Cost of Living Comparison Between Keflavik and Saint Helier Cost of Living Comparison Between Keflavik and Saint Helier

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,918 in Keflavik versus $3,293 in Saint Helier.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,439 in Keflavik versus $5,349 in Saint Helier.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,960 in Keflavik versus $7,404 in Saint Helier.

Living in Keflavik costs roughly 11% less than in Saint Helier, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Keflavik 119% above, Saint Helier 147% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.18 ISK 3,004

$37.07 JEP 27.62

-34.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 ISK 18.2K

$137 JEP 102

6.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.29 ISK 2,521

$10.77 JEP 8.02

88.39%

Cappuccino

$3.92 ISK 488

$5.03 JEP 3.75

-22.07%

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

$3.14 ISK 390

$3.16 JEP 2.36

-0.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 ISK 311

$2.66 JEP 1.98

-6.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.27 ISK 1,028

$8.00 JEP 5.96

3.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.82 ISK 971

$8.27 JEP 6.16

-5.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ISK 236

$2.18 JEP 1.62

-12.84%

White Bread (500g)

$4.28 ISK 532

$2.31 JEP 1.72

85.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 ISK 291

$3.50 JEP 2.61

-33.14%

Eggs

$6.34 ISK 788

$5.90 JEP 4.40

7.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.40 ISK 2,287

$9.27 JEP 6.91

98.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.18 ISK 3,004

$11.99 JEP 8.94

101.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.10 ISK 5,355

$19.08 JEP 14.22

125.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 ISK 301

$4.48 JEP 3.34

-45.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 ISK 293

$3.27 JEP 2.44

-27.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 ISK 292

$4.30 JEP 3.20

-45.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.93 ISK 488

$4.34 JEP 3.23

-9.45%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 ISK 382

$4.00 JEP 2.98

-23.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 ISK 263

$3.84 JEP 2.86

-45.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.16 ISK 393

$2.05 JEP 1.53

54.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 ISK 251

$2.44 JEP 1.82

-17.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.63 ISK 1,693

$15.43 JEP 11.50

-11.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.13 ISK 2,004

$10.87 JEP 8.10

48.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.59 ISK 445

$4.50 JEP 3.35

-20.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ISK 344

$7.32 JEP 5.45

-62.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.69 ISK 458

$3.05 JEP 2.28

20.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.8 ISK 9,170

$69.2 JEP 51.6

6.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.53 ISK 811

$6.22 JEP 4.64

4.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 ISK 281

$3.97 JEP 2.96

-43.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.7 ISK 10.6K

$34.49 JEP 25.70

148.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.55 ISK 317

$2.12 JEP 1.58

20.28%

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

$47.8K ISK 5.9M

$22.7K JEP 16.9K

110.88%

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

$51.3K ISK 6.4M

$33.4K JEP 24.9K

53.68%

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

$87.7 ISK 10.9K

$249 JEP 185

-64.74%

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

$26.97 ISK 3,351

$25.76 JEP 19.19

4.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.7 ISK 10.5K

$76.9 JEP 57.3

10.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.5 JEP 51.0

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.67 JEP 18.38

Cinema Ticket

$17.28 ISK 2,147

$21.04 JEP 15.67

-17.87%

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

$317 ISK 39.4K

$2,184 JEP 1,627

-85.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K ISK 3.8M

$17.1K JEP 12.8K

78.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$138 ISK 17.1K

$107 JEP 79.8

28.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 ISK 7,579

$73.4 JEP 54.7

-16.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$184 ISK 22.9K

$125 JEP 93.3

46.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$185 ISK 22.9K

$210 JEP 156

-11.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,846 ISK 229.4K

$1,973 JEP 1,470

-6.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,351 ISK 167.9K

$1,666 JEP 1,241

-18.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,474 ISK 307.5K

$3,995 JEP 2,977

-38.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,018 ISK 250.8K

$3,481 JEP 2,593

-42.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.9K JEP 8,833

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.3K JEP 7,661

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,710 ISK 460.9K

$4,767 JEP 3,552

-22.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.63

3.85

150.13%

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

Last update for Keflavik: June 14, 2026

Last update for Saint Helier: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,846 in Keflavik and $1,973 in Saint Helier. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Helier pays 29% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $147 in Keflavik vs $137 in Saint Helier for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $563 vs $424 per month, with Saint Helier cheaper across the board.

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

Keflavik vs Saint Helier: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Keflavik wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Saint Helier. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Keflavik the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Saint Helier earns 29% less. 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: $1,846 in Keflavik versus $1,973 in Saint Helier. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Keflavik runs roughly 7% less than in Saint Helier. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $317 in Keflavik versus $2,184 in Saint Helier. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

Both work as nomad bases, but Keflavik delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,918 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Keflavik hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Keflavik and Saint Helier 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 Keflavik gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Saint Helier. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.