Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Castanhal

For one person, living is cheaper in Castanhal: $846 a month against $4,037 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $38,300 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 Castanhal
Learn more

Castanhal Living Index

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Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,037

/mo nomad

Castanhal

🇧🇷 Brazil

$846

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Castanhal

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,037 in Reykjavik versus $846 in Castanhal.

Reykjavik $4,037
Castanhal $846

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,666 in Reykjavik versus $1,353 in Castanhal.

Reykjavik $5,666
Castanhal $1,353

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,295 in Reykjavik versus $1,860 in Castanhal.

Reykjavik $7,295
Castanhal $1,860

Living in Reykjavik is roughly 377% more expensive than in Castanhal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Reykjavik is 201% above, Castanhal is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.59 ISK 3,730

$5.62 R$28.07

444.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$136 ISK 16.5K

$30.48 R$152

344.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$27.08 ISK 3,302

$7.34 R$36.62

268.94%

Cappuccino

$6.72 ISK 819

$1.87 R$9.33

259.36%

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

$3.27 ISK 399

$1.28 R$6.38

155.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 ISK 386

$0.77 R$3.82

310.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.91 ISK 1,696

$1.94 R$9.70

617.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.06 ISK 1,470

$2.86 R$14.27

321.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ISK 248

$1.04 R$5.17

96.15%

White Bread (500g)

$4.32 ISK 527

$1.63 R$8.16

165.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.67 ISK 447

$1.20 R$6.00

205.83%

Eggs

$7.02 ISK 856

$2.16 R$10.78

225.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.01 ISK 2,684

$9.24 R$46.14

138.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.70 ISK 3,012

$4.06 R$20.26

508.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.66 ISK 5,202

$8.17 R$40.80

422.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 ISK 412

$2.13 R$10.65

58.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 ISK 347

$1.27 R$6.35

124.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 ISK 387

$1.13 R$5.62

180.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.39 ISK 779

$1.51 R$7.53

323.18%

Potato (1kg)

$4.01 ISK 489

$1.19 R$5.95

236.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 ISK 200

$1.03 R$5.13

59.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.80 ISK 463

$0.76 R$3.80

400.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ISK 212

$0.73 R$3.67

138.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.80 ISK 1,682

$2.41 R$12.05

472.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.38 ISK 2,851

$7.63 R$38.11

206.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 ISK 430

$1.19 R$5.95

196.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 ISK 420

$2.02 R$10.11

70.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.77 ISK 704

$1.00 R$4.98

477.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.1 ISK 11.6K

$41.71 R$208

128.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.63 ISK 808

$1.27 R$6.33

422.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.79 ISK 341

$0.88 R$4.37

217.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$81.4 ISK 9,923

$7.60 R$37.92

970.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 ISK 257

$1.25 R$6.23

68.80%

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

$50.8K ISK 6.2M

$23.2K R$115.6K

119.37%

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

$52.7K ISK 6.4M

$31.1K R$155.1K

69.69%

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

$88.7 ISK 10.8K

$72.8 R$363

21.85%

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

$31.53 ISK 3,845

$11.79 R$58.9

167.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.6 ISK 10.3K

$20.26 R$101

317.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$100 ISK 12.2K

$24.64 R$123

307.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.20 ISK 5,877

$26.02 R$130

85.24%

Cinema Ticket

$19.87 ISK 2,424

$6.86 R$34.26

189.65%

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

$1,277 ISK 155.8K

$286 R$1,425

347.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.0K ISK 3.8M

$6,904 R$34.5K

348.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$161 ISK 19.6K

$52.6 R$263

205.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.9 ISK 7,914

$48.01 R$240

35.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$183 ISK 22.3K

$92.7 R$463

97.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$254 ISK 31.0K

$69.2 R$345

267.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,499 ISK 304.8K

$345 R$1,721

625.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 ISK 243.9K

$233 R$1,164

757.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,452 ISK 421.0K

$645 R$3,220

435.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 ISK 334.4K

$461 R$2,303

494.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,001 ISK 975.7K

$1,571 R$7,844

409.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,249 ISK 762.1K

$1,125 R$5,617

455.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,691 ISK 572.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

-19.91%

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

Last update for Reykjavik: October 4, 2026

Last update for Castanhal: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reykjavik

$2K 50.9%

Castanhal

$233 27.6% 88.3% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Reykjavik

$625 15.9%

Castanhal

$186 22% 70.3% $439

Eating Out

Reykjavik

$526 13.4%

Castanhal

$113 13.4% 78.5% $413

Clothing & Footwear

Reykjavik

$298 7.6%

Castanhal

$118 14% 60.4% $180

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reykjavik

$205 5.2%

Castanhal

$105 12.4% 48.8% $100

Sport & Entertainment

Reykjavik

$140 3.6%

Castanhal

$38 4.5% 72.6% $102

Getting Around

Reykjavik

$139 3.5%

Castanhal

$51 6.1% 63% $87

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,499 in Reykjavik and $345 in Castanhal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $136 in Reykjavik vs $30.00 in Castanhal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $625 vs $186 per month, with Castanhal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🇧🇷 Castanhal

🕒 Local time

08:35 8:35 AM

05:35 5:35 AM

3 h behind Reykjavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,894 Capital

192,256

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.31 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD). 1 EUR = 137 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.31 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.6 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Reykjavik Castanhal 7,580 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Reykjavik
Castanhal

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 Castanhal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Castanhal wins on cost – living expenses run 377% lower than in Reykjavik. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Castanhal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $6,055 in Reykjavik and $1,269 in Castanhal to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,499 in Reykjavik versus $345 in Castanhal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Castanhal – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $136 in Reykjavik. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $4,037 per month in Reykjavik versus $846 in Castanhal – a 377% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $846 in Castanhal versus $4,037 in Reykjavik, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Castanhal but tight or insufficient in Reykjavik. The gap between the two cities makes Castanhal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Castanhal delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $846 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Castanhal hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Reykjavik and Castanhal 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 Castanhal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 377% less than in Reykjavik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.