Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calama and Reykjavik

For one person, living is cheaper in Calama: $595 a month against $4,002 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $40,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Calama
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Calama Living Index
193

Cost of Living Index in Reykjavik
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Reykjavik Living Index

Jump to prices

Calama

🇨🇱 Chile

$595

/mo nomad

Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,002

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $595 in Calama versus $4,002 in Reykjavik.

Calama $595
Reykjavik $4,002

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,203 in Calama versus $5,705 in Reykjavik.

Calama $1,203
Reykjavik $5,705

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,812 in Calama versus $7,407 in Reykjavik.

Calama $1,812
Reykjavik $7,407

Living in Calama costs roughly 85% less than in Reykjavik, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Calama is 56% below, Reykjavik is 196% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.95 CLP 6,841

$31.56 ISK 3,828

-77.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.49 CLP 31.0K

$122 ISK 14.8K

-74.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$26.86 ISK 3,258

Cappuccino

$2.05 CLP 2,018

$6.81 ISK 827

-69.90%

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

$0.93 CLP 916

$3.39 ISK 411

-72.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 CLP 929

$3.20 ISK 388

-70.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 CLP 3,074

$14.14 ISK 1,715

-77.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 CLP 5,149

$12.31 ISK 1,493

-57.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 CLP 1,087

$2.10 ISK 255

-47.62%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 CLP 825

$4.19 ISK 508

-79.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.62 CLP 2,575

$3.72 ISK 451

-29.57%

Eggs

$4.95 CLP 4,876

$7.05 ISK 856

-29.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.36 CLP 9,217

$21.56 ISK 2,615

-56.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.22 CLP 6,119

$24.68 ISK 2,993

-74.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.53 CLP 7,413

$42.19 ISK 5,117

-82.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 CLP 1,242

$3.23 ISK 392

-60.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 CLP 1,029

$2.73 ISK 331

-61.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 CLP 1,523

$3.17 ISK 384

-51.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.10 CLP 1,081

$6.61 ISK 802

-83.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.90 CLP 884

$3.85 ISK 467

-76.62%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 CLP 916

$1.66 ISK 201

-43.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.80 ISK 461

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 ISK 212

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.25 CLP 5,170

$13.71 ISK 1,662

-61.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.19 CLP 4,128

$24.21 ISK 2,937

-82.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 CLP 990

$3.53 ISK 428

-71.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 CLP 1,235

$3.32 ISK 402

-62.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 CLP 931

$5.75 ISK 697

-83.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 ISK 11.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.61 ISK 802

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 CLP 1,412

$2.90 ISK 352

-50.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.2 ISK 9,602

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 CLP 1,415

$2.09 ISK 253

-31.10%

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

$51.0K ISK 6.2M

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

$53.3K ISK 6.5M

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

$40.05 CLP 39.4K

$95.3 ISK 11.6K

-57.96%

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

$32.35 ISK 3,923

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.28 CLP 13.1K

$87.5 ISK 10.6K

-84.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.7 CLP 50.9K

$102 ISK 12.4K

-49.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 CLP 20.4K

$50.1 ISK 6,074

-58.59%

Cinema Ticket

$4.69 CLP 4,617

$19.88 ISK 2,412

-76.41%

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

$306 CLP 301.6K

$1,194 ISK 144.8K

-74.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.4K ISK 3.1M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.08 CLP 35.5K

$149 ISK 18.1K

-75.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.38 CLP 27.9K

$66.6 ISK 8,080

-57.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.82 CLP 45.1K

$180 ISK 21.8K

-74.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.8 CLP 60.9K

$253 ISK 30.7K

-75.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$327 CLP 322.3K

$2,549 ISK 309.2K

-87.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$102 CLP 100.6K

$2,056 ISK 249.4K

-95.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$807 CLP 794.0K

$3,498 ISK 424.2K

-76.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$608 CLP 599.0K

$2,764 ISK 335.2K

-77.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,403 CLP 1.4M

$8,120 ISK 984.9K

-82.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,229 CLP 1.2M

$6,254 ISK 758.5K

-80.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,110 CLP 1.1M

$4,573 ISK 554.6K

-75.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

-43.25%

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

Last update for Calama: October 13, 2026

Last update for Reykjavik: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Calama

$176 * 29.6%

Reykjavik

$623 15.6% 253% $446

Eating Out

Calama

$114 * 19.1%

Reykjavik

$536 13.4% 372% $423

Accommodation & Living

Calama

$102 17.2%

Reykjavik

$2.1K 51.4% 1912% $2K

Clothing & Footwear

Calama

$77 13%

Reykjavik

$292 7.3% 277% $215

Sport & Entertainment

Calama

$61 10.3%

Reykjavik

$142 3.5% 132% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calama

$53 * 9%

Reykjavik

$215 5.4% 303% $162

Getting Around

Calama

$11 * 1.8%

Reykjavik

$138 3.5% 1160% $127

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $327 in Calama and $2,549 in Reykjavik. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Reykjavik pays 312% 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: $31.00 in Calama vs $122 in Reykjavik for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $176 vs $623 per month, with Calama cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Calama

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🕒 Local time

15:18 3:18 PM

18:18 6:18 PM

3 h ahead of Calama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

157,575

136,894 Capital

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Calama Reykjavik 10,450 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Calama
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

Calama vs Reykjavik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calama wins on cost – living expenses run 573% lower than in Reykjavik. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Calama the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 312% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $327 in Calama versus $2,549 in Reykjavik. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 253% higher in Reykjavik. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $595 per month in Calama versus $4,002 in Reykjavik – a 573% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $595 in Calama versus $4,002 in Reykjavik, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Calama but tight or insufficient in Reykjavik. The gap between the two cities makes Calama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Calama delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $595 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Calama hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Calama 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.

Expats usually find Calama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 573% less than in Reykjavik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.