Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Calama

For one person, living is cheaper in Calama: $595 a month against $4,002 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $40,900 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
29

Cost of Living Index in Calama
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Calama Living Index

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Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,002

/mo nomad

Calama

🇨🇱 Chile

$595

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Calama

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,002 in Reykjavik versus $595 in Calama.

Reykjavik $4,002
Calama $595

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,705 in Reykjavik versus $1,203 in Calama.

Reykjavik $5,705
Calama $1,203

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,407 in Reykjavik versus $1,812 in Calama.

Reykjavik $7,407
Calama $1,812

Living in Reykjavik is roughly 573% more expensive than in Calama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Reykjavik is 196% above, Calama is 56% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.56 ISK 3,828

$6.95 CLP 6,841

354.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 ISK 14.8K

$31.49 CLP 31.0K

288.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$26.86 ISK 3,258

Cappuccino

$6.81 ISK 827

$2.05 CLP 2,018

232.20%

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

$3.39 ISK 411

$0.93 CLP 916

264.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ISK 388

$0.94 CLP 929

240.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$14.14 ISK 1,715

$3.12 CLP 3,074

353.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.31 ISK 1,493

$5.23 CLP 5,149

135.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 ISK 255

$1.10 CLP 1,087

90.91%

White Bread (500g)

$4.19 ISK 508

$0.84 CLP 825

398.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 ISK 451

$2.62 CLP 2,575

41.98%

Eggs

$7.05 ISK 856

$4.95 CLP 4,876

42.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.56 ISK 2,615

$9.36 CLP 9,217

130.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.68 ISK 2,993

$6.22 CLP 6,119

296.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.19 ISK 5,117

$7.53 CLP 7,413

460.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ISK 392

$1.26 CLP 1,242

156.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 ISK 331

$1.05 CLP 1,029

160.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 ISK 384

$1.55 CLP 1,523

104.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.61 ISK 802

$1.10 CLP 1,081

500.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ISK 467

$0.90 CLP 884

327.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 ISK 201

$0.93 CLP 916

78.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.80 ISK 461

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 ISK 212

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.71 ISK 1,662

$5.25 CLP 5,170

161.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.21 ISK 2,937

$4.19 CLP 4,128

477.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 ISK 428

$1.01 CLP 990

249.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ISK 402

$1.25 CLP 1,235

165.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.75 ISK 697

$0.95 CLP 931

505.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 ISK 11.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.61 ISK 802

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.90 ISK 352

$1.43 CLP 1,412

102.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.2 ISK 9,602

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 ISK 253

$1.44 CLP 1,415

45.14%

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

$51.0K ISK 6.2M

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

$53.3K ISK 6.5M

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

$95.3 ISK 11.6K

$40.05 CLP 39.4K

137.85%

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

$32.35 ISK 3,923

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.5 ISK 10.6K

$13.28 CLP 13.1K

559.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 ISK 12.4K

$51.7 CLP 50.9K

96.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.1 ISK 6,074

$20.74 CLP 20.4K

141.47%

Cinema Ticket

$19.88 ISK 2,412

$4.69 CLP 4,617

323.88%

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

$1,194 ISK 144.8K

$306 CLP 301.6K

289.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.4K ISK 3.1M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$149 ISK 18.1K

$36.08 CLP 35.5K

313.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.6 ISK 8,080

$28.38 CLP 27.9K

134.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$180 ISK 21.8K

$45.82 CLP 45.1K

292.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$253 ISK 30.7K

$61.8 CLP 60.9K

309.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,549 ISK 309.2K

$327 CLP 322.3K

678.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,056 ISK 249.4K

$102 CLP 100.6K

1911.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,498 ISK 424.2K

$807 CLP 794.0K

333.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,764 ISK 335.2K

$608 CLP 599.0K

354.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,120 ISK 984.9K

$1,403 CLP 1.4M

478.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,254 ISK 758.5K

$1,229 CLP 1.2M

408.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,573 ISK 554.6K

$1,110 CLP 1.1M

311.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

76.20%

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

Last update for Reykjavik: October 12, 2026

Last update for Calama: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reykjavik

$2.1K 51.4%

Calama

$102 17.2% 95% $2K

Groceries & Markets

Reykjavik

$623 15.6%

Calama

$176 * 29.6% 71.7% $446

Eating Out

Reykjavik

$536 13.4%

Calama

$114 * 19.1% 78.8% $423

Clothing & Footwear

Reykjavik

$292 7.3%

Calama

$77 13% 73.5% $215

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reykjavik

$215 5.4%

Calama

$53 * 9% 75.2% $162

Sport & Entertainment

Reykjavik

$142 3.5%

Calama

$61 10.3% 56.9% $81

Getting Around

Reykjavik

$138 3.5%

Calama

$11 * 1.8% 92.1% $127

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,549 in Reykjavik and $327 in Calama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Reykjavik pays 312% 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 $31.00 in Calama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $623 vs $176 per month, with Calama cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🇨🇱 Calama

🕒 Local time

20:02 8:02 PM

17:02 5:02 PM

3 h behind Reykjavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,894 Capital

157,575

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to ISK – Icelandic Króna Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇸 Icelandic Króna (kr)

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Reykjavik Calama 10,450 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Reykjavik
Calama

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 Calama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calama wins on cost – living expenses run 573% lower than in Reykjavik. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Calama the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 312% 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 $327 in Calama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 253% higher in Reykjavik. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $4,002 per month in Reykjavik versus $595 in Calama – a 573% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $595 in Calama versus $4,002 in Reykjavik, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Calama but tight or insufficient in Reykjavik. The gap between the two cities makes Calama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Calama delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $595 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Calama hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Reykjavik and Calama 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 Calama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 573% less than in Reykjavik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.