Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Chapeco

For one person, living is cheaper in Chapeco: $980 a month against $4,023 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $36,500 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
47

Cost of Living Index in Chapeco
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Chapeco Living Index

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Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,023

/mo nomad

Chapeco

🇧🇷 Brazil

$980

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Chapeco

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,023 in Reykjavik versus $980 in Chapeco.

Reykjavik $4,023
Chapeco $980

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,708 in Reykjavik versus $1,454 in Chapeco.

Reykjavik $5,708
Chapeco $1,454

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,393 in Reykjavik versus $1,927 in Chapeco.

Reykjavik $7,393
Chapeco $1,927

Living in Reykjavik is roughly 311% more expensive than in Chapeco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Reykjavik is 197% above, Chapeco is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.00 ISK 3,760

$5.53 R$28.05

460.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 ISK 14.9K

$35.46 R$180

247.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$27.21 ISK 3,300

$8.92 R$45.20

205.04%

Cappuccino

$6.90 ISK 837

$1.92 R$9.76

259.38%

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

$3.30 ISK 401

$0.75 R$3.80

340.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 ISK 384

$0.59 R$2.98

435.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.84 ISK 1,678

$1.45 R$7.33

854.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.46 ISK 1,512

$2.31 R$11.73

439.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 ISK 250

$0.90 R$4.56

128.89%

White Bread (500g)

$4.11 ISK 498

$1.14 R$5.78

260.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.68 ISK 446

$2.14 R$10.85

71.96%

Eggs

$7.27 ISK 882

$1.86 R$9.44

290.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.79 ISK 2,643

$8.24 R$41.75

164.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$23.95 ISK 2,905

$7.53 R$38.20

218.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.43 ISK 5,025

$10.95 R$55.5

278.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 ISK 414

$2.34 R$11.88

46.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 ISK 344

$0.99 R$5.02

186.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 ISK 391

$0.53 R$2.68

509.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.46 ISK 783

$0.70 R$3.54

822.86%

Potato (1kg)

$4.05 ISK 491

$0.53 R$2.70

664.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 ISK 202

$0.53 R$2.70

213.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.86 ISK 468

$0.95 R$4.83

306.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ISK 223

$0.70 R$3.53

162.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.96 ISK 1,693

$2.32 R$11.75

501.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.76 ISK 2,882

$9.31 R$47.19

155.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.54 ISK 430

$0.88 R$4.48

302.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 ISK 418

$1.48 R$7.49

132.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.81 ISK 705

$0.97 R$4.94

498.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.3 ISK 11.6K

$36.44 R$185

161.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.72 ISK 815

$1.28 R$6.50

425.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.81 ISK 340

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$81.3 ISK 9,866

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 ISK 257

$1.17 R$5.93

81.20%

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

$68.9K ISK 8.4M

$22.9K R$116.0K

201.35%

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

$55.8K ISK 6.8M

$30.5K R$154.6K

82.92%

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

$95.8 ISK 11.6K

$172 R$873

-44.34%

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

$33.11 ISK 4,016

$10.47 R$53.1

216.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.2 ISK 10.6K

$18.84 R$95.5

362.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$101 ISK 12.3K

$26.24 R$133

285.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.7 ISK 6,155

$33.45 R$170

51.69%

Cinema Ticket

$19.85 ISK 2,407

$6.68 R$33.86

197.16%

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

$1,195 ISK 144.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.2K ISK 3.2M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$148 ISK 18.0K

$26.98 R$137

449.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.8 ISK 8,096

$18.26 R$92.6

265.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$187 ISK 22.6K

$36.87 R$187

406.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$253 ISK 30.6K

$53.6 R$272

371.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,579 ISK 312.8K

$415 R$2,103

521.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,080 ISK 252.3K

$329 R$1,668

532.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,455 ISK 419.0K

$851 R$4,313

306.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,752 ISK 333.8K

$536 R$2,718

413.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,933 ISK 962.2K

$1,509 R$7,649

425.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,377 ISK 773.5K

$987 R$5,005

545.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,695 ISK 569.5K

$414 R$2,097

1035.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

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

Last update for Reykjavik: October 20, 2026

Last update for Chapeco: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reykjavik

$2.1K 51.7%

Chapeco

$329 33.6% 84.2% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Reykjavik

$619 15.4%

Chapeco

$196 20% 68.4% $424

Eating Out

Reykjavik

$532 13.2%

Chapeco

$111 11.4% 79.1% $421

Clothing & Footwear

Reykjavik

$294 7.3%

Chapeco

$61 6.2% 79.3% $233

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reykjavik

$216 5.4%

Chapeco

$201 20.6% 6.8% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Reykjavik

$141 3.5%

Chapeco

$40 4% 71.9% $101

Getting Around

Reykjavik

$139 3.5%

Chapeco

$42 * 4.3% 70.1% $98

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 $2,579 in Reykjavik and $415 in Chapeco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Reykjavik pays 1035% 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: $123 in Reykjavik vs $35.00 in Chapeco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $619 vs $196 per month, with Chapeco cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🇧🇷 Chapeco

🕒 Local time

22:41 10:41 PM

19:41 7:41 PM

3 h behind Reykjavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,894 Capital

243,477

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Reykjavik Chapeco 10,490 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Reykjavik
Chapeco

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 Chapeco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chapeco wins on cost – living expenses run 311% lower than in Reykjavik. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chapeco the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1035% 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: $2,579 in Reykjavik versus $415 in Chapeco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 216% higher in Reykjavik. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $4,023 per month in Reykjavik versus $980 in Chapeco – a 311% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $980 in Chapeco versus $4,023 in Reykjavik, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chapeco but tight or insufficient in Reykjavik. The gap between the two cities makes Chapeco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chapeco delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $980 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chapeco hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Reykjavik and Chapeco 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 Chapeco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 311% less than in Reykjavik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.