Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Araras

For one person, living is cheaper in Araras: $857 a month against $4,002 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $37,700 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
42

Cost of Living Index in Araras
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Araras Living Index

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Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,002

/mo nomad

Araras

🇧🇷 Brazil

$857

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Araras

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

A single person spends $4,002 per month in Reykjavik vs $857 in Araras, rent included.

Reykjavik $4,002
Araras $857

A couple spends around $5,705 per month in Reykjavik vs $1,387 in Araras, rent included.

Reykjavik $5,705
Araras $1,387

A family of three spends $7,407 per month in Reykjavik vs $1,916 in Araras, rent included.

Reykjavik $7,407
Araras $1,916

Reykjavik costs about 367% more than Araras, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Reykjavik sits 196% above the global median, while Araras is 37% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.56 ISK 3,828

$5.40 R$27.36

484.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 ISK 14.8K

$31.60 R$160

287.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$26.86 ISK 3,258

$7.13 R$36.15

276.72%

Cappuccino

$6.81 ISK 827

$2.46 R$12.47

176.83%

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

$3.39 ISK 411

$1.37 R$6.95

147.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ISK 388

$0.93 R$4.73

244.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$14.14 ISK 1,715

$2.43 R$12.34

481.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.31 ISK 1,493

$3.04 R$15.41

304.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 ISK 255

$1.02 R$5.16

105.88%

White Bread (500g)

$4.19 ISK 508

$1.57 R$7.94

166.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 ISK 451

$0.79 R$3.99

370.89%

Eggs

$7.05 ISK 856

$2.02 R$10.25

249.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.56 ISK 2,615

$12.27 R$62.2

75.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.68 ISK 2,993

$4.80 R$24.32

414.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.19 ISK 5,117

$9.72 R$49.28

334.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ISK 392

$2.14 R$10.84

50.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 ISK 331

$1.23 R$6.23

121.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 ISK 384

$0.70 R$3.54

352.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.61 ISK 802

$1.80 R$9.11

267.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ISK 467

$0.84 R$4.25

358.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 ISK 201

$0.68 R$3.46

144.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.80 ISK 461

$1.01 R$5.13

276.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 ISK 212

$0.52 R$2.63

236.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.71 ISK 1,662

$2.35 R$11.89

483.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.21 ISK 2,937

$8.11 R$41.09

198.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 ISK 428

$0.72 R$3.65

390.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ISK 402

$1.89 R$9.60

75.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.75 ISK 697

$1.04 R$5.26

452.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 ISK 11.4K

$45.56 R$231

105.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.61 ISK 802

$1.52 R$7.68

334.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.90 ISK 352

$1.64 R$8.29

76.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.2 ISK 9,602

$7.94 R$40.28

896.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 ISK 253

$1.06 R$5.35

97.17%

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

$51.0K ISK 6.2M

$24.1K R$122.3K

111.47%

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

$53.3K ISK 6.5M

$32.4K R$164.4K

64.30%

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

$95.3 ISK 11.6K

$40.62 R$206

134.52%

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

$32.35 ISK 3,923

$12.04 R$61.0

168.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.5 ISK 10.6K

$19.12 R$96.9

357.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 ISK 12.4K

$45.80 R$232

122.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.1 ISK 6,074

$27.51 R$139

82.04%

Cinema Ticket

$19.88 ISK 2,412

$5.94 R$30.09

234.68%

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

$1,194 ISK 144.8K

$286 R$1,448

317.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.4K ISK 3.1M

$10.4K R$52.5K

145.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$149 ISK 18.1K

$54.7 R$277

172.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.6 ISK 8,080

$37.80 R$192

76.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$180 ISK 21.8K

$96.5 R$489

86.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$253 ISK 30.7K

$59.9 R$304

322.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,549 ISK 309.2K

$234 R$1,188

987.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,056 ISK 249.4K

$240 R$1,217

756.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,498 ISK 424.2K

$679 R$3,444

414.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,764 ISK 335.2K

$472 R$2,393

485.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,120 ISK 984.9K

$1,743 R$8,834

365.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,254 ISK 758.5K

$1,197 R$6,070

422.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,573 ISK 554.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

12.79

-31.12%

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

Last update for Reykjavik: October 12, 2026

Last update for Araras: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reykjavik

$2.1K 51.4%

Araras

$240 28% 88.3% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Reykjavik

$623 15.6%

Araras

$195 22.7% 68.7% $428

Eating Out

Reykjavik

$536 13.4%

Araras

$122 14.2% 77.3% $415

Clothing & Footwear

Reykjavik

$292 7.3%

Araras

$112 13.1% 61.6% $180

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reykjavik

$215 5.4%

Araras

$72 8.4% 66.6% $143

Sport & Entertainment

Reykjavik

$142 3.5%

Araras

$58 6.7% 59.3% $84

Getting Around

Reykjavik

$138 3.5%

Araras

$59 6.9% 56.9% $79

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,549 in Reykjavik versus $234 in Araras. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $122 in Reykjavik versus $32.00 in Araras. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $623 vs $195 – making Araras the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🇧🇷 Araras

🕒 Local time

07:33 7:33 AM

04:33 4:33 AM

3 h behind Reykjavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,894 Capital

130,866

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Araras 9,870 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Reykjavik
Araras

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 Araras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Reykjavik costs about 367% more than Araras, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,003 per month in Reykjavik and $1,286 in Araras. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 106% less in Araras. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,194 per month in Reykjavik and $286 in Araras. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Araras, where all-in costs run around $857, than in Reykjavik at $4,002. In Araras it covers expenses comfortably, while in Reykjavik it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Araras costs $857 versus $4,002 in Reykjavik. 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 Araras. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Reykjavik makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.