Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Americana

For one person, living is cheaper in Americana: $886 a month against $4,023 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $37,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

193

Cost of Living Index in Reykjavik
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Reykjavik Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Americana
Learn more

Americana Living Index

Jump to prices

Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,023

/mo nomad

Americana

🇧🇷 Brazil

$886

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Americana

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,023 in Reykjavik versus $886 in Americana.

Reykjavik $4,023
Americana $886

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,708 in Reykjavik versus $1,400 in Americana.

Reykjavik $5,708
Americana $1,400

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,393 in Reykjavik versus $1,914 in Americana.

Reykjavik $7,393
Americana $1,914

Living in Reykjavik is roughly 354% more expensive than in Americana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Reykjavik is 197% above, Americana is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.00 ISK 3,760

$5.84 R$29.61

430.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 ISK 14.9K

$24.19 R$123

409.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$27.21 ISK 3,300

$8.10 R$41.07

235.93%

Cappuccino

$6.90 ISK 837

$2.08 R$10.54

231.73%

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

$3.30 ISK 401

$1.83 R$9.26

80.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 ISK 384

$1.26 R$6.39

150.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.84 ISK 1,678

$1.47 R$7.44

841.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.46 ISK 1,512

$2.46 R$12.46

406.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 ISK 250

$1.03 R$5.20

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.11 ISK 498

$1.73 R$8.78

137.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.68 ISK 446

$1.30 R$6.57

183.08%

Eggs

$7.27 ISK 882

$2.18 R$11.07

233.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.79 ISK 2,643

$9.17 R$46.48

137.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$23.95 ISK 2,905

$4.34 R$22.02

451.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.43 ISK 5,025

$8.33 R$42.21

397.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 ISK 414

$2.24 R$11.36

52.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 ISK 344

$1.25 R$6.35

127.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 ISK 391

$1.23 R$6.24

162.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.46 ISK 783

$1.47 R$7.43

339.46%

Potato (1kg)

$4.05 ISK 491

$1.21 R$6.15

234.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 ISK 202

$1.09 R$5.52

52.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.86 ISK 468

$0.84 R$4.25

359.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ISK 223

$0.78 R$3.97

135.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.96 ISK 1,693

$2.30 R$11.64

506.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.76 ISK 2,882

$8.93 R$45.26

166.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.54 ISK 430

$1.35 R$6.83

162.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 ISK 418

$2.07 R$10.49

66.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.81 ISK 705

$1.01 R$5.11

475.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.3 ISK 11.6K

$43.79 R$222

117.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.72 ISK 815

$1.31 R$6.64

412.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.81 ISK 340

$0.86 R$4.34

226.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$81.3 ISK 9,866

$7.94 R$40.25

924.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 ISK 257

$1.22 R$6.17

73.77%

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

$68.9K ISK 8.4M

$23.7K R$120.2K

190.72%

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

$55.8K ISK 6.8M

$33.7K R$171.1K

65.35%

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

$95.8 ISK 11.6K

$55.8 R$283

71.86%

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

$33.11 ISK 4,016

$12.50 R$63.3

164.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.2 ISK 10.6K

$22.40 R$114

289.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$101 ISK 12.3K

$18.79 R$95.3

437.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.7 ISK 6,155

$27.75 R$141

82.85%

Cinema Ticket

$19.85 ISK 2,407

$7.15 R$36.27

177.62%

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

$1,195 ISK 144.9K

$280 R$1,417

327.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.2K ISK 3.2M

$7,188 R$36.4K

264.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$148 ISK 18.0K

$78.7 R$399

88.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.8 ISK 8,096

$66.5 R$337

0.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$187 ISK 22.6K

$111 R$562

68.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$253 ISK 30.6K

$85.5 R$433

195.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,579 ISK 312.8K

$355 R$1,799

626.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,080 ISK 252.3K

$241 R$1,220

764.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,455 ISK 419.0K

$681 R$3,452

407.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,752 ISK 333.8K

$467 R$2,366

489.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,933 ISK 962.2K

$1,734 R$8,792

357.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,377 ISK 773.5K

$1,215 R$6,160

424.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,695 ISK 569.5K

$748 R$3,792

527.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

-19.91%

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

Last update for Reykjavik: October 20, 2026

Last update for Americana: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reykjavik

$2.1K 51.7%

Americana

$241 27.2% 88.4% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Reykjavik

$619 15.4%

Americana

$194 21.9% 68.7% $425

Eating Out

Reykjavik

$532 13.2%

Americana

$121 13.6% 77.4% $412

Clothing & Footwear

Reykjavik

$294 7.3%

Americana

$154 17.3% 47.8% $141

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reykjavik

$216 5.4%

Americana

$91 10.2% 58.1% $125

Sport & Entertainment

Reykjavik

$141 3.5%

Americana

$33 3.7% 76.5% $108

Getting Around

Reykjavik

$139 3.5%

Americana

$53 6% 61.7% $86

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,579 in Reykjavik and $355 in Americana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Reykjavik pays 528% 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: $123 in Reykjavik vs $24.00 in Americana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $619 vs $194 per month, with Americana cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🇧🇷 Americana

🕒 Local time

00:20 12:20 AM

21:20 9:20 PM

3 h behind Reykjavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,894 Capital

237,240

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to ISK – Icelandic Króna Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇸 Icelandic Króna (kr)

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Reykjavik Americana 9,910 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Reykjavik
Americana

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

Reykjavik vs Americana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Americana wins on cost – living expenses run 354% lower than in Reykjavik. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Americana the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 528% higher in Reykjavik, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,579 in Reykjavik versus $355 in Americana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Americana runs roughly 118% less than in Reykjavik. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,195 in Reykjavik versus $280 in Americana. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $886 in Americana versus $4,023 in Reykjavik, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Americana but tight or insufficient in Reykjavik. The gap between the two cities makes Americana the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Americana delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $886 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Americana hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Reykjavik and Americana 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 Americana gentler on the wallet – expenses run 354% less than in Reykjavik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.