Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Cayenne

For one person, living is cheaper in Cayenne: $2,348 a month against $4,037 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $20,300 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
115

Cost of Living Index in Cayenne
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Cayenne Living Index

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Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,037

/mo nomad

Cayenne

🇬🇫 French Guiana

$2,348

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Cayenne

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,037 in Reykjavik versus $2,348 in Cayenne.

Reykjavik $4,037
Cayenne $2,348

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,666 in Reykjavik versus $3,903 in Cayenne.

Reykjavik $5,666
Cayenne $3,903

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,295 in Reykjavik versus $5,458 in Cayenne.

Reykjavik $7,295
Cayenne $5,458

Living in Reykjavik is roughly 72% more expensive than in Cayenne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Reykjavik 201% above, Cayenne 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.59 ISK 3,730

$13.05 €11.64

134.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$136 ISK 16.5K

$114 €102

18.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$27.08 ISK 3,302

$10.81 €9.65

150.51%

Cappuccino

$6.72 ISK 819

$4.02 €3.58

67.16%

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

$3.27 ISK 399

$3.48 €3.11

-6.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 ISK 386

$3.01 €2.69

4.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.91 ISK 1,696

$3.78 €3.37

267.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.06 ISK 1,470

$4.66 €4.16

158.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ISK 248

$3.11 €2.77

-34.41%

White Bread (500g)

$4.32 ISK 527

$5.27 €4.70

-18.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.67 ISK 447

$3.08 €2.75

19.16%

Eggs

$7.02 ISK 856

$7.72 €6.89

-9.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.01 ISK 2,684

$28.46 €25.40

-22.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.70 ISK 3,012

$16.80 €14.99

47.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.66 ISK 5,202

$33.69 €30.07

26.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 ISK 412

$4.84 €4.32

-30.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 ISK 347

$5.25 €4.68

-45.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 ISK 387

$5.53 €4.93

-42.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.39 ISK 779

$9.96 €8.89

-35.84%

Potato (1kg)

$4.01 ISK 489

$5.23 €4.67

-23.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 ISK 200

$6.55 €5.84

-74.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.80 ISK 463

$3.87 €3.45

-1.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ISK 212

$1.87 €1.67

-6.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.80 ISK 1,682

$9.33 €8.33

47.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.38 ISK 2,851

$8.14 €7.26

187.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 ISK 430

$2.77 €2.47

27.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 ISK 420

$2.30 €2.05

50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.77 ISK 704

$2.26 €2.02

155.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.1 ISK 11.6K

$33.55 €29.94

183.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.63 ISK 808

$5.82 €5.20

13.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.79 ISK 341

$3.98 €3.55

-29.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$81.4 ISK 9,923

$8.19 €7.31

893.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 ISK 257

$2.25 €2.01

-6.22%

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

$50.8K ISK 6.2M

$44.6K €39.8K

13.85%

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

$52.7K ISK 6.4M

$45.3K €40.5K

16.33%

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

$88.7 ISK 10.8K

$222 €198

-59.98%

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

$31.53 ISK 3,845

$45.27 €40.40

-30.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.6 ISK 10.3K

$69.1 €61.7

22.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$100 ISK 12.2K

$43.52 €38.84

130.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.20 ISK 5,877

$28.38 €25.32

69.84%

Cinema Ticket

$19.87 ISK 2,424

$10.32 €9.21

92.54%

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

$1,277 ISK 155.8K

$674 €601

89.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.0K ISK 3.8M

$10.5K €9,395

193.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$161 ISK 19.6K

$102 €90.8

58.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.9 ISK 7,914

$68.3 €61.0

-5.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$183 ISK 22.3K

$129 €115

41.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$254 ISK 31.0K

$101 €90.2

151.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,499 ISK 304.8K

$885 €790

182.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 ISK 243.9K

$867 €774

130.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,452 ISK 421.0K

$1,541 €1,375

123.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 ISK 334.4K

$1,844 €1,646

48.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,001 ISK 975.7K

$3,109 €2,774

157.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,249 ISK 762.1K

$3,523 €3,144

77.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,691 ISK 572.0K

$2,261 €2,018

107.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

4.5

95.78%

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

Last update for Reykjavik: October 4, 2026

Last update for Cayenne: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reykjavik

$2K 50.9%

Cayenne

$867 36.4% 56.7% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Reykjavik

$625 15.9%

Cayenne

$626 26.3% 0.2% $1.3

Eating Out

Reykjavik

$526 13.4%

Cayenne

$239 10.1% 54.5% $287

Clothing & Footwear

Reykjavik

$298 7.6%

Cayenne

$180 7.6% 39.5% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reykjavik

$205 5.2%

Cayenne

$336 14.1% 64% $131

Sport & Entertainment

Reykjavik

$140 3.6%

Cayenne

$64 2.7% 54.2% $76

Getting Around

Reykjavik

$139 3.5%

Cayenne

$68 2.9% 50.8% $71

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,499 in Reykjavik and $885 in Cayenne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Reykjavik pays 107% 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: $136 in Reykjavik vs $114 in Cayenne. Groceries flip the comparison at $625 vs $626, with Reykjavik cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🇬🇫 Cayenne

🕒 Local time

06:31 6:31 AM

03:31 3:31 AM

3 h behind Reykjavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,894 Capital

65,493 Capital

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.31 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD 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).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Reykjavik Cayenne 7,020 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Reykjavik
Cayenne

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 Cayenne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cayenne is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and leisure. The 72% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 107% 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: $2,499 in Reykjavik versus $885 in Cayenne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cayenne – a meal for two runs $114 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 $2,348 in Cayenne – a 72% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,348 in Cayenne versus $4,037 in Reykjavik, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Cayenne but tight or insufficient in Reykjavik. The gap between the two cities makes Cayenne the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cayenne 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 Cayenne 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 Cayenne gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Reykjavik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.