Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Germany and Iceland

Name: Iceland
Address: IS

For one person, living is cheaper in Germany: $2,080 a month against $3,897 in Iceland, rent and utilities included – about $21,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Germany
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Germany Living Index
187

Cost of Living Index in Iceland
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Iceland Living Index

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🇩🇪 Germany

$2,080

/mo nomad

🇮🇸 Iceland

$3,897

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,080 in Germany versus $3,897 in Iceland.

Germany $2,080
Iceland $3,897

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,130 in Germany versus $5,533 in Iceland.

Germany $3,130
Iceland $5,533

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,180 in Germany versus $7,168 in Iceland.

Germany $4,180
Iceland $7,168

Internal cost variation is higher in Iceland: monthly costs span $179 to $4,040, compared to $1,337–$2,681 in Germany. City choice carries more weight in Iceland.

Living in Germany costs about 47% less than in Iceland on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Germany 53% above, Iceland 186% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.60 €14.92

$28.48 ISK 3,469

-41.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.8 €64.5

$123 ISK 15.0K

-41.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 €10.89

$23.70 ISK 2,887

-48.86%

Cappuccino

$3.96 €3.56

$6.09 ISK 742

-34.98%

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

$3.36 €3.02

$3.11 ISK 379

8.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 €2.60

$2.95 ISK 359

-2.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.07 €4.55

$12.19 ISK 1,485

-58.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 €4.05

$12.42 ISK 1,513

-63.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.13

$2.03 ISK 247

-37.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 €1.97

$3.99 ISK 486

-44.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.54 €3.18

$3.45 ISK 420

2.61%

Eggs

$3.88 €3.49

$7.17 ISK 873

-45.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.24 €12.79

$20.65 ISK 2,516

-31.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.90 €10.69

$24.78 ISK 3,019

-51.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.68 €18.58

$42.17 ISK 5,138

-50.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 €2.95

$3.01 ISK 367

8.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 €1.84

$2.67 ISK 326

-23.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 €2.08

$3.15 ISK 383

-26.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 €3.85

$5.93 ISK 722

-27.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 €1.38

$3.86 ISK 470

-60.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 €1.34

$1.85 ISK 226

-18.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 €1.47

$3.59 ISK 437

-54.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 €0.91

$1.89 ISK 230

-46.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.69 €8.71

$14.17 ISK 1,727

-31.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 €5.40

$22.52 ISK 2,744

-73.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €1.01

$3.65 ISK 444

-69.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.41

$3.33 ISK 406

-53.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.85 €3.46

$5.51 ISK 672

-30.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.7 €62.6

$94.7 ISK 11.5K

-26.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 €4.79

$6.77 ISK 825

-21.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.81 €2.52

$2.87 ISK 350

-2.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.83 €34.89

$79.3 ISK 9,666

-51.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.91

$2.35 ISK 286

-9.36%

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

$32.6K €29.3K

$69.7K ISK 8.5M

-53.28%

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

$37.7K €33.9K

$56.0K ISK 6.8M

-32.64%

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

$342 €307

$103 ISK 12.6K

231.92%

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

$24.87 €22.35

$32.44 ISK 3,953

-23.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.49 €43.57

$87.9 ISK 10.7K

-44.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.42 €35.42

$92.3 ISK 11.2K

-57.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.47 €24.69

$52.4 ISK 6,382

-47.56%

Cinema Ticket

$14.65 €13.17

$19.09 ISK 2,326

-23.26%

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

$611 €549

$947 ISK 115.4K

-35.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.3K €15.5K

$26.4K ISK 3.2M

-34.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.1 €80.0

$149 ISK 18.2K

-40.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.07 €37.80

$47.82 ISK 5,827

-12.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 €88.3

$172 ISK 20.9K

-42.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €117

$234 ISK 28.5K

-44.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$934 €839

$2,575 ISK 313.8K

-63.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$718 €645

$2,041 ISK 248.7K

-64.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,531

$3,504 ISK 426.9K

-51.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 €1,162

$2,712 ISK 330.4K

-52.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,944 €5,341

$7,617 ISK 928.1K

-21.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,958 €3,556

$6,338 ISK 772.2K

-37.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,290 €2,956

$4,789 ISK 583.5K

-31.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

9.29

-57.37%

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

Last update for Germany: 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

Germany

$718 34.6%

Iceland

$2K 52.4% 184% $1.3K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Germany

$415 20%

Iceland

$223 5.7% 46.2% $192

Groceries & Markets

Germany

$335 16.1%

Iceland

$611 15.7% 82.3% $276

Eating Out

Germany

$276 13.3%

Iceland

$482 12.4% 74.6% $206

Clothing & Footwear

Germany

$162 7.8%

Iceland

$271 7% 67.4% $109

Getting Around

Germany

$104 5%

Iceland

$138 3.5% 32% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Germany

$69 3.3%

Iceland

$130 3.4% 89.9% $62

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $812 in Germany, $2,368 in Iceland. Capital cities: $1,407 in Berlin vs $2,585 in Reykjavik.

National salary averages: $3,107 in Germany, $4,949 in Iceland. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 192% higher in Iceland.

Dining out costs 68% more in Iceland.

Public transport is 19% more expensive in Iceland.

Salaries are 59% higher in Iceland, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Germany.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Germany

🇮🇸 Iceland

🕒 Local time

11:20 11:20 AM

10:20 10:20 AM

1 h behind Germany

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

84,358,845

364,260

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

1,000 ISK = 8.21 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.21 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.37 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Germany Iceland 2,390 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Germany
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

Germany vs Iceland: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,080 per month in Germany and $3,897 in Iceland, there’s a 87% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in Germany: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $2,368 in Iceland and $812 in Germany. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Germany, $3,000 covers most cities easily; in Iceland it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you’ll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you’re after: Germany wins on affordability; Iceland may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.