Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Criciuma

For one person, living is cheaper in Criciuma: $769 a month against $4,023 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $39,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Reykjavik
🇮🇸 Iceland
$4,023
/mo nomad
Criciuma
🇧🇷 Brazil
$769
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Criciuma

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,023 in Reykjavik versus $769 in Criciuma.

  • Reykjavik $4,023
  • Criciuma $769

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,708 in Reykjavik versus $1,146 in Criciuma.

  • Reykjavik $5,708
  • Criciuma $1,146

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,393 in Reykjavik versus $1,523 in Criciuma.

  • Reykjavik $7,393
  • Criciuma $1,523

Living in Reykjavik is roughly 423% more expensive than in Criciuma, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Reykjavik is 197% above, Criciuma is 43% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Reykjavik
Criciuma
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$31.00 ISK 3,760
$5.81 R$29.43
433.56%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$123 ISK 14.9K
$22.21 R$113
454.71%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$27.21 ISK 3,300
$5.94 R$30.09
358.08%
Cappuccino
$6.90 ISK 837
$1.39 R$7.05
396.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.30 ISK 401
$1.09 R$5.52
202.75%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.16 ISK 384
$0.73 R$3.71
332.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$13.84 ISK 1,678
$1.56 R$7.90
787.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$12.46 ISK 1,512
$2.00 R$10.16
523.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Reykjavik
Criciuma
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.06 ISK 250
$0.97 R$4.90
112.37%
White Bread (500g)
$4.11 ISK 498
$1.49 R$7.55
175.84%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.68 ISK 446
$1.10 R$5.57
234.55%
Eggs
$7.27 ISK 882
$2.00 R$10.13
263.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$21.79 ISK 2,643
$8.31 R$42.12
162.21%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$23.95 ISK 2,905
$3.51 R$17.78
582.34%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$41.43 ISK 5,025
$8.71 R$44.15
375.66%
Apples (1kg)
$3.42 ISK 414
$2.04 R$10.34
67.65%
Banana (1kg)
$2.84 ISK 344
$1.22 R$6.17
132.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.23 ISK 391
$0.99 R$5.04
226.26%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.46 ISK 783
$1.57 R$7.98
311.46%
Potato (1kg)
$4.05 ISK 491
$1.21 R$6.12
234.71%
Onion (1kg)
$1.66 ISK 202
$1.09 R$5.51
52.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.86 ISK 468
$0.82 R$4.15
370.73%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.84 ISK 223
$0.69 R$3.52
166.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.96 ISK 1,693
$2.46 R$12.46
467.48%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.76 ISK 2,882
$4.73 R$23.97
402.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.54 ISK 430
$1.12 R$5.68
216.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.44 ISK 418
$1.40 R$7.10
145.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Reykjavik
Criciuma
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$5.81 ISK 705
$1.00 R$5.08
481.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$95.3 ISK 11.6K
$40.09 R$203
137.79%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.72 ISK 815
$0.50 R$2.54
1244.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.81 ISK 340
$0.79 R$4.01
255.70%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$81.3 ISK 9,866
$2.34 R$11.84
3376.07%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.12 ISK 257
$1.31 R$6.63
61.83%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$68.9K ISK 8.4M
$23.4K R$118.8K
194.07%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$55.8K ISK 6.8M
$30.9K R$156.9K
80.32%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Reykjavik
Criciuma
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$95.8 ISK 11.6K
$72.1 R$365
32.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.11 ISK 4,016
$12.31 R$62.4
168.97%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$87.2 ISK 10.6K
$21.92 R$111
297.58%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Reykjavik
Criciuma
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$101 ISK 12.3K
$28.52 R$145
254.42%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$50.7 ISK 6,155
$39.86 R$202
27.30%
Cinema Ticket
$19.85 ISK 2,407
$7.15 R$36.25
177.62%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Reykjavik
Criciuma
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,195 ISK 144.9K
$170 R$861
603.00%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$26.2K ISK 3.2M
$2,980 R$15.1K
779.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Reykjavik
Criciuma
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$148 ISK 18.0K
$49.26 R$250
200.97%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$66.8 ISK 8,096
$29.58 R$150
125.66%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$187 ISK 22.6K
$81.7 R$414
128.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$253 ISK 30.6K
$42.36 R$215
496.39%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Reykjavik
Criciuma
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,579 ISK 312.8K
$242 R$1,227
965.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,080 ISK 252.3K
$210 R$1,063
892.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,455 ISK 419.0K
$409 R$2,072
745.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,752 ISK 333.8K
$270 R$1,370
917.98%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,933 ISK 962.2K
$1,194 R$6,054
564.24%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,377 ISK 773.5K
$633 R$3,209
907.28%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Reykjavik
Criciuma
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,695 ISK 569.5K
$317 R$1,606
1381.96%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.81
10.74
-17.97%

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

Last update for Reykjavik: October 20, 2026

Last update for Criciuma: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Reykjavik
$2.1K
Criciuma
$210 89.9% $1.9K
Groceries & Markets
Reykjavik
$619
Criciuma
$170 72.5% $449
Eating Out
Reykjavik
$532
Criciuma
$100 81.2% $432
Clothing & Footwear
Reykjavik
$294
Criciuma
$91 69% $203
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Reykjavik
$216
Criciuma
$106 50.8% $110
Sport & Entertainment
Reykjavik
$141
Criciuma
$43 69.6% $98
Getting Around
Reykjavik
$139
Criciuma
$49 65.2% $91

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,579 in Reykjavik and $242 in Criciuma. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Reykjavik pays 1382% 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 $22.00 in Criciuma for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $619 vs $170 per month, with Criciuma cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇸 Reykjavik
🇧🇷 Criciuma
🕒 Local time
21:50 9:50 PM
18:50 6:50 PM
3 h behind Reykjavik
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
136,894 Capital
214,493
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to ISK – Icelandic Króna Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Reykjavik Criciuma 10,600 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Reykjavik
  • Criciuma

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 Criciuma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Criciuma cheaper than Reykjavik?
Criciuma is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 423% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Reykjavik or Criciuma?
Average pay runs 1382% higher in Reykjavik, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Reykjavik and Criciuma?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,579 in Reykjavik versus $242 in Criciuma. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Criciuma runs roughly 138% less than in Reykjavik. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $1,195 in Reykjavik versus $170 in Criciuma. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Reykjavik or in Criciuma?
At $769 in Criciuma versus $4,023 in Reykjavik, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Criciuma but tight or insufficient in Reykjavik. The gap between the two cities makes Criciuma the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Reykjavik or Criciuma more family-friendly?
For families, Criciuma 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.
Which city is safer, Reykjavik or Criciuma?
Safety-wise, Reykjavik and Criciuma are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Criciuma gentler on the wallet – expenses run 423% less than in Reykjavik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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