Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Caraguatatuba

For one person, living is cheaper in Caraguatatuba: $843 a month against $4,002 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $37,900 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Caraguatatuba
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Caraguatatuba Living Index

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Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,002

/mo nomad

Caraguatatuba

🇧🇷 Brazil

$843

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Caraguatatuba

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,002 in Reykjavik versus $843 in Caraguatatuba.

Reykjavik $4,002
Caraguatatuba $843

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,705 in Reykjavik versus $1,363 in Caraguatatuba.

Reykjavik $5,705
Caraguatatuba $1,363

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,407 in Reykjavik versus $1,883 in Caraguatatuba.

Reykjavik $7,407
Caraguatatuba $1,883

Living in Reykjavik is roughly 375% more expensive than in Caraguatatuba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Reykjavik is 196% above, Caraguatatuba is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.56 ISK 3,828

$7.70 R$39.04

309.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 ISK 14.8K

$29.38 R$149

316.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$26.86 ISK 3,258

$9.23 R$46.80

191.01%

Cappuccino

$6.81 ISK 827

$2.37 R$11.99

187.34%

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

$3.39 ISK 411

$1.23 R$6.25

175.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ISK 388

$0.88 R$4.48

263.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$14.14 ISK 1,715

$2.36 R$11.96

499.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.31 ISK 1,493

$3.27 R$16.60

276.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 ISK 255

$1.00 R$5.09

110.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.19 ISK 508

$1.61 R$8.17

160.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 ISK 451

$1.40 R$7.10

165.71%

Eggs

$7.05 ISK 856

$1.96 R$9.96

259.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.56 ISK 2,615

$5.89 R$29.84

266.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.68 ISK 2,993

$3.32 R$16.82

643.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.19 ISK 5,117

$7.98 R$40.47

428.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ISK 392

$2.15 R$10.89

50.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 ISK 331

$1.67 R$8.46

63.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 ISK 384

$1.46 R$7.39

117.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.61 ISK 802

$1.42 R$7.19

365.49%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ISK 467

$1.27 R$6.45

203.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 ISK 201

$0.82 R$4.13

102.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.80 ISK 461

$0.71 R$3.60

435.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 ISK 212

$0.79 R$3.99

121.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.71 ISK 1,662

$2.16 R$10.96

534.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.21 ISK 2,937

$7.00 R$35.46

245.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 ISK 428

$1.50 R$7.58

135.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ISK 402

$2.59 R$13.11

28.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.75 ISK 697

$0.98 R$4.96

486.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 ISK 11.4K

$23.55 R$119

298.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.61 ISK 802

$1.16 R$5.89

469.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.90 ISK 352

$0.73 R$3.70

297.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.2 ISK 9,602

$3.52 R$17.85

2148.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 ISK 253

$1.30 R$6.59

60.77%

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

$51.0K ISK 6.2M

$15.7K R$79.3K

225.96%

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

$53.3K ISK 6.5M

$29.5K R$149.6K

80.52%

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

$95.3 ISK 11.6K

$66.3 R$336

43.66%

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

$32.35 ISK 3,923

$13.05 R$66.2

147.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.5 ISK 10.6K

$22.44 R$114

290.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 ISK 12.4K

$21.64 R$110

370.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.1 ISK 6,074

$16.29 R$82.6

207.43%

Cinema Ticket

$19.88 ISK 2,412

$8.17 R$41.40

143.33%

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

$1,194 ISK 144.8K

$223 R$1,130

435.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.4K ISK 3.1M

$4,271 R$21.7K

494.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$149 ISK 18.1K

$57.8 R$293

157.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.6 ISK 8,080

$56.6 R$287

17.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$180 ISK 21.8K

$78.3 R$397

129.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$253 ISK 30.7K

$59.2 R$300

327.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,549 ISK 309.2K

$416 R$2,110

512.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,056 ISK 249.4K

$237 R$1,201

767.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,498 ISK 424.2K

$879 R$4,453

298.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,764 ISK 335.2K

$522 R$2,648

429.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,120 ISK 984.9K

$1,681 R$8,523

382.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,254 ISK 758.5K

$1,217 R$6,170

413.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,573 ISK 554.6K

$336 R$1,704

1260.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

8.15

8.10%

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

Last update for Reykjavik: October 12, 2026

Last update for Caraguatatuba: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reykjavik

$2.1K 51.4%

Caraguatatuba

$237 28.1% 88.5% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Reykjavik

$623 15.6%

Caraguatatuba

$176 20.9% 71.8% $447

Eating Out

Reykjavik

$536 13.4%

Caraguatatuba

$145 17.2% 73.1% $392

Clothing & Footwear

Reykjavik

$292 7.3%

Caraguatatuba

$113 13.5% 61.2% $179

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reykjavik

$215 5.4%

Caraguatatuba

$102 12.1% 52.7% $113

Sport & Entertainment

Reykjavik

$142 3.5%

Caraguatatuba

$38 4.5% 73.2% $104

Getting Around

Reykjavik

$138 3.5%

Caraguatatuba

$32 3.8% 76.6% $106

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,549 in Reykjavik and $416 in Caraguatatuba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Reykjavik pays 1260% 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 $29.00 in Caraguatatuba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $623 vs $176 per month, with Caraguatatuba cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🇧🇷 Caraguatatuba

🕒 Local time

07:22 7:22 AM

04:22 4:22 AM

3 h behind Reykjavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,894 Capital

134,873

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Reykjavik Caraguatatuba 9,970 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Reykjavik
Caraguatatuba

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 Caraguatatuba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Caraguatatuba is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 375% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1260% 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 $416 in Caraguatatuba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 254% higher in Reykjavik. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Caraguatatuba – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $122 in Reykjavik. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $843 in Caraguatatuba versus $4,002 in Reykjavik, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Caraguatatuba but tight or insufficient in Reykjavik. The gap between the two cities makes Caraguatatuba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Caraguatatuba is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Reykjavik, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Reykjavik and Caraguatatuba 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 Caraguatatuba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 375% less than in Reykjavik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.