Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hafnarfjordur and Akureyri

For one person, living is cheaper in Akureyri: $3,106 a month against $3,853 in Hafnarfjordur, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Hafnarfjordur
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Hafnarfjordur Living Index

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Hafnarfjordur

🇮🇸 Iceland

$3,853

/mo nomad

Akureyri

🇮🇸 Iceland

$3,106

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hafnarfjordur and in Akureyri

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

A single person spends $3,853 per month in Hafnarfjordur vs $3,106 in Akureyri, rent included.

Hafnarfjordur $3,853
Akureyri $3,106

A couple spends around $5,410 per month in Hafnarfjordur vs $4,176 in Akureyri, rent included.

Hafnarfjordur $5,410
Akureyri $4,176

A family of three spends $6,967 per month in Hafnarfjordur vs $5,246 in Akureyri, rent included.

Hafnarfjordur $6,967
Akureyri $5,246

Hafnarfjordur costs about 24% more than Akureyri, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Hafnarfjordur and Akureyri sit above the global median – Hafnarfjordur by 183%, Akureyri by 128%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.04 ISK 3,768

$24.94 ISK 3,028

24.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$125 ISK 15.1K

$129 ISK 15.6K

-3.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.40 ISK 1,991

$22.63 ISK 2,748

-27.53%

Cappuccino

$6.71 ISK 814

$5.04 ISK 611

33.13%

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

$3.33 ISK 405

$3.35 ISK 406

-0.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 ISK 382

$2.99 ISK 363

5.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$14.02 ISK 1,703

$11.22 ISK 1,362

24.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.11 ISK 1,470

$9.62 ISK 1,168

25.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ISK 203

$2.77 ISK 337

-39.71%

White Bread (500g)

$4.21 ISK 511

$2.32 ISK 282

81.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.71 ISK 450

$3.14 ISK 382

18.15%

Eggs

$7.26 ISK 881

$7.65 ISK 928

-5.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.51 ISK 2,611

$15.85 ISK 1,925

35.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.40 ISK 2,962

$24.82 ISK 3,013

-1.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.76 ISK 5,070

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ISK 394

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 ISK 301

$2.92 ISK 354

-15.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 ISK 388

$3.45 ISK 419

-7.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ISK 779

$6.08 ISK 738

5.43%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 ISK 477

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 ISK 200

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.69 ISK 448

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ISK 221

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.04 ISK 1,705

$13.71 ISK 1,664

2.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.05 ISK 2,920

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 ISK 428

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 ISK 411

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.10 ISK 620

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.0 ISK 10.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.92 ISK 840

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.84 ISK 345

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$80.8 ISK 9,811

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 ISK 243

$2.59 ISK 314

-22.78%

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

$68.7K ISK 8.3M

$41.3K ISK 5.0M

66.54%

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

$55.8K ISK 6.8M

$65.2K ISK 7.9M

-14.46%

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

$69.4 ISK 8,419

$121 ISK 14.7K

-42.59%

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

$32.65 ISK 3,964

$25.21 ISK 3,061

29.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.0 ISK 10.3K

$165 ISK 20.0K

-48.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.1 ISK 7,900

$84.3 ISK 10.2K

-22.79%

Cinema Ticket

$17.08 ISK 2,073

$15.53 ISK 1,885

9.98%

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

$1,172 ISK 142.3K

$367 ISK 44.6K

219.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.9K ISK 3.1M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$125 ISK 15.1K

$80.8 ISK 9,810

54.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.1 ISK 8,150

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 ISK 15.1K

$122 ISK 14.8K

1.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$246 ISK 29.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,496 ISK 303.1K

$1,835 ISK 222.7K

36.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 ISK 251.8K

$1,833 ISK 222.5K

13.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,232 ISK 392.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,670 ISK 324.2K

$2,186 ISK 265.4K

22.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,011 ISK 851.1K

$6,596 ISK 800.8K

6.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,014 ISK 851.6K

$6,483 ISK 787.1K

8.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,674 ISK 567.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

9.4

-6.28%

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

Last update for Hafnarfjordur: October 24, 2026

Last update for Akureyri: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hafnarfjordur

$2.1K 53.8%

Akureyri

–

Groceries & Markets

Hafnarfjordur

$615 16%

Akureyri

–

Eating Out

Hafnarfjordur

$498 12.9%

Akureyri

–

Clothing & Footwear

Hafnarfjordur

$253 6.6%

Akureyri

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hafnarfjordur

$187 4.9%

Akureyri

–

Getting Around

Hafnarfjordur

$127 3.3%

Akureyri

–

Sport & Entertainment

Hafnarfjordur

$99 2.6%

Akureyri

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,496 in Hafnarfjordur versus $1,835 in Akureyri. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $125 in Hafnarfjordur versus $129 in Akureyri. Groceries tell a different story – $615 in Hafnarfjordur vs $327 in Akureyri – so Akureyri wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Hafnarfjordur

🇮🇸 Akureyri

🕒 Local time

17:28 5:28 PM

Same time as Hafnarfjordur

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,525

19,219

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.38 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Hafnarfjordur Akureyri 260 km

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Hafnarfjordur
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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

Hafnarfjordur vs Akureyri: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hafnarfjordur is pricier by about 24%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,780 per month in Hafnarfjordur and $4,659 in Akureyri. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Akureyri, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,835 there versus $2,496 in Hafnarfjordur.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $125 in Hafnarfjordur and $129 in Akureyri. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 88% more in Hafnarfjordur, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,853 in Hafnarfjordur and $3,106 in Akureyri. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Akureyri – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.