Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Castro and Reykjavik

For one person, living is cheaper in Castro: $875 a month against $4,002 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $37,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Castro
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Castro Living Index
193

Cost of Living Index in Reykjavik
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Reykjavik Living Index

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Castro

🇨🇱 Chile

$875

/mo nomad

Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,002

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $875 per month in Castro vs $4,002 in Reykjavik, rent included.

Castro $875
Reykjavik $4,002

A couple spends around $1,381 per month in Castro vs $5,705 in Reykjavik, rent included.

Castro $1,381
Reykjavik $5,705

A family of three spends $1,887 per month in Castro vs $7,407 in Reykjavik, rent included.

Castro $1,887
Reykjavik $7,407

Castro is about 78% cheaper than Reykjavik, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Castro sits 35% below the global median, while Reykjavik is 196% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.29 CLP 8,163

$31.56 ISK 3,828

-73.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.10 CLP 45.4K

$122 ISK 14.8K

-62.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.66 CLP 5,568

$26.86 ISK 3,258

-78.93%

Cappuccino

$1.49 CLP 1,464

$6.81 ISK 827

-78.12%

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

$1.20 CLP 1,181

$3.39 ISK 411

-64.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 CLP 990

$3.20 ISK 388

-68.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.15 CLP 5,066

$14.14 ISK 1,715

-63.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.29 CLP 7,173

$12.31 ISK 1,493

-40.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 CLP 1,065

$2.10 ISK 255

-48.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.51 CLP 3,451

$4.19 ISK 508

-16.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 CLP 1,232

$3.72 ISK 451

-66.40%

Eggs

$4.12 CLP 4,056

$7.05 ISK 856

-41.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.67 CLP 9,523

$21.56 ISK 2,615

-55.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.03 CLP 3,965

$24.68 ISK 2,993

-83.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.49 CLP 8,358

$42.19 ISK 5,117

-79.88%

Apples (1kg)

$1.40 CLP 1,373

$3.23 ISK 392

-56.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 CLP 2,268

$2.73 ISK 331

-15.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 CLP 1,461

$3.17 ISK 384

-53.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 CLP 1,947

$6.61 ISK 802

-70.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 CLP 1,109

$3.85 ISK 467

-70.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 ISK 201

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 CLP 1,494

$3.80 ISK 461

-60.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 CLP 1,531

$1.75 ISK 212

-10.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.75 CLP 3,688

$13.71 ISK 1,662

-72.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.78 CLP 7,662

$24.21 ISK 2,937

-67.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 CLP 987

$3.53 ISK 428

-71.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 CLP 3,085

$3.32 ISK 402

-5.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 CLP 654

$5.75 ISK 697

-88.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 ISK 11.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.61 ISK 802

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.90 ISK 352

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.2 ISK 9,602

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 CLP 1,282

$2.09 ISK 253

-37.80%

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

$15.5K CLP 15.2M

$51.0K ISK 6.2M

-69.70%

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

$18.2K CLP 17.9M

$53.3K ISK 6.5M

-65.80%

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

$131 CLP 128.8K

$95.3 ISK 11.6K

37.37%

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

$32.35 ISK 3,923

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.25 CLP 30.8K

$87.5 ISK 10.6K

-64.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 ISK 12.4K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.1 ISK 6,074

Cinema Ticket

$19.88 ISK 2,412

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

$1,194 ISK 144.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.4K ISK 3.1M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$149 ISK 18.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.6 ISK 8,080

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 CLP 79.7K

$180 ISK 21.8K

-54.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$253 ISK 30.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$355 CLP 349.2K

$2,549 ISK 309.2K

-86.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 CLP 285.5K

$2,056 ISK 249.4K

-85.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 CLP 986.6K

$3,498 ISK 424.2K

-71.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$576 CLP 566.8K

$2,764 ISK 335.2K

-79.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,120 ISK 984.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,254 ISK 758.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$614 CLP 604.7K

$4,573 ISK 554.6K

-86.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

-20.54%

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

Last update for Castro: October 13, 2026

Last update for Reykjavik: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Castro

$290 33.2%

Reykjavik

$2.1K 51.4% 609% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Castro

$234 * 26.7%

Reykjavik

$623 15.6% 167% $389

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Castro

$162 * 18.5%

Reykjavik

$215 5.4% 32.7% $53

Eating Out

Castro

$150 17.2%

Reykjavik

$536 13.4% 257% $386

Clothing & Footwear

Castro

$36 * 4.2%

Reykjavik

$292 7.3% 701% $256

Getting Around

Castro

$2.7 * 0.3%

Reykjavik

$138 3.5% 5085% $135

Sport & Entertainment

Castro

- * 0%

Reykjavik

$142 3.5%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $355 in Castro versus $2,549 in Reykjavik. 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 644% higher in Reykjavik, 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 $46.00 in Castro versus $122 in Reykjavik. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $623 – making Castro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Castro

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🕒 Local time

21:51 9:51 PM

00:51 12:51 AM

3 h ahead of Castro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

33,417

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 18, 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 18, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Castro Reykjavik 12,690 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Castro
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

Castro vs Reykjavik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Reykjavik costs about 357% more than Castro, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,313 per month in Castro and $6,003 in Reykjavik. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Castro, 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 $875 in Castro and $4,002 in Reykjavik. That's a gap of about 357%.

Groceries cost about 167% more in Reykjavik, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Castro, where all-in costs run around $875, than in Reykjavik at $4,002. In Castro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Reykjavik it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Castro costs $875 versus $4,002 in Reykjavik. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Castro. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Reykjavik makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.