Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hafnarfjordur and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $3,877 in Hafnarfjordur, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

186

Cost of Living Index in Hafnarfjordur
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Hafnarfjordur Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Hafnarfjordur

🇮🇸 Iceland

$3,877

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hafnarfjordur and in Austin, TX

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 Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,877 in Hafnarfjordur versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Hafnarfjordur $3,877
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,400 in Hafnarfjordur versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Hafnarfjordur $5,400
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,923 in Hafnarfjordur versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Hafnarfjordur $6,923
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Hafnarfjordur is roughly 46% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hafnarfjordur 187% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.03 ISK 3,763

$20.77 $20.77

49.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$124 ISK 15.0K

$84.6 $84.6

46.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.27 ISK 1,973

$12.32 $12.32

32.06%

Cappuccino

$6.88 ISK 835

$5.63 $5.63

22.20%

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

$3.27 ISK 396

$3.72 $3.72

-12.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 ISK 372

$2.50 $2.50

22.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$14.18 ISK 1,720

$8.05 $8.05

76.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.22 ISK 1,482

$9.01 $9.01

35.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 ISK 207

$1.12 $1.12

51.79%

White Bread (500g)

$4.18 ISK 507

$3.75 $3.75

11.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.61 ISK 438

$3.26 $3.26

10.74%

Eggs

$7.19 ISK 872

$4.17 $4.17

72.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.88 ISK 2,654

$12.90 $12.90

69.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.76 ISK 3,003

$14.16 $14.16

74.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.29 ISK 5,130

$16.22 $16.22

160.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.41 ISK 413

$4.33 $4.33

-21.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 ISK 303

$1.46 $1.46

71.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.18 ISK 386

$4.51 $4.51

-29.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.33 ISK 767

$4.34 $4.34

45.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.87 ISK 469

$2.58 $2.58

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 ISK 205

$2.35 $2.35

-28.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.69 ISK 447

$1.78 $1.78

107.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 ISK 220

$2.22 $2.22

-18.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.80 ISK 1,674

$9.88 $9.88

39.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.94 ISK 2,904

$15.08 $15.08

58.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.54 ISK 430

$2.92 $2.92

21.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 ISK 416

$3.46 $3.46

-0.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.21 ISK 632

$1.49 $1.49

249.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.4 ISK 10.4K

$41.72 $41.72

104.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.58 ISK 798

$2.73 $2.73

141.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.80 ISK 339

$1.66 $1.66

68.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$80.9 ISK 9,810

$35.30 $35.30

129.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 ISK 248

$0.95 $0.95

114.74%

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

$51.3K ISK 6.2M

$36.0K $36.0K

42.35%

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

$53.3K ISK 6.5M

$27.1K $27.1K

96.91%

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

$70.7 ISK 8,571

$229 $229

-69.14%

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

$33.02 ISK 4,005

$59.4 $59.4

-44.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.0 ISK 10.6K

$69.9 $69.9

24.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 ISK 7,870

$57.2 $57.2

13.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$17.05 ISK 2,068

$14.28 $14.28

19.40%

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

$1,196 ISK 145.1K

$1,506 $1,506

-20.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ISK 3.1M

$21.5K $21.5K

20.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$124 ISK 15.0K

$52.8 $52.8

134.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.8 ISK 7,980

$43.82 $43.82

50.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 ISK 15.2K

$84.8 $84.8

47.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$252 ISK 30.6K

$103 $103

144.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,498 ISK 302.9K

$1,907 $1,907

30.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,087 ISK 253.1K

$1,274 $1,274

63.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,226 ISK 391.3K

$3,664 $3,664

-11.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,607 ISK 316.2K

$2,538 $2,538

2.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,085 ISK 859.4K

$7,614 $7,614

-6.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,990 ISK 847.8K

$3,157 $3,157

121.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,751 ISK 576.2K

$5,121 $5,121

-7.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

6.79

29.75%

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

Last update for Hafnarfjordur: October 12, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hafnarfjordur

$2.1K 53.8%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 38.9% $813

Groceries & Markets

Hafnarfjordur

$619 16%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 34.6% $214

Eating Out

Hafnarfjordur

$500 12.9%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 29.3% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Hafnarfjordur

$255 6.6%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 49.8% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hafnarfjordur

$191 4.9%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 87.9% $168

Getting Around

Hafnarfjordur

$127 3.3%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 53.7% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Hafnarfjordur

$99 2.6%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 13.3% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,498 in Hafnarfjordur and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $124 in Hafnarfjordur vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $619 vs $405 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Hafnarfjordur

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

04:46 4:46 AM

23:46 11:46 PM

5 h behind Hafnarfjordur

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,525

974,447

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to ISK – Icelandic Króna Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇸 Icelandic Króna (kr)

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to ISK in detail →

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Between locations

Hafnarfjordur Austin, TX 6,330 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Hafnarfjordur
Austin, TX

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 Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 46% lower than in Hafnarfjordur. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Austin, TX. 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: $2,498 in Hafnarfjordur versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,877 per month in Hafnarfjordur versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 46% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 105% less than in Hafnarfjordur. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Hafnarfjordur and Austin, TX 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 Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Hafnarfjordur. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.