Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nuuk and Ilulissat

For one person, living is cheaper in Ilulissat: $2,605 a month against $2,835 in Nuuk, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Nuuk outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

138

Cost of Living Index in Nuuk
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Nuuk Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Ilulissat
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Ilulissat Living Index

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Nuuk

🇬🇱 Greenland

$2,835

/mo nomad

Ilulissat

🇬🇱 Greenland

$2,605

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nuuk and in Ilulissat

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

A single person spends $2,835 per month in Nuuk vs $2,605 in Ilulissat, rent included.

Nuuk $2,835
Ilulissat $2,605

A couple spends around $4,293 per month in Nuuk vs $3,921 in Ilulissat, rent included.

Nuuk $4,293
Ilulissat $3,921

A family of three spends $5,750 per month in Nuuk vs $5,237 in Ilulissat, rent included.

Nuuk $5,750
Ilulissat $5,237

Nuuk costs about 9% more than Ilulissat.

Both Nuuk and Ilulissat sit above the global median – Nuuk by 108%, Ilulissat by 91%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.11 DKK 122

$29.90 DKK 201

-39.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 DKK 692

$109 DKK 732

-5.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 DKK 86.9

$18.31 DKK 123

-29.33%

Cappuccino

$5.89 DKK 39.57

$5.90 DKK 39.61

-0.17%

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

$3.15 DKK 21.12

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 DKK 23.22

$2.97 DKK 19.91

16.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.16 DKK 68.2

$12.49 DKK 83.9

-18.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.46 DKK 50.1

$6.89 DKK 46.28

8.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.91 DKK 19.55

$3.04 DKK 20.39

-4.28%

White Bread (500g)

$4.11 DKK 27.57

$5.15 DKK 34.56

-20.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.99 DKK 26.78

$4.40 DKK 29.53

-9.32%

Eggs

$5.06 DKK 34.00

Local Cheese (1kg)

$36.12 DKK 243

$33.09 DKK 222

9.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$23.97 DKK 161

$38.37 DKK 258

-37.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.67 DKK 98.5

$25.59 DKK 172

-42.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 DKK 19.60

$5.86 DKK 39.33

-50.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.96 DKK 19.85

$5.13 DKK 34.46

-42.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 DKK 31.81

$5.86 DKK 39.36

-19.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.73 DKK 38.50

$4.46 DKK 29.92

28.48%

Potato (1kg)

$3.69 DKK 24.75

$3.81 DKK 25.61

-3.15%

Onion (1kg)

$3.61 DKK 24.24

$5.32 DKK 35.73

-32.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.57 DKK 30.65

$6.55 DKK 43.99

-30.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 DKK 19.68

$3.05 DKK 20.49

-3.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.63 DKK 64.7

Wine (Bottle)

$23.46 DKK 158

$22.20 DKK 149

5.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.68 DKK 31.39

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.21 DKK 28.29

$3.94 DKK 26.47

6.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 DKK 19.89

$3.72 DKK 25.01

-20.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.2 DKK 558

$88.6 DKK 595

-6.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 DKK 20.25

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.90 DKK 39.61

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.58 DKK 50.9

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 DKK 7.09

$0.77 DKK 5.16

37.66%

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

$39.3K DKK 264.0K

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

$13.6K DKK 91.2K

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

$257 DKK 1,728

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

$89.0 DKK 597

$65.7 DKK 441

35.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$132 DKK 889

$180 DKK 1,208

-26.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.8 DKK 408

Cinema Ticket

$18.15 DKK 122

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

$549 DKK 3,688

$590 DKK 3,964

-6.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,094 DKK 40.9K

$10.4K DKK 69.7K

-41.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.6 DKK 353

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$180 DKK 1,211

$161 DKK 1,082

11.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$225 DKK 1,509

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 DKK 10.5K

$470 DKK 3,153

233.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,385 DKK 9,302

$605 DKK 4,063

128.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,232 DKK 15.0K

$873 DKK 5,862

155.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,297 DKK 15.4K

$842 DKK 5,656

172.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,787 DKK 32.1K

$3,799 DKK 25.5K

26.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,721 DKK 31.7K

$4,000 DKK 26.9K

18.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,988 DKK 33.5K

$1,988 DKK 13.3K

150.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.71

4.95

-4.85%

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

Last update for Nuuk: October 24, 2026

Last update for Ilulissat: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nuuk

$1.4K 48.9%

Ilulissat

$605 23.2% 56.3% $780

Groceries & Markets

Nuuk

$609 21.5%

Ilulissat

$710 * 27.3% 16.6% $101

Eating Out

Nuuk

$347 12.2%

Ilulissat

$453 * 17.4% 30.7% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nuuk

$221 * 7.8%

Ilulissat

$503 19.3% 127% $282

Sport & Entertainment

Nuuk

$97 3.4%

Ilulissat

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Nuuk

$95 * 3.4%

Ilulissat

$136 5.2% 43.2% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Nuuk

$81 * 2.9%

Ilulissat

$197 * 7.6% 143% $116

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,566 in Nuuk versus $470 in Ilulissat. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Nuuk are about 2.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $103 in Nuuk versus $109 in Ilulissat. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $609 vs $710 – making Nuuk the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇱 Nuuk

🇬🇱 Ilulissat

🕒 Local time

20:35 8:35 PM

Same time as Nuuk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

18,326 Capital

4,700

💱 Currency

Danish Krone DKK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 DKK = 0.149 USD

1 DKK = 0.134 EUR

1 DKK = 0.149 USD

1 DKK = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nuuk Ilulissat 560 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Nuuk
Ilulissat

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

Nuuk vs Ilulissat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nuuk costs about 9% more than Ilulissat, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,253 per month in Nuuk and $3,907 in Ilulissat. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ilulissat, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $470 there versus $1,566 in Nuuk.

Public transport costs about 6% less in Nuuk. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $549 per month in Nuuk and $590 in Ilulissat. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Nuuk has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,605 in Ilulissat to $2,835 in Nuuk. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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