Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Araxa

For one person, living is cheaper in Araxa: $881 a month against $4,002 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $37,500 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 Araxa
Learn more

Araxa Living Index

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Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,002

/mo nomad

Araxa

🇧🇷 Brazil

$881

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Araxa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,002 in Reykjavik versus $881 in Araxa.

Reykjavik $4,002
Araxa $881

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,705 in Reykjavik versus $1,393 in Araxa.

Reykjavik $5,705
Araxa $1,393

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,407 in Reykjavik versus $1,906 in Araxa.

Reykjavik $7,407
Araxa $1,906

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Reykjavik is 196% above, Araxa is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.56 ISK 3,828

$6.39 R$32.38

393.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 ISK 14.8K

$27.69 R$140

341.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$26.86 ISK 3,258

$8.65 R$43.85

210.52%

Cappuccino

$6.81 ISK 827

$1.81 R$9.20

276.24%

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

$3.39 ISK 411

$1.23 R$6.25

175.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ISK 388

$0.81 R$4.13

295.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$14.14 ISK 1,715

$1.70 R$8.62

731.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.31 ISK 1,493

$3.20 R$16.22

284.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 ISK 255

$1.02 R$5.17

105.88%

White Bread (500g)

$4.19 ISK 508

$1.74 R$8.83

140.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 ISK 451

$1.22 R$6.18

204.92%

Eggs

$7.05 ISK 856

$2.23 R$11.30

216.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.56 ISK 2,615

$9.45 R$47.90

128.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.68 ISK 2,993

$4.33 R$21.94

469.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.19 ISK 5,117

$8.46 R$42.87

398.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ISK 392

$2.18 R$11.04

48.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 ISK 331

$1.27 R$6.44

114.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 ISK 384

$1.18 R$5.97

168.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.61 ISK 802

$1.53 R$7.73

332.03%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ISK 467

$1.18 R$5.98

226.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 ISK 201

$1.14 R$5.78

45.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.80 ISK 461

$0.78 R$3.96

387.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 ISK 212

$0.83 R$4.22

110.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.71 ISK 1,662

$2.47 R$12.52

455.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.21 ISK 2,937

$7.97 R$40.39

203.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 ISK 428

$1.34 R$6.77

163.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ISK 402

$2.10 R$10.64

58.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.75 ISK 697

$0.98 R$4.97

486.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 ISK 11.4K

$40.29 R$204

132.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.61 ISK 802

$1.16 R$5.86

469.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.90 ISK 352

$0.95 R$4.82

205.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.2 ISK 9,602

$9.25 R$46.91

755.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 ISK 253

$1.31 R$6.65

59.54%

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

$51.0K ISK 6.2M

$23.9K R$121.4K

113.06%

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

$53.3K ISK 6.5M

$34.7K R$176.0K

53.42%

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

$95.3 ISK 11.6K

$75.4 R$382

26.31%

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

$32.35 ISK 3,923

$13.91 R$70.5

132.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.5 ISK 10.6K

$21.18 R$107

313.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 ISK 12.4K

$25.71 R$130

296.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.1 ISK 6,074

$27.86 R$141

79.76%

Cinema Ticket

$19.88 ISK 2,412

$7.12 R$36.08

179.21%

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

$1,194 ISK 144.8K

$285 R$1,445

318.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.4K ISK 3.1M

$7,880 R$39.9K

222.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$149 ISK 18.1K

$55.2 R$280

169.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.6 ISK 8,080

$50.7 R$257

31.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$180 ISK 21.8K

$91.9 R$466

95.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$253 ISK 30.7K

$72.3 R$367

250.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,549 ISK 309.2K

$351 R$1,781

625.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,056 ISK 249.4K

$243 R$1,232

745.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,498 ISK 424.2K

$672 R$3,405

420.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,764 ISK 335.2K

$479 R$2,427

477.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,120 ISK 984.9K

$1,724 R$8,738

371.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,254 ISK 758.5K

$1,048 R$5,313

496.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,573 ISK 554.6K

$245 R$1,241

1767.60%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Araxa: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reykjavik

$2.1K 51.4%

Araxa

$243 27.6% 88.2% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Reykjavik

$623 15.6%

Araxa

$193 22% 68.9% $429

Eating Out

Reykjavik

$536 13.4%

Araxa

$122 13.8% 77.3% $415

Clothing & Footwear

Reykjavik

$292 7.3%

Araxa

$122 13.8% 58.3% $170

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reykjavik

$215 5.4%

Araxa

$111 12.6% 48.6% $105

Sport & Entertainment

Reykjavik

$142 3.5%

Araxa

$40 4.5% 71.8% $102

Getting Around

Reykjavik

$138 3.5%

Araxa

$50 5.7% 63.7% $88

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,549 in Reykjavik and $351 in Araxa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Reykjavik pays 1768% 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 $28.00 in Araxa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $623 vs $193 per month, with Araxa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🇧🇷 Araxa

🕒 Local time

16:02 4:02 PM

13:02 1:02 PM

3 h behind Reykjavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,894 Capital

111,691

💱 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

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Between locations

Reykjavik Araxa 9,560 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Reykjavik
Araxa

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 Araxa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay runs 1768% 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 $351 in Araxa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $4,002 per month in Reykjavik versus $881 in Araxa – a 354% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Araxa runs roughly 133% less than in Reykjavik. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $881 in Araxa versus $4,002 in Reykjavik, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Araxa but tight or insufficient in Reykjavik. The gap between the two cities makes Araxa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Araxa delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $881 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Araxa hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Reykjavik and Araxa 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 Araxa 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.