Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Barbacena

For one person, living is cheaper in Barbacena: $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 Barbacena
Learn more

Barbacena Living Index

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Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,002

/mo nomad

Barbacena

🇧🇷 Brazil

$857

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Barbacena

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,002 in Reykjavik versus $857 in Barbacena.

Reykjavik $4,002
Barbacena $857

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,705 in Reykjavik versus $1,305 in Barbacena.

Reykjavik $5,705
Barbacena $1,305

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,407 in Reykjavik versus $1,753 in Barbacena.

Reykjavik $7,407
Barbacena $1,753

Living in Reykjavik is roughly 367% more expensive than in Barbacena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Reykjavik is 196% above, Barbacena is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.56 ISK 3,834

$5.35 R$26.86

489.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 ISK 14.9K

$20.84 R$105

487.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$26.86 ISK 3,263

$5.93 R$29.74

352.95%

Cappuccino

$6.81 ISK 828

$1.74 R$8.73

291.38%

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

$3.39 ISK 411

$1.57 R$7.89

115.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ISK 389

$0.86 R$4.30

272.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$14.14 ISK 1,717

$1.32 R$6.62

971.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.31 ISK 1,495

$2.27 R$11.37

442.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 ISK 255

$1.14 R$5.69

84.21%

White Bread (500g)

$4.19 ISK 509

$2.06 R$10.36

103.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 ISK 452

$1.22 R$6.12

204.92%

Eggs

$7.05 ISK 857

$2.38 R$11.96

196.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.56 ISK 2,619

$10.81 R$54.3

99.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.68 ISK 2,998

$4.44 R$22.25

455.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.19 ISK 5,125

$9.97 R$50.0

323.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ISK 393

$2.90 R$14.54

11.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 ISK 332

$1.83 R$9.19

49.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 ISK 385

$1.57 R$7.89

101.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.61 ISK 804

$1.79 R$9.00

269.27%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ISK 467

$1.21 R$6.08

218.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 ISK 201

$1.04 R$5.20

59.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.80 ISK 462

$0.71 R$3.55

435.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 ISK 212

$0.70 R$3.50

150.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.71 ISK 1,665

$3.02 R$15.17

353.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.21 ISK 2,942

$7.83 R$39.29

209.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 ISK 429

$1.18 R$5.93

199.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ISK 403

$2.42 R$12.14

37.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.75 ISK 698

$0.97 R$4.87

492.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 ISK 11.4K

$45.05 R$226

108.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.61 ISK 804

$1.26 R$6.34

424.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.90 ISK 352

$0.85 R$4.26

241.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.2 ISK 9,617

$9.35 R$46.91

746.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 ISK 254

$1.31 R$6.56

59.54%

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

$51.0K ISK 6.2M

$23.5K R$118.0K

117.00%

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

$53.3K ISK 6.5M

$32.7K R$164.1K

62.90%

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

$95.3 ISK 11.6K

$136 R$685

-30.19%

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

$32.35 ISK 3,929

$11.02 R$55.3

193.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.5 ISK 10.6K

$22.95 R$115

281.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 ISK 12.4K

$26.50 R$133

284.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.1 ISK 6,083

$29.48 R$148

69.88%

Cinema Ticket

$19.88 ISK 2,415

$7.94 R$39.85

150.38%

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

$1,194 ISK 145.0K

$596 R$2,992

100.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.4K ISK 3.1M

$13.4K R$67.3K

89.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$149 ISK 18.1K

$41.74 R$209

257.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.6 ISK 8,093

$48.77 R$245

36.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$180 ISK 21.9K

$75.6 R$379

137.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$253 ISK 30.8K

$67.2 R$337

277.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,549 ISK 309.7K

$234 R$1,172

991.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,056 ISK 249.8K

$168 R$841

1126.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,498 ISK 424.9K

$434 R$2,178

705.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,764 ISK 335.7K

$307 R$1,539

800.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,120 ISK 986.4K

$1,629 R$8,175

398.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,254 ISK 759.7K

$1,334 R$6,692

368.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,573 ISK 555.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

11.93

-26.15%

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

Last update for Reykjavik: October 12, 2026

Last update for Barbacena: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reykjavik

$2.1K 51.4%

Barbacena

$168 19.6% 91.8% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

Reykjavik

$623 15.6%

Barbacena

$215 25.1% 65.5% $408

Eating Out

Reykjavik

$536 13.4%

Barbacena

$102 11.9% 80.9% $434

Clothing & Footwear

Reykjavik

$292 7.3%

Barbacena

$105 12.3% 64% $187

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reykjavik

$215 5.4%

Barbacena

$170 19.9% 20.8% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Reykjavik

$142 3.5%

Barbacena

$42 5% 70.1% $99

Getting Around

Reykjavik

$138 3.5%

Barbacena

$54 6.4% 60.5% $83

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,549 in Reykjavik and $234 in Barbacena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $122 in Reykjavik vs $21.00 in Barbacena for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $623 vs $215 per month, with Barbacena cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🇧🇷 Barbacena

🕒 Local time

12:02 12:02 PM

09:02 9:02 AM

3 h behind Reykjavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,894 Capital

125,317

💱 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 = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.62 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Reykjavik Barbacena 9,680 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Reykjavik
Barbacena

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 Barbacena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Reykjavik and Barbacena differ by about 367% in total monthly costs ($4,002 vs $857 including rent). Barbacena is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $6,003 in Reykjavik and $1,286 in Barbacena to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,549 in Reykjavik versus $234 in Barbacena. 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 $857 in Barbacena – a 367% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Barbacena runs roughly 108% less than in Reykjavik. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $857 in Barbacena versus $4,002 in Reykjavik, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Barbacena but tight or insufficient in Reykjavik. The gap between the two cities makes Barbacena 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 Barbacena 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 Barbacena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 367% less than in Reykjavik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.