Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Varas and Reykjavik

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Varas: $1,130 a month against $4,002 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $34,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Puerto Varas
🇨🇱 Chile
$1,130
/mo nomad
Reykjavik
🇮🇸 Iceland
$4,002
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Puerto Varas 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 Puerto Varas and in Reykjavik actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,130 in Puerto Varas versus $4,002 in Reykjavik.

  • Puerto Varas $1,130
  • Reykjavik $4,002

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,624 in Puerto Varas versus $5,705 in Reykjavik.

  • Puerto Varas $1,624
  • Reykjavik $5,705

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,118 in Puerto Varas versus $7,407 in Reykjavik.

  • Puerto Varas $2,118
  • Reykjavik $7,407

Living in Puerto Varas costs roughly 72% less than in Reykjavik, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Puerto Varas is 16% below, Reykjavik is 196% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Puerto Varas
Reykjavik
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.47 CLP 12.3K
$31.56 ISK 3,828
-60.49%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$41.05 CLP 40.4K
$122 ISK 14.8K
-66.45%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.58 CLP 7,462
$26.86 ISK 3,258
-71.78%
Cappuccino
$3.28 CLP 3,231
$6.81 ISK 827
-51.84%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.99 CLP 977
$3.39 ISK 411
-70.80%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.80 CLP 785
$3.20 ISK 388
-75.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$14.14 ISK 1,715
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$12.31 ISK 1,493
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Puerto Varas
Reykjavik
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.09 CLP 1,077
$2.10 ISK 255
-48.10%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 CLP 1,830
$4.19 ISK 508
-55.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.61 CLP 1,582
$3.72 ISK 451
-56.72%
Eggs
$3.11 CLP 3,062
$7.05 ISK 856
-55.89%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.61 CLP 8,476
$21.56 ISK 2,615
-60.06%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.68 CLP 4,609
$24.68 ISK 2,993
-81.04%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.50 CLP 8,372
$42.19 ISK 5,117
-79.85%
Apples (1kg)
$1.78 CLP 1,751
$3.23 ISK 392
-44.89%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 CLP 1,922
$2.73 ISK 331
-28.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.61 CLP 2,565
$3.17 ISK 384
-17.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.89 CLP 1,862
$6.61 ISK 802
-71.41%
Potato (1kg)
$1.50 CLP 1,480
$3.85 ISK 467
-61.04%
Onion (1kg)
$1.25 CLP 1,230
$1.66 ISK 201
-24.70%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.32 CLP 1,296
$3.80 ISK 461
-65.26%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.13 CLP 1,117
$1.75 ISK 212
-35.43%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.96 CLP 4,884
$13.71 ISK 1,662
-63.82%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.63 CLP 4,557
$24.21 ISK 2,937
-80.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.40 CLP 1,379
$3.53 ISK 428
-60.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.25 CLP 1,226
$3.32 ISK 402
-62.35%
🚌 Getting Around
Puerto Varas
Reykjavik
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.10 CLP 1,078
$5.75 ISK 697
-80.87%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$93.8 ISK 11.4K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$6.61 ISK 802
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$2.90 ISK 352
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$79.2 ISK 9,602
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
-
$2.09 ISK 253
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$51.0K ISK 6.2M
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$53.3K ISK 6.5M
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Puerto Varas
Reykjavik
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$255 CLP 251.2K
$95.3 ISK 11.6K
167.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.06 CLP 15.8K
$32.35 ISK 3,923
-50.36%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
-
$87.5 ISK 10.6K
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Puerto Varas
Reykjavik
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.89 CLP 30.4K
$102 ISK 12.4K
-69.67%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$50.1 ISK 6,074
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$19.88 ISK 2,412
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Puerto Varas
Reykjavik
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$488 CLP 480.6K
$1,194 ISK 144.8K
-59.11%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,137 CLP 6.0M
$25.4K ISK 3.1M
-75.85%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Puerto Varas
Reykjavik
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$20.37 CLP 20.1K
$149 ISK 18.1K
-86.33%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$15.32 CLP 15.1K
$66.6 ISK 8,080
-77.00%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$61.1 CLP 60.1K
$180 ISK 21.8K
-66.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$253 ISK 30.7K
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Puerto Varas
Reykjavik
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$623 CLP 612.8K
$2,549 ISK 309.2K
-75.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$402 CLP 396.0K
$2,056 ISK 249.4K
-80.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$819 CLP 805.9K
$3,498 ISK 424.2K
-76.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$619 CLP 609.7K
$2,764 ISK 335.2K
-77.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$8,120 ISK 984.9K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$6,254 ISK 758.5K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Puerto Varas
Reykjavik
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$532 CLP 523.5K
$4,573 ISK 554.6K
-88.37%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
8.81
-

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

Last update for Puerto Varas: October 12, 2026

Last update for Reykjavik: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Puerto Varas
$402
Reykjavik
$2.1K 411% $1.7K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Puerto Varas
$271 *
Reykjavik
$215 20.7% $56
Groceries & Markets
Puerto Varas
$208
Reykjavik
$623 199% $414
Eating Out
Puerto Varas
$169 *
Reykjavik
$536 217% $367
Clothing & Footwear
Puerto Varas
$44 *
Reykjavik
$292 571% $248
Sport & Entertainment
Puerto Varas
$31 *
Reykjavik
$142 359% $111
Getting Around
Puerto Varas
$4.4 *
Reykjavik
$138 3049% $134

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $623 in Puerto Varas and $2,549 in Reykjavik. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Reykjavik pays 760% 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: $41.00 in Puerto Varas vs $122 in Reykjavik for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $208 vs $623 per month, with Puerto Varas cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇱 Puerto Varas
🇮🇸 Reykjavik
🕒 Local time
23:43 11:43 PM
02:43 2:43 AM
3 h ahead of Puerto Varas
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
41,255
136,894 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Puerto Varas Reykjavik 12,550 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Puerto Varas
  • 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
Puerto Varas vs Reykjavik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Puerto Varas or Reykjavik?
Puerto Varas wins on cost – living expenses run 254% lower than in Reykjavik. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Puerto Varas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Puerto Varas or in Reykjavik?
On paper, salaries run 760% lower in Reykjavik. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Puerto Varas compared to Reykjavik?
Rent for a central apartment: $623 in Puerto Varas versus $2,549 in Reykjavik. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Puerto Varas or in Reykjavik?
Supermarket bills run roughly 199% higher in Reykjavik. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How much does it cost to live in Puerto Varas compared to Reykjavik?
All in, you'll spend $1,130 per month in Puerto Varas versus $4,002 in Reykjavik – a 254% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Puerto Varas or in Reykjavik?
At $1,130 in Puerto Varas versus $4,002 in Reykjavik, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Puerto Varas but tight or insufficient in Reykjavik. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Varas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Puerto Varas or Reykjavik?
Both work as nomad bases, but Puerto Varas delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,130 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Puerto Varas hard to pass up.
How safe is Puerto Varas compared to Reykjavik?
Safety-wise, Puerto Varas and Reykjavik are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Puerto Varas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 254% less than in Reykjavik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Puerto Varas vs other spots: cost of living compared

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