Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Chillan

For one person, living is cheaper in Chillan: $876 a month against $4,002 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $37,500 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Chillan
Learn more

Chillan Living Index

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Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,002

/mo nomad

Chillan

🇨🇱 Chile

$876

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Chillan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,002 in Reykjavik versus $876 in Chillan.

Reykjavik $4,002
Chillan $876

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,705 in Reykjavik versus $1,321 in Chillan.

Reykjavik $5,705
Chillan $1,321

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,407 in Reykjavik versus $1,766 in Chillan.

Reykjavik $7,407
Chillan $1,766

Living in Reykjavik is roughly 357% more expensive than in Chillan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Reykjavik is 196% above, Chillan is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.56 ISK 3,828

$5.24 CLP 5,162

502.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 ISK 14.8K

$46.84 CLP 46.1K

161.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$26.86 ISK 3,258

$5.85 CLP 5,761

359.15%

Cappuccino

$6.81 ISK 827

$3.65 CLP 3,592

86.58%

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

$3.39 ISK 411

$0.92 CLP 909

268.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ISK 388

$0.99 CLP 970

223.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$14.14 ISK 1,715

$3.52 CLP 3,467

301.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.31 ISK 1,493

$4.55 CLP 4,477

170.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 ISK 255

$1.06 CLP 1,043

98.11%

White Bread (500g)

$4.19 ISK 508

$1.62 CLP 1,593

158.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 ISK 451

$1.83 CLP 1,804

103.28%

Eggs

$7.05 ISK 856

$3.70 CLP 3,640

90.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.56 ISK 2,615

$7.08 CLP 6,974

204.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.68 ISK 2,993

$2.51 CLP 2,473

883.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.19 ISK 5,117

$8.12 CLP 7,998

419.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ISK 392

$1.48 CLP 1,454

118.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 ISK 331

$1.64 CLP 1,616

66.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 ISK 384

$1.25 CLP 1,234

153.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.61 ISK 802

$1.03 CLP 1,018

541.75%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ISK 467

$1.44 CLP 1,415

167.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 ISK 201

$1.26 CLP 1,236

31.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.80 ISK 461

$1.03 CLP 1,009

268.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 ISK 212

$1.19 CLP 1,176

47.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.71 ISK 1,662

$4.58 CLP 4,507

199.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.21 ISK 2,937

$3.37 CLP 3,320

618.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 ISK 428

$1.25 CLP 1,234

182.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ISK 402

$2.03 CLP 1,996

63.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.75 ISK 697

$0.58 CLP 571

891.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 ISK 11.4K

$36.06 CLP 35.5K

160.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.61 ISK 802

$0.60 CLP 590

1001.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.90 ISK 352

$1.15 CLP 1,133

152.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.2 ISK 9,602

$12.29 CLP 12.1K

544.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 ISK 253

$1.34 CLP 1,316

55.97%

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

$51.0K ISK 6.2M

$11.9K CLP 11.7M

328.48%

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

$53.3K ISK 6.5M

$14.7K CLP 14.5M

261.21%

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

$95.3 ISK 11.6K

$127 CLP 125.4K

-25.25%

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

$32.35 ISK 3,923

$10.30 CLP 10.1K

214.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.5 ISK 10.6K

$23.07 CLP 22.7K

279.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 ISK 12.4K

$15.49 CLP 15.3K

557.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.1 ISK 6,074

$16.60 CLP 16.3K

201.69%

Cinema Ticket

$19.88 ISK 2,412

$11.08 CLP 10.9K

79.42%

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

$1,194 ISK 144.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.4K ISK 3.1M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$149 ISK 18.1K

$35.58 CLP 35.0K

318.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.6 ISK 8,080

$18.16 CLP 17.9K

266.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$180 ISK 21.8K

$48.07 CLP 47.3K

274.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$253 ISK 30.7K

$64.8 CLP 63.7K

291.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,549 ISK 309.2K

$302 CLP 297.5K

743.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,056 ISK 249.4K

$243 CLP 239.7K

744.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,498 ISK 424.2K

$445 CLP 437.9K

686.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,764 ISK 335.2K

$330 CLP 324.8K

737.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,120 ISK 984.9K

$2,415 CLP 2.4M

236.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,254 ISK 758.5K

$2,414 CLP 2.4M

159.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,573 ISK 554.6K

$664 CLP 653.6K

588.75%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Chillan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reykjavik

$2.1K 51.4%

Chillan

$243 27.8% 88.2% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Reykjavik

$623 15.6%

Chillan

$177 20.2% 71.6% $446

Eating Out

Reykjavik

$536 13.4%

Chillan

$138 15.7% 74.3% $399

Clothing & Footwear

Reykjavik

$292 7.3%

Chillan

$75 8.6% 74.3% $217

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reykjavik

$215 5.4%

Chillan

$161 18.4% 25.3% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Reykjavik

$142 3.5%

Chillan

$38 4.3% 73.4% $104

Getting Around

Reykjavik

$138 3.5%

Chillan

$45 5.1% 67.6% $93

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,549 in Reykjavik and $302 in Chillan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Reykjavik pays 589% 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 $47.00 in Chillan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $623 vs $177 per month, with Chillan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🇨🇱 Chillan

🕒 Local time

01:32 1:32 AM

22:32 10:32 PM

3 h behind Reykjavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,894 Capital

164,270

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to ISK – Icelandic Króna Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇸 Icelandic Króna (kr)

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Reykjavik Chillan 12,030 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Reykjavik
Chillan

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 Chillan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Reykjavik and Chillan differ by about 357% in total monthly costs ($4,002 vs $876 including rent). Chillan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 589% 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 $302 in Chillan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 252% higher in Reykjavik. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $4,002 per month in Reykjavik versus $876 in Chillan – a 357% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $876 in Chillan versus $4,002 in Reykjavik, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chillan but tight or insufficient in Reykjavik. The gap between the two cities makes Chillan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Reykjavik and Chillan 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 Chillan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 357% less than in Reykjavik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.