

$19.48 ISK 2,363

-19.25%

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

$142 €126

$407 ISK 49.3K

-65.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.0K

$25.7K ISK 3.1M

-38.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.4 €84.8

$152 ISK 18.4K

-37.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.32 €41.20

$65.4 ISK 7,934

-29.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.4

$182 ISK 22.0K

-42.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €128

$191 ISK 23.1K

-24.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 €1,306

$1,896 ISK 230.0K

-22.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 €991

$1,329 ISK 161.2K

-16.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,751 €2,447

$2,516 ISK 305.1K

9.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 €1,875

$2,061 ISK 250.0K

2.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,454 €7,520

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,435 €4,834

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,543 €3,151

$3,752 ISK 455.0K

-5.56%

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 Keflavik: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.7%

Keflavik

$1.3K 44.4% 19.3% $215

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$449 17.6%

Keflavik

$213 7.1% 52.5% $236

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$343 13.4%

Keflavik

$566 18.9% 64.9% $223

Eating Out

Berlin

$288 11.3%

Keflavik

$390 13% 35.4% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$175 6.9%

Keflavik

$265 8.9% 51.6% $90

Getting Around

Berlin

$110 4.3%

Keflavik

$112 3.7% 1.9% $2.1

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$72 2.8%

Keflavik

$118 3.9% 64% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,469 in Berlin versus $1,896 in Keflavik. 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 6% higher in Keflavik, 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 Keflavik. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $343 vs $566 – making Berlin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇮🇸 Keflavik

🕒 Local time

03:00 3:00 AM

01:00 1:00 AM

2 h behind Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

15,000

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Berlin Keflavik 2,410 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Berlin
Keflavik

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 Keflavik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Keflavik is pricier by about 17%, 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 $4,488 in Keflavik. 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 $2,992 in Keflavik. That's a gap of about 17%.

Public transport costs about 8% 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 $2,992 in Keflavik. 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, Keflavik makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.