Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Aracaju

For one person, living is cheaper in Aracaju: $746 a month against $4,002 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $39,100 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Aracaju
Learn more

Aracaju Living Index

Jump to prices

Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,002

/mo nomad

Aracaju

🇧🇷 Brazil

$746

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Aracaju

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 Aracaju actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,002 in Reykjavik versus $746 in Aracaju.

Reykjavik $4,002
Aracaju $746

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,705 in Reykjavik versus $1,168 in Aracaju.

Reykjavik $5,705
Aracaju $1,168

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,407 in Reykjavik versus $1,590 in Aracaju.

Reykjavik $7,407
Aracaju $1,590

Living in Reykjavik is roughly 436% more expensive than in Aracaju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Reykjavik is 196% above, Aracaju is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.56 ISK 3,834

$4.94 R$24.85

538.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 ISK 14.9K

$24.53 R$123

398.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$26.86 ISK 3,263

$6.17 R$31.02

335.33%

Cappuccino

$6.81 ISK 828

$1.74 R$8.73

291.38%

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

$3.39 ISK 411

$1.18 R$5.91

187.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ISK 389

$0.67 R$3.36

377.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$14.14 ISK 1,717

$1.95 R$9.79

625.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.31 ISK 1,495

$2.82 R$14.20

336.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 ISK 255

$1.05 R$5.28

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.19 ISK 509

$1.53 R$7.70

173.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 ISK 452

$1.21 R$6.10

207.44%

Eggs

$7.05 ISK 857

$1.68 R$8.46

319.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.56 ISK 2,619

$7.70 R$38.72

180.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.68 ISK 2,998

$3.79 R$19.04

551.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.19 ISK 5,125

$7.42 R$37.30

468.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ISK 393

$2.15 R$10.79

50.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 ISK 332

$1.31 R$6.60

108.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 ISK 385

$0.73 R$3.66

334.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.61 ISK 804

$1.02 R$5.14

548.04%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ISK 467

$0.97 R$4.90

296.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 ISK 201

$0.91 R$4.59

82.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.80 ISK 462

$0.51 R$2.57

645.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 ISK 212

$0.76 R$3.81

130.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.71 ISK 1,665

$2.34 R$11.77

485.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.21 ISK 2,942

$6.12 R$30.76

295.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 ISK 429

$1.28 R$6.46

175.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ISK 403

$2.03 R$10.22

63.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.75 ISK 698

$0.94 R$4.71

511.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 ISK 11.4K

$42.85 R$215

118.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.61 ISK 804

$1.68 R$8.46

293.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.90 ISK 352

$1.22 R$6.11

137.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.2 ISK 9,617

$6.92 R$34.76

1043.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 ISK 254

$1.27 R$6.37

64.57%

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

$51.0K ISK 6.2M

$23.4K R$117.7K

117.89%

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

$53.3K ISK 6.5M

$34.2K R$171.7K

55.97%

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

$95.3 ISK 11.6K

$96.5 R$485

-1.32%

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

$32.35 ISK 3,929

$9.68 R$48.63

234.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.5 ISK 10.6K

$17.43 R$87.6

402.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 ISK 12.4K

$22.93 R$115

344.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.1 ISK 6,083

$27.44 R$138

82.51%

Cinema Ticket

$19.88 ISK 2,415

$6.45 R$32.41

208.22%

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

$1,194 ISK 145.0K

$188 R$944

535.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.4K ISK 3.1M

$5,306 R$26.7K

378.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$149 ISK 18.1K

$58.9 R$296

153.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.6 ISK 8,093

$35.28 R$177

88.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$180 ISK 21.9K

$87.6 R$440

105.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$253 ISK 30.8K

$82.6 R$415

206.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,549 ISK 309.7K

$313 R$1,573

714.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,056 ISK 249.8K

$145 R$727

1320.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,498 ISK 424.9K

$639 R$3,210

447.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,764 ISK 335.7K

$277 R$1,392

898.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,120 ISK 986.4K

$1,301 R$6,537

524.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,254 ISK 759.7K

$903 R$4,539

592.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,573 ISK 555.5K

$453 R$2,279

908.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

-11.90%

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

Last update for Reykjavik: October 12, 2026

Last update for Aracaju: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reykjavik

$2.1K 51.4%

Aracaju

$145 19.4% 93% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

Reykjavik

$623 15.6%

Aracaju

$167 22.4% 73.2% $456

Eating Out

Reykjavik

$536 13.4%

Aracaju

$102 13.6% 81% $435

Clothing & Footwear

Reykjavik

$292 7.3%

Aracaju

$119 15.9% 59.3% $173

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reykjavik

$215 5.4%

Aracaju

$124 16.6% 42.5% $92

Sport & Entertainment

Reykjavik

$142 3.5%

Aracaju

$36 4.8% 74.7% $106

Getting Around

Reykjavik

$138 3.5%

Aracaju

$54 7.3% 60.6% $84

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,549 in Reykjavik and $313 in Aracaju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Reykjavik pays 909% 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: $122 in Reykjavik vs $25.00 in Aracaju for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $623 vs $167 per month, with Aracaju cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🇧🇷 Aracaju

🕒 Local time

11:06 11:06 AM

08:06 8:06 AM

3 h behind Reykjavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,894 Capital

602,757

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.23 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.35 EUR

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 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 14, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.23 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.35 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 5.03 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.63 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Reykjavik Aracaju 8,440 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Reykjavik
Aracaju

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 Aracaju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Reykjavik and Aracaju differ by about 436% in total monthly costs ($4,002 vs $746 including rent). Aracaju is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 909% 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: $2,549 in Reykjavik versus $313 in Aracaju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,194 in Reykjavik versus $188 in Aracaju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 273% higher in Reykjavik. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $746 in Aracaju versus $4,002 in Reykjavik, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Aracaju but tight or insufficient in Reykjavik. The gap between the two cities makes Aracaju the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Reykjavik and Aracaju 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 Aracaju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 436% less than in Reykjavik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.