Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Hella

For one person, living is cheaper in Hella: $1,723 a month against $4,031 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $27,700 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
82

Cost of Living Index in Hella
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Hella Living Index

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Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,031

/mo nomad

Hella

🇮🇸 Iceland

$1,723

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Hella

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

A single person spends $4,031 per month in Reykjavik vs $1,723 in Hella, rent included.

Reykjavik $4,031
Hella $1,723

A couple spends around $5,731 per month in Reykjavik vs $2,927 in Hella, rent included.

Reykjavik $5,731
Hella $2,927

A family of three spends $7,431 per month in Reykjavik vs $4,131 in Hella, rent included.

Reykjavik $7,431
Hella $4,131

Reykjavik costs about 134% more than Hella, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Reykjavik and Hella sit above the global median – Reykjavik by 198%, Hella by 27%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.60 ISK 3,718

$31.22 ISK 3,793

-1.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 ISK 14.9K

$121 ISK 14.7K

0.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$27.27 ISK 3,313

$27.24 ISK 3,310

0.11%

Cappuccino

$6.90 ISK 838

$6.89 ISK 837

0.15%

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

$3.39 ISK 412

$3.25 ISK 395

4.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ISK 387

$3.08 ISK 375

3.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$14.10 ISK 1,713

$14.16 ISK 1,721

-0.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.44 ISK 1,511

$12.30 ISK 1,495

1.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ISK 249

$2.00 ISK 243

2.50%

White Bread (500g)

$4.36 ISK 529

$4.30 ISK 522

1.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.62 ISK 440

$3.66 ISK 444

-1.09%

Eggs

$7.06 ISK 857

$7.27 ISK 883

-2.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.58 ISK 2,622

$21.85 ISK 2,654

-1.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.14 ISK 2,933

$24.10 ISK 2,928

0.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.47 ISK 5,039

$41.15 ISK 4,999

0.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 ISK 371

$3.36 ISK 408

-8.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 ISK 342

$2.83 ISK 343

-0.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.15 ISK 383

$3.21 ISK 390

-1.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ISK 779

$6.56 ISK 798

-2.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.98 ISK 484

$3.91 ISK 475

1.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 ISK 200

$1.69 ISK 205

-2.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.73 ISK 453

$3.64 ISK 442

2.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 ISK 213

$1.83 ISK 223

-4.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.94 ISK 1,694

$13.97 ISK 1,697

-0.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.99 ISK 2,915

$23.32 ISK 2,834

2.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.67 ISK 446

$3.66 ISK 445

0.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 ISK 421

$3.49 ISK 424

-0.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.75 ISK 699

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.5 ISK 11.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.15 ISK 868

$6.76 ISK 821

5.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.69 ISK 448

$2.75 ISK 334

34.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$97.7 ISK 11.9K

$80.8 ISK 9,813

20.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 ISK 243

$2.10 ISK 255

-4.76%

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

$68.0K ISK 8.3M

$67.9K ISK 8.2M

0.15%

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

$55.8K ISK 6.8M

$56.3K ISK 6.8M

-0.81%

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

$96.9 ISK 11.8K

$96.8 ISK 11.8K

0.02%

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

$32.89 ISK 3,996

$32.49 ISK 3,948

1.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$89.6 ISK 10.9K

$85.0 ISK 10.3K

5.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$99.0 ISK 12.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$51.0 ISK 6,191

Cinema Ticket

$19.75 ISK 2,400

$19.81 ISK 2,407

-0.30%

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

$1,203 ISK 146.2K

$1,205 ISK 146.4K

-0.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K ISK 2.3M

$25.4K ISK 3.1M

-26.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$151 ISK 18.3K

$150 ISK 18.2K

0.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.9 ISK 7,880

$66.8 ISK 8,112

-2.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$183 ISK 22.3K

$185 ISK 22.5K

-0.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$255 ISK 31.0K

$252 ISK 30.6K

1.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,615 ISK 317.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,086 ISK 253.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,535 ISK 429.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,796 ISK 339.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,182 ISK 994.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,284 ISK 763.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,790 ISK 581.9K

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: November 1, 2026

Last update for Hella: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reykjavik

$2.1K 51.7%

Hella

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Reykjavik

$618 15.3%

Hella

$619 35.9% 0.2% $1.3

Eating Out

Reykjavik

$531 13.2%

Hella

$535 31.1% 0.7% $3.8

Clothing & Footwear

Reykjavik

$294 7.3%

Hella

$294 17.1% 0.1% $0.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reykjavik

$219 5.4%

Hella

$214 12.4% 2.2% $4.9

Getting Around

Reykjavik

$144 3.6%

Hella

$20 * 1.2% 85.8% $124

Sport & Entertainment

Reykjavik

$138 3.4%

Hella

$40 * 2.3% 71.4% $99

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $122 in Reykjavik versus $121 in Hella. Groceries tell a different story – $618 in Reykjavik vs $619 in Hella – so Reykjavik wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Hella

🕒 Local time

05:09 5:09 AM

Same time as Reykjavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,894 Capital

900

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.23 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.36 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.23 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.36 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Reykjavik Hella 83 km

From you

Reykjavik
Hella

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 Hella: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,031 in Reykjavik, $1,723 in Hella – Hella comes out roughly 57% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,046 per month in Reykjavik and $2,584 in Hella. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,031 in Reykjavik and $1,723 in Hella. That makes Hella about 57% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,203 per month in Reykjavik and $1,205 in Hella. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Hella, where all-in costs run around $1,723, than in Reykjavik at $4,031. In Hella it covers expenses comfortably, while in Reykjavik it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Reykjavik has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,723 in Hella to $4,031 in Reykjavik. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.