Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mendoza and Reykjavik

For one person, living is cheaper in Mendoza: $1,361 a month against $4,037 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $32,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mendoza
🇦🇷 Argentina
$1,361
/mo nomad
Reykjavik
🇮🇸 Iceland
$4,037
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mendoza and in Reykjavik

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

A single person spends $1,361 per month in Mendoza vs $4,037 in Reykjavik, rent included.

  • Mendoza $1,361
  • Reykjavik $4,037

A couple spends around $2,195 per month in Mendoza vs $5,666 in Reykjavik, rent included.

  • Mendoza $2,195
  • Reykjavik $5,666

A family of three spends $3,029 per month in Mendoza vs $7,295 in Reykjavik, rent included.

  • Mendoza $3,029
  • Reykjavik $7,295

Mendoza is about 66% cheaper than Reykjavik, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mendoza and Reykjavik sit above the global median – Mendoza by 2%, Reykjavik by 201%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mendoza
Reykjavik
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.87 ARS 16.5K
$30.59 ISK 3,727
-64.47%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$50.0 ARS 75.9K
$136 ISK 16.5K
-63.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.90 ARS 22.6K
$27.08 ISK 3,300
-44.98%
Cappuccino
$4.55 ARS 6,898
$6.72 ISK 818
-32.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.42 ARS 3,668
$3.27 ISK 399
-25.99%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 ARS 2,858
$3.16 ISK 386
-40.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.05 ARS 6,135
$13.91 ISK 1,695
-70.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.60 ARS 6,971
$12.06 ISK 1,469
-61.86%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mendoza
Reykjavik
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.34 ARS 2,033
$2.04 ISK 248
-34.31%
White Bread (500g)
$2.27 ARS 3,437
$4.32 ISK 526
-47.45%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.67 ARS 4,051
$3.67 ISK 447
-27.25%
Eggs
$3.19 ARS 4,843
$7.02 ISK 855
-54.56%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.61 ARS 22.2K
$22.01 ISK 2,682
-33.62%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.30 ARS 9,556
$24.70 ISK 3,009
-74.49%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.95 ARS 16.6K
$42.66 ISK 5,198
-74.33%
Apples (1kg)
$2.32 ARS 3,512
$3.37 ISK 411
-31.16%
Banana (1kg)
$2.14 ARS 3,244
$2.85 ISK 347
-24.91%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.34 ARS 2,038
$3.17 ISK 387
-57.73%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.19 ARS 4,840
$6.39 ISK 779
-50.08%
Potato (1kg)
$2.03 ARS 3,077
$4.01 ISK 489
-49.38%
Onion (1kg)
$1.50 ARS 2,277
$1.64 ISK 200
-8.54%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.94 ARS 2,945
$3.80 ISK 462
-48.95%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.51 ARS 3,806
$1.74 ISK 212
44.25%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.80 ARS 4,244
$13.80 ISK 1,681
-79.71%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.03 ARS 7,625
$23.38 ISK 2,849
-78.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.79 ARS 2,711
$3.53 ISK 430
-49.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.93 ARS 4,445
$3.45 ISK 420
-15.07%
🚌 Getting Around
Mendoza
Reykjavik
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.97 ARS 1,472
$5.77 ISK 703
-83.19%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.83 ARS 30.1K
$95.1 ISK 11.6K
-79.16%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.05 ARS 3,112
$6.63 ISK 808
-69.08%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ARS 1,541
$2.79 ISK 340
-63.44%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.04 ARS 7,642
$81.4 ISK 9,915
-93.81%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.21 ARS 1,831
$2.11 ISK 257
-42.65%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.7K ARS 40.4M
$50.8K ISK 6.2M
-47.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.2K ARS 50.4M
$52.7K ISK 6.4M
-36.99%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mendoza
Reykjavik
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$143 ARS 217.2K
$88.7 ISK 10.8K
61.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.59 ARS 26.7K
$31.53 ISK 3,842
-44.21%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$24.39 ARS 37.0K
$84.6 ISK 10.3K
-71.18%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mendoza
Reykjavik
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.80 ARS 48.2K
$100 ISK 12.2K
-68.32%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.99 ARS 27.3K
$48.20 ISK 5,873
-62.68%
Cinema Ticket
$7.16 ARS 10.9K
$19.87 ISK 2,422
-63.97%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mendoza
Reykjavik
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$173 ARS 262.6K
$1,277 ISK 155.7K
-86.44%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,150 ARS 6.3M
$31.0K ISK 3.8M
-86.59%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mendoza
Reykjavik
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$127 ARS 192.9K
$161 ISK 19.6K
-20.89%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$140 ARS 211.7K
$64.9 ISK 7,908
115.15%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$146 ARS 220.8K
$183 ISK 22.3K
-20.25%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$161 ARS 244.7K
$254 ISK 30.9K
-36.41%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mendoza
Reykjavik
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$561 ARS 850.3K
$2,499 ISK 304.6K
-77.56%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$340 ARS 515.7K
$2,000 ISK 243.7K
-82.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$975 ARS 1.5M
$3,452 ISK 420.6K
-71.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$682 ARS 1.0M
$2,742 ISK 334.2K
-75.14%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,699 ARS 2.6M
$8,001 ISK 974.9K
-78.77%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,115 ARS 1.7M
$6,249 ISK 761.5K
-82.16%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mendoza
Reykjavik
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$768 ARS 1.2M
$4,691 ISK 571.6K
-83.63%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
59
8.81
569.69%

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

Last update for Mendoza: October 4, 2026

Last update for Reykjavik: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mendoza
$340
Reykjavik
$2K 488% $1.7K
Groceries & Markets
Mendoza
$285
Reykjavik
$625 119% $340
Clothing & Footwear
Mendoza
$258
Reykjavik
$298 15.4% $40
Eating Out
Mendoza
$233
Reykjavik
$526 126% $293
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mendoza
$185
Reykjavik
$205 10.6% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Mendoza
$46
Reykjavik
$140 204% $94
Getting Around
Mendoza
$31
Reykjavik
$139 350% $108

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $561 in Mendoza versus $2,499 in Reykjavik. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 511% higher in Reykjavik, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Mendoza versus $136 in Reykjavik. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $285 vs $625 – making Mendoza the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇦🇷 Mendoza
🇮🇸 Reykjavik
🕒 Local time
00:38 12:38 AM
03:38 3:38 AM
3 h ahead of Mendoza
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
937,154
136,894 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,516 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.6 USD). 1 EUR = 1,700 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.21 USD). 1 EUR = 137 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mendoza Reykjavik 11,540 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mendoza
  • Reykjavik

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
Mendoza vs Reykjavik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Reykjavik cheaper than Mendoza?
Yes – Reykjavik is pricier by about 197%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,042 per month in Mendoza and $6,055 in Reykjavik. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Mendoza, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 380% less in Mendoza. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $173 per month in Mendoza and $1,277 in Reykjavik. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Mendoza or in Reykjavik?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Mendoza, where all-in costs run around $1,361, than in Reykjavik at $4,037. In Mendoza it covers expenses comfortably, while in Reykjavik it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Mendoza or Reykjavik more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Mendoza – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Mendoza or Reykjavik?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Mendoza. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Reykjavik makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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