Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Dartmouth

For one person, living is cheaper in Dartmouth: $1,993 a month against $4,002 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $24,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Reykjavik
🇮🇸 Iceland
$4,002
/mo nomad
Dartmouth
🇨🇦 Canada
$1,993
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Dartmouth

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

A single person spends $4,002 per month in Reykjavik vs $1,993 in Dartmouth, rent included.

  • Reykjavik $4,002
  • Dartmouth $1,993

A couple spends around $5,705 per month in Reykjavik vs $2,990 in Dartmouth, rent included.

  • Reykjavik $5,705
  • Dartmouth $2,990

A family of three spends $7,407 per month in Reykjavik vs $3,987 in Dartmouth, rent included.

  • Reykjavik $7,407
  • Dartmouth $3,987

Reykjavik costs about 101% more than Dartmouth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Reykjavik and Dartmouth sit above the global median – Reykjavik by 196%, Dartmouth by 48%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Reykjavik
Dartmouth
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$31.56 ISK 3,834
$10.55 CA$15.00
199.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$122 ISK 14.9K
$58.5 CA$83.2
109.22%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$26.86 ISK 3,263
$6.96 CA$9.89
285.92%
Cappuccino
$6.81 ISK 828
$3.56 CA$5.07
91.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.39 ISK 411
$2.00 CA$2.84
69.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.20 ISK 389
$1.88 CA$2.68
70.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$14.14 ISK 1,717
$4.45 CA$6.33
217.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$12.31 ISK 1,495
$5.70 CA$8.10
115.96%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Reykjavik
Dartmouth
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.10 ISK 255
$2.38 CA$3.38
-11.76%
White Bread (500g)
$4.19 ISK 509
$2.04 CA$2.91
105.39%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.72 ISK 452
$3.31 CA$4.71
12.39%
Eggs
$7.05 ISK 857
$3.49 CA$4.96
102.01%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$21.56 ISK 2,619
$7.64 CA$10.86
182.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$24.68 ISK 2,998
$9.18 CA$13.05
168.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$42.19 ISK 5,125
$10.37 CA$14.74
306.85%
Apples (1kg)
$3.23 ISK 393
$3.38 CA$4.80
-4.44%
Banana (1kg)
$2.73 ISK 332
$1.52 CA$2.16
79.61%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.17 ISK 385
$4.47 CA$6.36
-29.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.61 ISK 804
$5.75 CA$8.17
14.96%
Potato (1kg)
$3.85 ISK 467
$2.03 CA$2.88
89.66%
Onion (1kg)
$1.66 ISK 201
$2.11 CA$3.00
-21.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.80 ISK 462
$2.48 CA$3.53
53.23%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.75 ISK 212
$2.13 CA$3.02
-17.84%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.71 ISK 1,665
$13.95 CA$19.83
-1.72%
Wine (Bottle)
$24.21 ISK 2,942
$14.17 CA$20.15
70.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.53 ISK 429
$3.35 CA$4.77
5.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.32 ISK 403
$3.87 CA$5.50
-14.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Reykjavik
Dartmouth
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$5.75 ISK 698
$1.97 CA$2.80
191.88%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$93.8 ISK 11.4K
$59.6 CA$84.7
57.51%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.61 ISK 804
$2.76 CA$3.92
139.49%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.90 ISK 352
$1.32 CA$1.87
119.70%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$79.2 ISK 9,617
$21.34 CA$30.34
270.95%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.09 ISK 254
$1.12 CA$1.59
86.61%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$51.0K ISK 6.2M
$28.0K CA$39.8K
82.38%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$53.3K ISK 6.5M
$18.9K CA$26.8K
182.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Reykjavik
Dartmouth
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$95.3 ISK 11.6K
$77.5 CA$110
23.00%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$32.35 ISK 3,929
$41.92 CA$59.6
-22.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$87.5 ISK 10.6K
$63.3 CA$90.0
38.29%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Reykjavik
Dartmouth
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$102 ISK 12.4K
$35.19 CA$50.0
189.46%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$50.1 ISK 6,083
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$19.88 ISK 2,415
$12.41 CA$17.64
60.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Reykjavik
Dartmouth
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,194 ISK 145.0K
$373 CA$530
220.14%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.4K ISK 3.1M
$13.2K CA$18.8K
92.43%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Reykjavik
Dartmouth
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$149 ISK 18.1K
$39.41 CA$56.0
278.15%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$66.6 ISK 8,093
$33.13 CA$47.11
101.09%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$180 ISK 21.9K
$66.7 CA$94.8
169.73%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$253 ISK 30.8K
$74.6 CA$106
239.55%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Reykjavik
Dartmouth
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,549 ISK 309.7K
$1,215 CA$1,727
109.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,056 ISK 249.8K
$1,037 CA$1,475
98.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,498 ISK 424.9K
$1,956 CA$2,781
78.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,764 ISK 335.7K
$1,818 CA$2,585
52.02%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,120 ISK 986.4K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,254 ISK 759.7K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Reykjavik
Dartmouth
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,573 ISK 555.5K
$2,539 CA$3,610
80.12%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.81
4.6
91.52%

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

Last update for Reykjavik: October 12, 2026

Last update for Dartmouth: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Reykjavik
$2.1K
Dartmouth
$1K 49.6% $1K
Groceries & Markets
Reykjavik
$623
Dartmouth
$343 45% $280
Eating Out
Reykjavik
$536
Dartmouth
$197 63.2% $339
Clothing & Footwear
Reykjavik
$292
Dartmouth
$96 67% $196
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Reykjavik
$215
Dartmouth
$183 15.1% $32
Sport & Entertainment
Reykjavik
$142
Dartmouth
$60 57.6% $82
Getting Around
Reykjavik
$138
Dartmouth
$77 44.3% $61

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,549 in Reykjavik versus $1,215 in Dartmouth. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 80% higher in Reykjavik, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $122 in Reykjavik versus $58.0 in Dartmouth. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $623 vs $343 – making Dartmouth the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇸 Reykjavik
🇨🇦 Dartmouth
🕒 Local time
23:27 11:27 PM
20:27 8:27 PM
3 h behind Reykjavik
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
136,894 Capital
70,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to ISK – Icelandic Króna Converter

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.23 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.35 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Reykjavik Dartmouth 3,350 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Reykjavik
  • Dartmouth

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 Dartmouth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Reykjavik and in Dartmouth compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $4,002 in Reykjavik, $1,993 in Dartmouth – roughly 101% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Reykjavik compared to Dartmouth?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,003 per month in Reykjavik and $2,989 in Dartmouth. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Reykjavik and Dartmouth?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Dartmouth, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Reykjavik or Dartmouth?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,002 in Reykjavik and $1,993 in Dartmouth. That's a gap of about 101%.
How do commuting costs compare in Reykjavik and in Dartmouth?
Public transport costs about 58% less in Dartmouth. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Dartmouth, where all-in costs run around $1,993, than in Reykjavik at $4,002. In Dartmouth it covers expenses comfortably, while in Reykjavik it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Reykjavik and Dartmouth?
It depends on your priorities. Reykjavik has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,993 in Dartmouth to $4,002 in Reykjavik. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Reykjavik or Dartmouth safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Reykjavik and Dartmouth?
If budget matters most, go with Dartmouth. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Reykjavik makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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