Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Cariacica

For one person, living is cheaper in Cariacica: $880 a month against $4,023 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $37,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Reykjavik
🇮🇸 Iceland
$4,023
/mo nomad
Cariacica
🇧🇷 Brazil
$880
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Cariacica

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

A single person spends $4,023 per month in Reykjavik vs $880 in Cariacica, rent included.

  • Reykjavik $4,023
  • Cariacica $880

A couple spends around $5,708 per month in Reykjavik vs $1,401 in Cariacica, rent included.

  • Reykjavik $5,708
  • Cariacica $1,401

A family of three spends $7,393 per month in Reykjavik vs $1,922 in Cariacica, rent included.

  • Reykjavik $7,393
  • Cariacica $1,922

Reykjavik costs about 357% more than Cariacica, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Reykjavik sits 197% above the global median, while Cariacica is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Reykjavik
Cariacica
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$31.00 ISK 3,760
$6.06 R$30.70
411.55%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$123 ISK 14.9K
$31.76 R$161
287.91%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$27.21 ISK 3,300
$7.91 R$40.08
243.99%
Cappuccino
$6.90 ISK 837
$2.10 R$10.63
228.57%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.30 ISK 401
$1.29 R$6.56
155.81%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.16 ISK 384
$0.82 R$4.18
285.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$13.84 ISK 1,678
$1.99 R$10.08
595.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$12.46 ISK 1,512
$2.98 R$15.13
318.12%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Reykjavik
Cariacica
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.06 ISK 250
$1.05 R$5.34
96.19%
White Bread (500g)
$4.11 ISK 498
$1.68 R$8.51
144.64%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.68 ISK 446
$1.24 R$6.26
196.77%
Eggs
$7.27 ISK 882
$2.15 R$10.90
238.14%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$21.79 ISK 2,643
$9.55 R$48.42
128.17%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$23.95 ISK 2,905
$4.17 R$21.12
474.34%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$41.43 ISK 5,025
$8.46 R$42.91
389.72%
Apples (1kg)
$3.42 ISK 414
$2.17 R$11.02
57.60%
Banana (1kg)
$2.84 ISK 344
$1.28 R$6.49
121.87%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.23 ISK 391
$1.18 R$6.01
173.73%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.46 ISK 783
$1.51 R$7.67
327.81%
Potato (1kg)
$4.05 ISK 491
$1.25 R$6.34
224.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.66 ISK 202
$1.13 R$5.70
46.90%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.86 ISK 468
$0.79 R$3.99
388.61%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.84 ISK 223
$0.77 R$3.93
138.96%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.96 ISK 1,693
$2.47 R$12.51
465.18%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.76 ISK 2,882
$8.00 R$40.53
197.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.54 ISK 430
$1.33 R$6.72
166.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.44 ISK 418
$2.13 R$10.81
61.50%
🚌 Getting Around
Reykjavik
Cariacica
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$5.81 ISK 705
$1.01 R$5.11
475.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$95.3 ISK 11.6K
$43.96 R$223
116.86%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.72 ISK 815
$1.33 R$6.72
405.26%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.81 ISK 340
$0.89 R$4.53
215.73%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$81.3 ISK 9,866
$8.00 R$40.56
916.75%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.12 ISK 257
$1.27 R$6.45
66.93%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$68.9K ISK 8.4M
$24.0K R$121.5K
187.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$55.8K ISK 6.8M
$33.2K R$168.3K
68.11%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Reykjavik
Cariacica
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$95.8 ISK 11.6K
$74.3 R$377
28.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.11 ISK 4,016
$12.57 R$63.7
163.40%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$87.2 ISK 10.6K
$20.82 R$106
318.59%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Reykjavik
Cariacica
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$101 ISK 12.3K
$25.76 R$131
292.39%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$50.7 ISK 6,155
$27.67 R$140
83.38%
Cinema Ticket
$19.85 ISK 2,407
$7.24 R$36.69
174.17%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Reykjavik
Cariacica
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,195 ISK 144.9K
$277 R$1,402
332.01%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$26.2K ISK 3.2M
$7,134 R$36.2K
267.57%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Reykjavik
Cariacica
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$148 ISK 18.0K
$55.3 R$280
168.20%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$66.8 ISK 8,096
$50.2 R$254
32.97%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$187 ISK 22.6K
$89.1 R$451
109.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$253 ISK 30.6K
$73.7 R$374
242.74%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Reykjavik
Cariacica
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,579 ISK 312.8K
$361 R$1,831
613.77%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,080 ISK 252.3K
$244 R$1,236
753.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,455 ISK 419.0K
$675 R$3,423
411.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,752 ISK 333.8K
$477 R$2,416
477.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,933 ISK 962.2K
$1,741 R$8,828
355.57%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,377 ISK 773.5K
$1,183 R$5,996
439.14%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Reykjavik
Cariacica
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,695 ISK 569.5K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.81
11
-19.91%

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

Last update for Reykjavik: October 20, 2026

Last update for Cariacica: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Reykjavik
$2.1K
Cariacica
$244 88.3% $1.8K
Groceries & Markets
Reykjavik
$619
Cariacica
$192 69% $427
Eating Out
Reykjavik
$532
Cariacica
$122 77.1% $411
Clothing & Footwear
Reykjavik
$294
Cariacica
$121 59% $174
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Reykjavik
$216
Cariacica
$108 50.2% $108
Sport & Entertainment
Reykjavik
$141
Cariacica
$40 71.4% $101
Getting Around
Reykjavik
$139
Cariacica
$54 61.4% $86

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,579 in Reykjavik versus $361 in Cariacica. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $123 in Reykjavik versus $32.00 in Cariacica. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $619 vs $192 – making Cariacica the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇸 Reykjavik
🇧🇷 Cariacica
🕒 Local time
23:35 11:35 PM
20:35 8:35 PM
3 h behind Reykjavik
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
136,894 Capital
353,491
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to ISK – Icelandic Króna Converter

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 22, 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 22, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Reykjavik Cariacica 9,520 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Reykjavik
  • Cariacica

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 Cariacica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cariacica cheaper than Reykjavik?
Yes – Reykjavik is pricier by about 357%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,034 per month in Reykjavik and $1,320 in Cariacica. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Cariacica, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Reykjavik or in Cariacica?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $123 in Reykjavik and $32.00 in Cariacica. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Reykjavik and in Cariacica?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,023 in Reykjavik and $880 in Cariacica. That's a gap of about 357%.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Reykjavik or in Cariacica?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cariacica, where all-in costs run around $880, than in Reykjavik at $4,023. In Cariacica it covers expenses comfortably, while in Reykjavik it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Reykjavik or Cariacica more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Cariacica – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Reykjavik or Cariacica?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Cariacica. 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.

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