Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Neuchatel and Hafnarfjordur

For one person, living is cheaper in Neuchatel: $3,172 a month against $3,877 in Hafnarfjordur, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

156

Cost of Living Index in Neuchatel
Learn more

Neuchatel Living Index
186

Cost of Living Index in Hafnarfjordur
Learn more

Hafnarfjordur Living Index

Jump to prices

Neuchatel

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,172

/mo nomad

Hafnarfjordur

🇮🇸 Iceland

$3,877

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Neuchatel and in Hafnarfjordur

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

A single person spends $3,172 per month in Neuchatel vs $3,877 in Hafnarfjordur, rent included.

Neuchatel $3,172
Hafnarfjordur $3,877

A couple spends around $4,877 per month in Neuchatel vs $5,400 in Hafnarfjordur, rent included.

Neuchatel $4,877
Hafnarfjordur $5,400

A family of three spends $6,583 per month in Neuchatel vs $6,923 in Hafnarfjordur, rent included.

Neuchatel $6,583
Hafnarfjordur $6,923

Neuchatel is about 18% cheaper than Hafnarfjordur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Neuchatel and Hafnarfjordur sit above the global median – Neuchatel by 135%, Hafnarfjordur by 187%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.68 CHF 21.98

$31.03 ISK 3,763

-14.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$116 CHF 95.6

$124 ISK 15.0K

-6.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.96 CHF 14.79

$16.27 ISK 1,973

10.39%

Cappuccino

$5.90 CHF 4.86

$6.88 ISK 835

-14.24%

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

$3.98 CHF 3.28

$3.27 ISK 396

21.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 CHF 2.76

$3.07 ISK 372

9.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.38 CHF 7.73

$14.18 ISK 1,720

-33.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CHF 5.93

$12.22 ISK 1,482

-41.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 CHF 1.70

$1.70 ISK 207

21.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 CHF 2.54

$4.18 ISK 507

-26.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CHF 2.63

$3.61 ISK 438

-11.63%

Eggs

$6.84 CHF 5.63

$7.19 ISK 872

-4.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.39 CHF 20.91

$21.88 ISK 2,654

16.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.24 CHF 22.43

$24.76 ISK 3,003

10.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.83 CHF 32.80

$42.29 ISK 5,130

-5.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 CHF 2.61

$3.41 ISK 413

-7.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 CHF 1.77

$2.50 ISK 303

-14.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 CHF 2.39

$3.18 ISK 386

-8.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 CHF 3.78

$6.33 ISK 767

-27.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 CHF 1.37

$3.87 ISK 469

-57.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 CHF 1.61

$1.69 ISK 205

15.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 CHF 1.83

$3.69 ISK 447

-39.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 CHF 1.00

$1.81 ISK 220

-33.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.92 CHF 8.99

$13.80 ISK 1,674

-20.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.01 CHF 9.90

$23.94 ISK 2,904

-49.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 CHF 2.10

$3.54 ISK 430

-28.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 CHF 2.08

$3.43 ISK 416

-26.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 CHF 2.42

$5.21 ISK 632

-43.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.8 CHF 75.6

$85.4 ISK 10.4K

7.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.91 CHF 6.51

$6.58 ISK 798

20.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.26 CHF 3.51

$2.80 ISK 339

52.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$76.4 CHF 62.9

$80.9 ISK 9,810

-5.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 CHF 1.92

$2.04 ISK 248

14.22%

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

$38.9K CHF 32.0K

$51.3K ISK 6.2M

-24.19%

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

$38.4K CHF 31.6K

$53.3K ISK 6.5M

-27.94%

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

$240 CHF 198

$70.7 ISK 8,571

239.80%

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

$45.61 CHF 37.56

$33.02 ISK 4,005

38.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.94 CHF 34.54

$87.0 ISK 10.6K

-51.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.8 CHF 80.5

$64.9 ISK 7,870

50.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.55 CHF 34.22

Cinema Ticket

$21.62 CHF 17.80

$17.05 ISK 2,068

26.80%

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

$2,467 CHF 2,032

$1,196 ISK 145.1K

106.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.2K CHF 21.6K

$25.8K ISK 3.1M

1.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$125 CHF 103

$124 ISK 15.0K

0.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.2 CHF 41.35

$65.8 ISK 7,980

-23.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 CHF 121

$125 ISK 15.2K

17.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 CHF 119

$252 ISK 30.6K

-42.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 CHF 1,368

$2,498 ISK 302.9K

-33.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,372 CHF 1,130

$2,087 ISK 253.1K

-34.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,627 CHF 2,164

$3,226 ISK 391.3K

-18.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,373 CHF 1,954

$2,607 ISK 316.2K

-8.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$20.7K CHF 17.0K

$7,085 ISK 859.4K

192.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.5K CHF 11.1K

$6,990 ISK 847.8K

93.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,930 CHF 5,707

$4,751 ISK 576.2K

45.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.87

8.81

-78.77%

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

Last update for Neuchatel: October 12, 2026

Last update for Hafnarfjordur: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Neuchatel

$1.4K 43.2%

Hafnarfjordur

$2.1K 53.8% 52.2% $715

Groceries & Markets

Neuchatel

$561 17.7%

Hafnarfjordur

$619 16% 10.3% $58

Eating Out

Neuchatel

$429 13.5%

Hafnarfjordur

$500 12.9% 16.7% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Neuchatel

$328 10.3%

Hafnarfjordur

$191 4.9% 41.8% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Neuchatel

$210 6.6%

Hafnarfjordur

$255 6.6% 21.7% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Neuchatel

$141 4.4%

Hafnarfjordur

$99 2.6% 29.8% $42

Getting Around

Neuchatel

$133 4.2%

Hafnarfjordur

$127 3.3% 4.4% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,662 in Neuchatel versus $2,498 in Hafnarfjordur. 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 46% higher in Neuchatel, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $116 in Neuchatel versus $124 in Hafnarfjordur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $561 vs $619 – making Neuchatel the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Neuchatel

🇮🇸 Hafnarfjordur

🕒 Local time

01:15 1:15 AM

23:15 11:15 PM

2 h behind Neuchatel

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

33,641

31,525

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇭 Swiss Franc (Fr)

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR).

USD to CHF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Neuchatel Hafnarfjordur 2,590 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Neuchatel
Hafnarfjordur

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

Neuchatel vs Hafnarfjordur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hafnarfjordur costs about 22% more than Neuchatel, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,758 per month in Neuchatel and $5,816 in Hafnarfjordur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Neuchatel, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,172 in Neuchatel and $3,877 in Hafnarfjordur. That's a gap of about 22%.

Public transport costs about 7% less in Neuchatel. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,172 in Neuchatel and $3,877 in Hafnarfjordur. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Neuchatel costs $3,172 versus $3,877 in Hafnarfjordur. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Neuchatel. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hafnarfjordur makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.