Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Cabo Frio

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabo Frio: $678 a month against $4,002 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $39,900 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Cabo Frio
Learn more

Cabo Frio Living Index

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Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,002

/mo nomad

Cabo Frio

🇧🇷 Brazil

$678

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Cabo Frio

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

A single person spends $4,002 per month in Reykjavik vs $678 in Cabo Frio, rent included.

Reykjavik $4,002
Cabo Frio $678

A couple spends around $5,705 per month in Reykjavik vs $1,113 in Cabo Frio, rent included.

Reykjavik $5,705
Cabo Frio $1,113

A family of three spends $7,407 per month in Reykjavik vs $1,548 in Cabo Frio, rent included.

Reykjavik $7,407
Cabo Frio $1,548

Reykjavik costs about 491% more than Cabo Frio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Reykjavik sits 196% above the global median, while Cabo Frio is 50% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.56 ISK 3,828

$5.87 R$29.77

437.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 ISK 14.8K

$29.90 R$152

309.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$26.86 ISK 3,258

$6.86 R$34.79

291.55%

Cappuccino

$6.81 ISK 827

$1.74 R$8.81

291.38%

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

$3.39 ISK 411

$1.38 R$6.98

145.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ISK 388

$0.51 R$2.60

527.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$14.14 ISK 1,715

$1.22 R$6.19

1059.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.31 ISK 1,493

$1.95 R$9.87

531.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 ISK 255

$0.77 R$3.90

172.73%

White Bread (500g)

$4.19 ISK 508

$1.50 R$7.61

179.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 ISK 451

$0.76 R$3.87

389.47%

Eggs

$7.05 ISK 856

$1.62 R$8.20

335.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.56 ISK 2,615

$8.21 R$41.59

162.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.68 ISK 2,993

$3.41 R$17.30

623.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.19 ISK 5,117

$9.61 R$48.74

339.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ISK 392

$1.92 R$9.71

68.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 ISK 331

$1.19 R$6.05

129.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 ISK 384

$0.96 R$4.89

230.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.61 ISK 802

$1.22 R$6.19

441.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ISK 467

$0.67 R$3.38

474.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 ISK 201

$0.85 R$4.32

95.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.80 ISK 461

$0.57 R$2.87

566.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 ISK 212

$0.58 R$2.95

201.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.71 ISK 1,662

$1.63 R$8.24

741.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.21 ISK 2,937

$6.03 R$30.58

301.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 ISK 428

$0.99 R$5.00

256.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ISK 402

$1.37 R$6.95

142.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.75 ISK 697

$1.37 R$6.97

319.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 ISK 11.4K

$82.1 R$416

14.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.61 ISK 802

$1.28 R$6.51

416.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.90 ISK 352

$0.80 R$4.07

262.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.2 ISK 9,602

$8.23 R$41.74

861.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 ISK 253

$1.23 R$6.22

69.92%

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

$51.0K ISK 6.2M

$21.1K R$106.7K

142.30%

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

$53.3K ISK 6.5M

$31.0K R$157.2K

71.84%

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

$95.3 ISK 11.6K

$58.6 R$297

62.45%

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

$32.35 ISK 3,923

$7.84 R$39.76

312.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.5 ISK 10.6K

$13.82 R$70.0

533.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 ISK 12.4K

$21.66 R$110

370.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.1 ISK 6,074

Cinema Ticket

$19.88 ISK 2,412

$4.92 R$24.95

304.07%

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

$1,194 ISK 144.8K

$148 R$748

709.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.4K ISK 3.1M

$2,691 R$13.6K

844.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$149 ISK 18.1K

$46.04 R$233

223.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.6 ISK 8,080

$40.39 R$205

64.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$180 ISK 21.8K

$55.0 R$279

226.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$253 ISK 30.7K

$48.67 R$247

420.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,549 ISK 309.2K

$444 R$2,251

473.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,056 ISK 249.4K

$119 R$604

1626.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,498 ISK 424.2K

$677 R$3,429

416.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,764 ISK 335.2K

$280 R$1,420

886.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,120 ISK 984.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,254 ISK 758.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,573 ISK 554.6K

$278 R$1,411

1542.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

10.67

-17.43%

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

Last update for Reykjavik: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cabo Frio: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reykjavik

$2.1K 51.4%

Cabo Frio

$119 17.6% 94.2% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

Reykjavik

$623 15.6%

Cabo Frio

$162 23.9% 74% $461

Eating Out

Reykjavik

$536 13.4%

Cabo Frio

$106 15.6% 80.2% $430

Clothing & Footwear

Reykjavik

$292 7.3%

Cabo Frio

$86 12.6% 70.7% $206

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reykjavik

$215 5.4%

Cabo Frio

$80 11.9% 62.7% $135

Sport & Entertainment

Reykjavik

$142 3.5%

Cabo Frio

$32 4.7% 77.8% $110

Getting Around

Reykjavik

$138 3.5%

Cabo Frio

$93 13.7% 32.6% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,549 in Reykjavik versus $444 in Cabo Frio. 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 1542% higher in Reykjavik, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $122 in Reykjavik versus $30.00 in Cabo Frio. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $623 vs $162 – making Cabo Frio the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🇧🇷 Cabo Frio

🕒 Local time

10:03 10:03 AM

07:03 7:03 AM

3 h behind Reykjavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,894 Capital

222,161

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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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Highest

Between locations

Reykjavik Cabo Frio 9,830 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Reykjavik
Cabo Frio

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 Cabo Frio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Reykjavik is pricier by about 491%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,003 per month in Reykjavik and $1,016 in Cabo Frio. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,002 in Reykjavik and $678 in Cabo Frio. That's a gap of about 491%.

Public transport costs about 14% less in Cabo Frio. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cabo Frio, where all-in costs run around $678, than in Reykjavik at $4,002. In Cabo Frio it covers expenses comfortably, while in Reykjavik it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cabo Frio – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Cabo Frio. 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.