Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,704 a month against $4,037 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

193

Cost of Living Index in Reykjavik
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Reykjavik Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,037

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Austin, TX

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,037 in Reykjavik versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Reykjavik $4,037
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,666 in Reykjavik versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Reykjavik $5,666
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,295 in Reykjavik versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Reykjavik $7,295
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Reykjavik is roughly 49% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Reykjavik 201% above, Austin, TX 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.59 ISK 3,727

$20.22 $20.22

51.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$136 ISK 16.5K

$85.0 $85.0

59.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$27.08 ISK 3,300

$12.35 $12.35

119.27%

Cappuccino

$6.72 ISK 818

$5.47 $5.47

22.85%

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

$3.27 ISK 399

$3.82 $3.82

-14.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 ISK 386

$2.50 $2.50

26.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.91 ISK 1,695

$8.06 $8.06

72.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.06 ISK 1,469

$8.99 $8.99

34.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ISK 248

$1.13 $1.13

80.53%

White Bread (500g)

$4.32 ISK 526

$3.78 $3.78

14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.67 ISK 447

$3.25 $3.25

12.92%

Eggs

$7.02 ISK 855

$4.14 $4.14

69.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.01 ISK 2,682

$13.08 $13.08

68.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.70 ISK 3,009

$14.31 $14.31

72.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.66 ISK 5,198

$15.96 $15.96

167.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 ISK 411

$4.38 $4.38

-23.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 ISK 347

$1.45 $1.45

96.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 ISK 387

$4.54 $4.54

-30.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.39 ISK 779

$4.19 $4.19

52.51%

Potato (1kg)

$4.01 ISK 489

$2.63 $2.63

52.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 ISK 200

$2.36 $2.36

-30.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.80 ISK 462

$1.76 $1.76

115.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ISK 212

$2.16 $2.16

-19.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.80 ISK 1,681

$9.81 $9.81

40.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.38 ISK 2,849

$14.72 $14.72

58.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 ISK 430

$2.78 $2.78

26.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 ISK 420

$3.48 $3.48

-0.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.77 ISK 703

$1.49 $1.49

287.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.1 ISK 11.6K

$40.51 $40.51

134.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.63 ISK 808

$2.67 $2.67

148.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.79 ISK 340

$1.58 $1.58

76.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$81.4 ISK 9,915

$35.29 $35.29

130.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 ISK 257

$0.99 $0.99

113.13%

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

$50.8K ISK 6.2M

$35.8K $35.8K

41.93%

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

$52.7K ISK 6.4M

$27.2K $27.2K

94.06%

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

$88.7 ISK 10.8K

$219 $219

-59.56%

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

$31.53 ISK 3,842

$58.0 $58.0

-45.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.6 ISK 10.3K

$68.4 $68.4

23.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$100 ISK 12.2K

$57.9 $57.9

73.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.20 ISK 5,873

$14.82 $14.82

225.24%

Cinema Ticket

$19.87 ISK 2,422

$14.13 $14.13

40.62%

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

$1,277 ISK 155.7K

$1,509 $1,509

-15.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.0K ISK 3.8M

$21.5K $21.5K

44.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$161 ISK 19.6K

$51.7 $51.7

211.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.9 ISK 7,908

$44.05 $44.05

47.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$183 ISK 22.3K

$85.1 $85.1

114.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$254 ISK 30.9K

$105 $105

141.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,499 ISK 304.6K

$1,932 $1,932

29.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 ISK 243.7K

$1,272 $1,272

57.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,452 ISK 420.6K

$3,670 $3,670

-5.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 ISK 334.2K

$2,525 $2,525

8.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,001 ISK 974.9K

$7,617 $7,617

5.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,249 ISK 761.5K

$3,199 $3,199

95.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,691 ISK 571.6K

$5,105 $5,105

-8.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

6.79

29.75%

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

Last update for Reykjavik: October 4, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reykjavik

$2K 50.9%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 36.4% $728

Groceries & Markets

Reykjavik

$625 15.9%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 35.5% $222

Eating Out

Reykjavik

$526 13.4%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 33.8% $178

Clothing & Footwear

Reykjavik

$298 7.6%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 56.8% $169

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reykjavik

$205 5.2%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 68.7% $141

Sport & Entertainment

Reykjavik

$140 3.6%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 38.5% $54

Getting Around

Reykjavik

$139 3.5%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 58.9% $82

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,499 in Reykjavik and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $136 in Reykjavik vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $625 vs $403 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

05:46 5:46 AM

00:46 12:46 AM

5 h behind Reykjavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,894 Capital

974,447

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.21 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to ISK – Icelandic Króna Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇸 Icelandic Króna (kr)

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.21 USD). 1 EUR = 137 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Reykjavik Austin, TX 6,330 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Reykjavik
Austin, TX

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 Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Reykjavik. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,499 in Reykjavik versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $4,037 per month in Reykjavik versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 49% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 135% less than in Reykjavik. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Austin, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,704 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Reykjavik and Austin, TX 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 Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Reykjavik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.