Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Itapema

For one person, living is cheaper in Itapema: $772 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
Itapema
🇧🇷 Brazil
$772
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Itapema

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,023 in Reykjavik versus $772 in Itapema.

  • Reykjavik $4,023
  • Itapema $772

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,708 in Reykjavik versus $1,233 in Itapema.

  • Reykjavik $5,708
  • Itapema $1,233

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,393 in Reykjavik versus $1,694 in Itapema.

  • Reykjavik $7,393
  • Itapema $1,694

Living in Reykjavik is roughly 421% more expensive than in Itapema, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Reykjavik
Itapema
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$31.00 ISK 3,760
$5.55 R$28.13
458.56%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$123 ISK 14.9K
$27.67 R$140
345.25%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$27.21 ISK 3,300
$6.45 R$32.69
321.86%
Cappuccino
$6.90 ISK 837
$1.75 R$8.89
294.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.30 ISK 401
$1.08 R$5.46
205.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.16 ISK 384
$0.64 R$3.26
393.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$13.84 ISK 1,678
$1.79 R$9.05
673.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$12.46 ISK 1,512
$2.65 R$13.45
370.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Reykjavik
Itapema
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.06 ISK 250
$0.99 R$5.03
108.08%
White Bread (500g)
$4.11 ISK 498
$1.50 R$7.59
174.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.68 ISK 446
$1.14 R$5.79
222.81%
Eggs
$7.27 ISK 882
$2.03 R$10.28
258.13%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$21.79 ISK 2,643
$8.39 R$42.52
159.71%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$23.95 ISK 2,905
$3.65 R$18.52
556.16%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$41.43 ISK 5,025
$7.28 R$36.90
469.09%
Apples (1kg)
$3.42 ISK 414
$2.06 R$10.46
66.02%
Banana (1kg)
$2.84 ISK 344
$1.24 R$6.30
129.03%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.23 ISK 391
$1.16 R$5.87
178.45%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.46 ISK 783
$1.49 R$7.57
333.56%
Potato (1kg)
$4.05 ISK 491
$1.15 R$5.82
252.17%
Onion (1kg)
$1.66 ISK 202
$1.05 R$5.33
58.10%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.86 ISK 468
$0.68 R$3.42
467.65%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.84 ISK 223
$0.63 R$3.19
192.06%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.96 ISK 1,693
$2.09 R$10.62
567.94%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.76 ISK 2,882
$7.45 R$37.75
218.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.54 ISK 430
$1.24 R$6.30
185.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.44 ISK 418
$2.06 R$10.43
66.99%
🚌 Getting Around
Reykjavik
Itapema
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$5.81 ISK 705
$0.92 R$4.67
531.52%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$95.3 ISK 11.6K
$37.79 R$192
152.26%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.72 ISK 815
$1.09 R$5.54
516.51%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.81 ISK 340
$0.70 R$3.57
301.43%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$81.3 ISK 9,866
$6.54 R$33.18
1143.73%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.12 ISK 257
$1.04 R$5.25
103.85%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$68.9K ISK 8.4M
$21.0K R$106.5K
228.20%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$55.8K ISK 6.8M
$28.1K R$142.6K
98.31%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Reykjavik
Itapema
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$95.8 ISK 11.6K
$59.5 R$302
61.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.11 ISK 4,016
$13.32 R$67.5
148.57%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$87.2 ISK 10.6K
$18.44 R$93.5
372.61%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Reykjavik
Itapema
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$101 ISK 12.3K
$22.93 R$116
340.82%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$50.7 ISK 6,155
$21.84 R$111
132.33%
Cinema Ticket
$19.85 ISK 2,407
$6.49 R$32.89
205.86%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Reykjavik
Itapema
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,195 ISK 144.9K
$278 R$1,410
329.49%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$26.2K ISK 3.2M
$6,357 R$32.2K
312.52%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Reykjavik
Itapema
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$148 ISK 18.0K
$46.61 R$236
218.09%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$66.8 ISK 8,096
$42.86 R$217
55.74%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$187 ISK 22.6K
$76.2 R$386
144.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$253 ISK 30.6K
$62.5 R$317
304.08%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Reykjavik
Itapema
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,579 ISK 312.8K
$320 R$1,623
705.60%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,080 ISK 252.3K
$217 R$1,099
859.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,455 ISK 419.0K
$571 R$2,897
504.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,752 ISK 333.8K
$427 R$2,164
544.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,933 ISK 962.2K
$1,472 R$7,464
438.78%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,377 ISK 773.5K
$1,044 R$5,292
510.92%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Reykjavik
Itapema
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,695 ISK 569.5K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.81
10.92
-19.32%

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

Last update for Reykjavik: October 20, 2026

Last update for Itapema: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Reykjavik
$2.1K
Itapema
$217 89.6% $1.9K
Groceries & Markets
Reykjavik
$619
Itapema
$174 71.9% $446
Eating Out
Reykjavik
$532
Itapema
$106 80.1% $427
Clothing & Footwear
Reykjavik
$294
Itapema
$103 65.1% $192
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Reykjavik
$216
Itapema
$91 57.8% $125
Sport & Entertainment
Reykjavik
$141
Itapema
$36 74.5% $105
Getting Around
Reykjavik
$139
Itapema
$46 66.9% $93

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,579 in Reykjavik and $320 in Itapema. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $123 in Reykjavik vs $28.00 in Itapema for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $619 vs $174 per month, with Itapema cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇸 Reykjavik
🇧🇷 Itapema
🕒 Local time
23:11 11:11 PM
20:11 8:11 PM
3 h behind Reykjavik
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
136,894 Capital
75,940
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to ISK – Icelandic Króna Converter

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 21, 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 21, 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 Itapema 10,410 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Reykjavik
  • Itapema

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 Itapema: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Itapema cheaper than Reykjavik?
Itapema is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 421% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $6,034 in Reykjavik and $1,159 in Itapema to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Reykjavik and Itapema?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,579 in Reykjavik versus $320 in Itapema. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Reykjavik and in Itapema?
All in, you'll spend $4,023 per month in Reykjavik versus $772 in Itapema – a 421% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Itapema runs roughly 152% less than in Reykjavik. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Reykjavik or in Itapema?
At $772 in Itapema versus $4,023 in Reykjavik, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Itapema but tight or insufficient in Reykjavik. The gap between the two cities makes Itapema the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Reykjavik or Itapema more family-friendly?
For families, Itapema 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 Itapema?
Safety-wise, Reykjavik and Itapema 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 Itapema gentler on the wallet – expenses run 421% less than in Reykjavik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Reykjavik vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?