Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Biel

For one person, living is cheaper in Biel: $2,882 a month against $4,031 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 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
137

Cost of Living Index in Biel
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Biel Living Index

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Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,031

/mo nomad

Biel

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,882

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Biel

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

A single person spends $4,031 per month in Reykjavik vs $2,882 in Biel, rent included.

Reykjavik $4,031
Biel $2,882

A couple spends around $5,731 per month in Reykjavik vs $4,522 in Biel, rent included.

Reykjavik $5,731
Biel $4,522

A family of three spends $7,431 per month in Reykjavik vs $6,163 in Biel, rent included.

Reykjavik $7,431
Biel $6,163

Reykjavik costs about 40% more than Biel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Reykjavik and Biel sit above the global median – Reykjavik by 198%, Biel by 113%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.60 ISK 3,718

$30.14 CHF 24.58

1.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 ISK 14.9K

$108 CHF 87.9

13.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$27.27 ISK 3,313

$18.51 CHF 15.09

47.33%

Cappuccino

$6.90 ISK 838

$6.17 CHF 5.03

11.83%

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

$3.39 ISK 412

$4.95 CHF 4.04

-31.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ISK 387

$4.08 CHF 3.33

-22.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$14.10 ISK 1,713

$7.82 CHF 6.37

80.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.44 ISK 1,511

$4.83 CHF 3.94

157.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ISK 249

$2.09 CHF 1.71

-1.91%

White Bread (500g)

$4.36 ISK 529

$4.03 CHF 3.29

8.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.62 ISK 440

$3.24 CHF 2.64

11.73%

Eggs

$7.06 ISK 857

$7.57 CHF 6.17

-6.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.58 ISK 2,622

$22.23 CHF 18.13

-2.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.14 ISK 2,933

$28.41 CHF 23.16

-15.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.47 ISK 5,039

$39.40 CHF 32.13

5.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 ISK 371

$3.13 CHF 2.56

-2.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 ISK 342

$2.05 CHF 1.67

37.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.15 ISK 383

$2.57 CHF 2.10

22.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ISK 779

$3.12 CHF 2.54

105.45%

Potato (1kg)

$3.98 ISK 484

$1.50 CHF 1.23

165.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 ISK 200

$1.86 CHF 1.52

-11.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.73 ISK 453

$2.06 CHF 1.68

81.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 ISK 213

$1.12 CHF 0.91

56.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.94 ISK 1,694

$10.85 CHF 8.85

28.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.99 ISK 2,915

$15.47 CHF 12.61

55.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.67 ISK 446

$0.96 CHF 0.78

282.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 ISK 421

$1.87 CHF 1.53

85.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.75 ISK 699

$5.00 CHF 4.08

15.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.5 ISK 11.6K

$95.7 CHF 78.0

-0.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.15 ISK 868

$7.81 CHF 6.37

-8.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.69 ISK 448

$4.72 CHF 3.85

-21.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$97.7 ISK 11.9K

$85.1 CHF 69.4

14.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 ISK 243

$2.34 CHF 1.91

-14.53%

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

$68.0K ISK 8.3M

$39.3K CHF 32.1K

72.90%

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

$55.8K ISK 6.8M

$35.5K CHF 29.0K

57.01%

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

$96.9 ISK 11.8K

$136 CHF 111

-28.70%

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

$32.89 ISK 3,996

$36.33 CHF 29.63

-9.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$89.6 ISK 10.9K

$52.8 CHF 43.03

69.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$99.0 ISK 12.0K

$78.2 CHF 63.8

26.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$51.0 ISK 6,191

Cinema Ticket

$19.75 ISK 2,400

$22.31 CHF 18.19

-11.47%

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

$1,203 ISK 146.2K

$2,738 CHF 2,233

-56.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K ISK 2.3M

$41.7K CHF 34.0K

-55.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$151 ISK 18.3K

$109 CHF 89.0

38.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.9 ISK 7,880

$40.63 CHF 33.13

59.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$183 ISK 22.3K

$139 CHF 113

32.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$255 ISK 31.0K

$215 CHF 175

18.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,615 ISK 317.7K

$1,279 CHF 1,043

104.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,086 ISK 253.4K

$1,150 CHF 938

81.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,535 ISK 429.6K

$2,325 CHF 1,896

52.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,796 ISK 339.7K

$2,065 CHF 1,684

35.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,182 ISK 994.1K

$9,897 CHF 8,071

-17.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,284 ISK 763.5K

$7,910 CHF 6,450

-20.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,790 ISK 581.9K

$5,757 CHF 4,695

-16.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

1.68

424.40%

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

Last update for Reykjavik: November 1, 2026

Last update for Biel: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reykjavik

$2.1K 51.7%

Biel

$1.2K 39.9% 44.8% $935

Groceries & Markets

Reykjavik

$618 15.3%

Biel

$555 19.2% 10.2% $63

Eating Out

Reykjavik

$531 13.2%

Biel

$456 15.8% 14.2% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Reykjavik

$294 7.3%

Biel

$226 7.9% 23.1% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reykjavik

$219 5.4%

Biel

$225 7.8% 2.6% $5.7

Getting Around

Reykjavik

$144 3.6%

Biel

$147 5.1% 2.1% $3

Sport & Entertainment

Reykjavik

$138 3.4%

Biel

$123 4.3% 11.3% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,615 in Reykjavik versus $1,279 in Biel. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 20% higher in Biel, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $122 in Reykjavik versus $108 in Biel. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $618 vs $555 – making Biel the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🇨🇭 Biel

🕒 Local time

12:10 12:10 PM

13:10 1:10 PM

1 h ahead of Reykjavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,894 Capital

56,378

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.23 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR

1 CHF = 1.23 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to ISK – Icelandic Króna Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇸 Icelandic Króna (kr)

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.23 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.815 CHF (1 CHF = 1.23 USD). 1 EUR = 0.916 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Reykjavik Biel 2,590 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Reykjavik
Biel

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 Biel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Reykjavik is pricier by about 40%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,046 per month in Reykjavik and $4,323 in Biel. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Biel, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,279 there versus $2,615 in Reykjavik.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $122 in Reykjavik and $108 in Biel. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Reykjavik, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,031 in Reykjavik and $2,882 in Biel. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Reykjavik has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,882 in Biel to $4,031 in Reykjavik. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.