Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iceland and Brazil

For one person, living is cheaper in Brazil: $865 a month against $3,897 in Iceland, rent and utilities included – about $36,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Iceland
Brazil
🇮🇸 Iceland
$3,897
/mo nomad
🇧🇷 Brazil
$865
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Iceland and in Brazil

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

A single person spends $3,897 per month in Iceland vs $865 in Brazil, rent included.

  • Iceland $3,897
  • Brazil $865

A couple spends around $5,533 per month in Iceland vs $1,373 in Brazil, rent included.

  • Iceland $5,533
  • Brazil $1,373

A family of three spends $7,168 per month in Iceland vs $1,880 in Brazil, rent included.

  • Iceland $7,168
  • Brazil $1,880

The regional cost range is wider in Iceland ($179–$4,040) than in Brazil ($569–$1,349), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Iceland is about 350% higher than in Brazil on average.

Iceland sits 186% above the global median, while Brazil is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Iceland
Brazil
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$28.48 ISK 3,457
$6.55 R$35.64
334.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$123 ISK 14.9K
$30.71 R$167
300.65%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$23.70 ISK 2,877
$7.45 R$40.53
218.12%
Cappuccino
$6.09 ISK 740
$1.91 R$10.38
218.85%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 ISK 378
$1.15 R$6.28
170.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.95 ISK 358
$0.76 R$4.11
288.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$12.19 ISK 1,479
$1.85 R$10.06
558.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$12.42 ISK 1,508
$2.86 R$15.53
334.27%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Iceland
Brazil
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.03 ISK 246
$1.03 R$5.61
97.09%
White Bread (500g)
$3.99 ISK 484
$1.57 R$8.51
154.14%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.45 ISK 419
$1.24 R$6.72
178.23%
Eggs
$7.17 ISK 870
$2.10 R$11.44
241.43%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$20.65 ISK 2,507
$8.87 R$48.21
132.81%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$24.78 ISK 3,008
$3.99 R$21.71
521.05%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$42.17 ISK 5,119
$7.76 R$42.17
443.43%
Apples (1kg)
$3.01 ISK 366
$2.15 R$11.71
40.00%
Banana (1kg)
$2.67 ISK 325
$1.27 R$6.91
110.24%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.15 ISK 382
$1.16 R$6.28
171.55%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.93 ISK 719
$1.53 R$8.31
287.58%
Potato (1kg)
$3.86 ISK 469
$1.16 R$6.31
232.76%
Onion (1kg)
$1.85 ISK 225
$1.02 R$5.54
81.37%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.59 ISK 436
$0.74 R$4.03
385.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.89 ISK 229
$0.72 R$3.90
162.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.17 ISK 1,721
$2.25 R$12.26
529.78%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.52 ISK 2,734
$7.65 R$41.60
194.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.65 ISK 443
$1.30 R$7.09
180.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.33 ISK 405
$2.16 R$11.77
54.17%
🚌 Getting Around
Iceland
Brazil
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$5.51 ISK 669
$0.94 R$5.11
486.17%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$94.7 ISK 11.5K
$44.00 R$239
115.23%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.77 ISK 822
$1.23 R$6.68
450.41%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.87 ISK 349
$0.96 R$5.20
198.96%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$79.3 ISK 9,631
$7.42 R$40.34
969.14%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.35 ISK 285
$1.21 R$6.60
94.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$69.7K ISK 8.5M
$22.1K R$120.4K
214.72%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$56.0K ISK 6.8M
$31.6K R$171.6K
77.49%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Iceland
Brazil
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$103 ISK 12.5K
$77.2 R$420
33.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$32.44 ISK 3,939
$12.44 R$67.6
160.77%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$87.9 ISK 10.7K
$19.80 R$108
343.74%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Iceland
Brazil
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$92.3 ISK 11.2K
$24.36 R$132
278.90%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$52.4 ISK 6,359
$25.46 R$138
105.73%
Cinema Ticket
$19.09 ISK 2,317
$6.98 R$37.97
173.50%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Iceland
Brazil
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$947 ISK 115.0K
$316 R$1,718
199.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$26.4K ISK 3.2M
$8,298 R$45.1K
217.96%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Iceland
Brazil
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$149 ISK 18.1K
$49.37 R$268
201.86%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.82 ISK 5,806
$45.73 R$249
4.57%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$172 ISK 20.9K
$83.4 R$454
106.06%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$234 ISK 28.4K
$65.6 R$357
256.84%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Iceland
Brazil
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,575 ISK 312.7K
$373 R$2,028
590.40%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,041 ISK 247.8K
$251 R$1,362
714.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,504 ISK 425.4K
$719 R$3,909
387.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,712 ISK 329.2K
$490 R$2,666
453.11%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,617 ISK 924.7K
$1,795 R$9,759
324.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,338 ISK 769.4K
$1,269 R$6,900
399.40%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Iceland
Brazil
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,789 ISK 581.4K
$496 R$2,699
864.68%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.29
11.17
-16.83%

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

Last update for Iceland: October 25, 2026

Last update for Brazil: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Iceland
$2K
Brazil
$251 87.7% $1.8K
Groceries & Markets
Iceland
$611
Brazil
$183 70% $427
Eating Out
Iceland
$482
Brazil
$120 75% $362
Clothing & Footwear
Iceland
$271
Brazil
$110 59.5% $161
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Iceland
$223
Brazil
$109 51% $114
Getting Around
Iceland
$138
Brazil
$54 61% $84
Sport & Entertainment
Iceland
$130
Brazil
$38 70.6% $92

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $2,368 in Iceland vs $335 in Brazil. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,585 in Reykjavik and $517 in Brasilia.

Average salary: $4,949 in Iceland vs $468 in Brazil. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 607% higher in Iceland.

Dining out costs 310% more in Iceland.

Public transport is 88% more expensive in Iceland.

Salaries are about 11 times higher in Iceland, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Iceland.

Good to know
🇮🇸 Iceland
🇧🇷 Brazil
🕒 Local time
21:40 9:40 PM
18:40 6:40 PM
3 h behind Iceland
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
364,260
203,062,512
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to ISK – Icelandic Króna Converter

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.35 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 5.44 BRL (1 BRL = 0.184 USD). 1 EUR = 6.09 BRL (1 BRL = 0.164 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Iceland Brazil 9,160 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Iceland
  • Brazil

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
Iceland vs Brazil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do Brazil and Iceland compare in cost of living?
Brazil is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 78% lower on average.
How do rents compare between Brazil and Iceland?
Housing costs more in Iceland: a central one-bedroom averages $2,368 versus $335 in Brazil.
Where are groceries and transport cheaper: Brazil or Iceland?
Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Brazil – part of why living there is about 78% cheaper overall.
How far does $2,000 go in Brazil compared to Iceland?
$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Brazil, but in Iceland it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
How do I choose between living in Brazil and in Iceland?
Brazil is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.

Iceland vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar countries

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?