Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brazil and Iceland

For one person, living is cheaper in Brazil: $865 a month against $3,897 in Iceland, rent and utilities included – about $36,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Brazil
Iceland
🇧🇷 Brazil
$865
/mo nomad
🇮🇸 Iceland
$3,897
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brazil and in Iceland

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

A single person spends $865 per month in Brazil vs $3,897 in Iceland, rent included.

  • Brazil $865
  • Iceland $3,897

A couple spends around $1,373 per month in Brazil vs $5,533 in Iceland, rent included.

  • Brazil $1,373
  • Iceland $5,533

A family of three spends $1,880 per month in Brazil vs $7,168 in Iceland, rent included.

  • Brazil $1,880
  • Iceland $7,168

The regional cost range is wider in Iceland ($179–$4,040) than in Brazil ($569–$1,349), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Brazil is roughly 78% lower than in Iceland on average.

Brazil sits 36% below the global median, while Iceland is 186% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Brazil
Iceland
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.55 R$35.64
$28.48 ISK 3,457
-77.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$30.71 R$167
$123 ISK 14.9K
-75.04%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.45 R$40.53
$23.70 ISK 2,877
-68.57%
Cappuccino
$1.91 R$10.38
$6.09 ISK 740
-68.64%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.15 R$6.28
$3.11 ISK 378
-63.02%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 R$4.11
$2.95 ISK 358
-74.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.85 R$10.06
$12.19 ISK 1,479
-84.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.86 R$15.53
$12.42 ISK 1,508
-76.97%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Brazil
Iceland
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.03 R$5.61
$2.03 ISK 246
-49.26%
White Bread (500g)
$1.57 R$8.51
$3.99 ISK 484
-60.65%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.24 R$6.72
$3.45 ISK 419
-64.06%
Eggs
$2.10 R$11.44
$7.17 ISK 870
-70.71%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.87 R$48.21
$20.65 ISK 2,507
-57.05%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.99 R$21.71
$24.78 ISK 3,008
-83.90%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.76 R$42.17
$42.17 ISK 5,119
-81.60%
Apples (1kg)
$2.15 R$11.71
$3.01 ISK 366
-28.57%
Banana (1kg)
$1.27 R$6.91
$2.67 ISK 325
-52.43%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.16 R$6.28
$3.15 ISK 382
-63.17%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.53 R$8.31
$5.93 ISK 719
-74.20%
Potato (1kg)
$1.16 R$6.31
$3.86 ISK 469
-69.95%
Onion (1kg)
$1.02 R$5.54
$1.85 ISK 225
-44.86%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.74 R$4.03
$3.59 ISK 436
-79.39%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 R$3.90
$1.89 ISK 229
-61.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.25 R$12.26
$14.17 ISK 1,721
-84.12%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.65 R$41.60
$22.52 ISK 2,734
-66.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.30 R$7.09
$3.65 ISK 443
-64.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.16 R$11.77
$3.33 ISK 405
-35.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Brazil
Iceland
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.94 R$5.11
$5.51 ISK 669
-82.94%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.00 R$239
$94.7 ISK 11.5K
-53.54%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.23 R$6.68
$6.77 ISK 822
-81.83%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.96 R$5.20
$2.87 ISK 349
-66.55%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.42 R$40.34
$79.3 ISK 9,631
-90.65%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.21 R$6.60
$2.35 ISK 285
-48.51%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.1K R$120.4K
$69.7K ISK 8.5M
-68.23%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.6K R$171.6K
$56.0K ISK 6.8M
-43.66%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brazil
Iceland
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$77.2 R$420
$103 ISK 12.5K
-25.11%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.44 R$67.6
$32.44 ISK 3,939
-61.65%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.80 R$108
$87.9 ISK 10.7K
-77.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Brazil
Iceland
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$24.36 R$132
$92.3 ISK 11.2K
-73.61%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.46 R$138
$52.4 ISK 6,359
-51.39%
Cinema Ticket
$6.98 R$37.97
$19.09 ISK 2,317
-63.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Brazil
Iceland
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$316 R$1,718
$947 ISK 115.0K
-66.65%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,298 R$45.1K
$26.4K ISK 3.2M
-68.55%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Brazil
Iceland
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.37 R$268
$149 ISK 18.1K
-66.87%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.73 R$249
$47.82 ISK 5,806
-4.37%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$83.4 R$454
$172 ISK 20.9K
-51.47%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$65.6 R$357
$234 ISK 28.4K
-71.98%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Brazil
Iceland
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$373 R$2,028
$2,575 ISK 312.7K
-85.52%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$251 R$1,362
$2,041 ISK 247.8K
-87.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$719 R$3,909
$3,504 ISK 425.4K
-79.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$490 R$2,666
$2,712 ISK 329.2K
-81.92%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,795 R$9,759
$7,617 ISK 924.7K
-76.44%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,269 R$6,900
$6,338 ISK 769.4K
-79.98%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Brazil
Iceland
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$496 R$2,699
$4,789 ISK 581.4K
-89.63%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.17
9.29
20.24%

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

Last update for Brazil: October 25, 2026

Last update for Iceland: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Brazil
$251
Iceland
$2K 715% $1.8K
Groceries & Markets
Brazil
$183
Iceland
$611 234% $427
Eating Out
Brazil
$120
Iceland
$482 301% $362
Clothing & Footwear
Brazil
$110
Iceland
$271 147% $161
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brazil
$109
Iceland
$223 104% $114
Getting Around
Brazil
$54
Iceland
$138 156% $84
Sport & Entertainment
Brazil
$38
Iceland
$130 240% $92

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $335 in Brazil vs $2,368 in Iceland. For reference, capital cities sit at $517 in Brasilia and $2,585 in Reykjavik.

Average salary: $468 in Brazil vs $4,949 in Iceland. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 607% higher in Iceland.

Dining out costs 310% more in Iceland.

Public transport is 88% more expensive in Iceland.

Salaries are about 11 times higher in Iceland, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Iceland.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Brazil
🇮🇸 Iceland
🕒 Local time
10:27 10:27 AM
13:27 1:27 PM
3 h ahead of Brazil
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
203,062,512
364,260
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 5.44 BRL (1 BRL = 0.184 USD). 1 EUR = 6.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.165 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 135 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.38 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Brazil Iceland 9,160 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Brazil
  • Iceland

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
Brazil vs Iceland: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do Brazil and Iceland compare in cost of living?
Brazil is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 78% lower on average.
How do rents compare between Brazil and Iceland?
Housing costs more in Iceland: a central one-bedroom averages $2,368 versus $335 in Brazil.
Where are groceries and transport cheaper: Brazil or Iceland?
Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Brazil – part of why living there is about 78% cheaper overall.
How far does $2,000 go in Brazil compared to Iceland?
$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Brazil, but in Iceland it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
How do I choose between living in Brazil and in Iceland?
Brazil is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.

Brazil vs other spots: cost of living compared

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