Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Jacareí

For one person, living is cheaper in Jacareí: $869 a month against $4,002 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $37,600 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 Jacareí
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Jacareí Living Index

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Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,002

/mo nomad

Jacareí

🇧🇷 Brazil

$869

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Jacareí

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,002 in Reykjavik versus $869 in Jacareí.

Reykjavik $4,002
Jacareí $869

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,705 in Reykjavik versus $1,385 in Jacareí.

Reykjavik $5,705
Jacareí $1,385

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,407 in Reykjavik versus $1,900 in Jacareí.

Reykjavik $7,407
Jacareí $1,900

Living in Reykjavik is roughly 360% more expensive than in Jacareí, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Reykjavik is 196% above, Jacareí is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.56 ISK 3,834

$7.15 R$35.89

341.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 ISK 14.9K

$31.77 R$159

285.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$26.86 ISK 3,263

$7.06 R$35.42

280.45%

Cappuccino

$6.81 ISK 828

$2.18 R$10.93

212.39%

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

$3.39 ISK 411

$1.57 R$7.86

115.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ISK 389

$0.92 R$4.63

247.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$14.14 ISK 1,717

$2.67 R$13.40

429.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.31 ISK 1,495

$2.97 R$14.92

314.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 ISK 255

$1.26 R$6.32

66.67%

White Bread (500g)

$4.19 ISK 509

$1.86 R$9.33

125.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 ISK 452

$1.17 R$5.85

217.95%

Eggs

$7.05 ISK 857

$2.44 R$12.24

188.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.56 ISK 2,619

$9.25 R$46.41

133.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.68 ISK 2,998

$4.51 R$22.65

447.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.19 ISK 5,125

$9.63 R$48.30

338.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ISK 393

$2.63 R$13.19

22.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 ISK 332

$1.88 R$9.44

45.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 ISK 385

$1.84 R$9.21

72.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.61 ISK 804

$1.87 R$9.39

253.48%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ISK 467

$1.38 R$6.90

178.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 ISK 201

$1.31 R$6.60

26.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.80 ISK 462

$0.99 R$4.96

283.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 ISK 212

$0.76 R$3.80

130.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.71 ISK 1,665

$2.38 R$11.96

476.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.21 ISK 2,942

$7.98 R$40.02

203.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 ISK 429

$1.66 R$8.33

112.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ISK 403

$2.95 R$14.82

12.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.75 ISK 698

$1.04 R$5.23

452.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 ISK 11.4K

$49.52 R$248

89.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.61 ISK 804

$1.28 R$6.42

416.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.90 ISK 352

$1.43 R$7.20

102.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.2 ISK 9,617

$9.44 R$47.37

738.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 ISK 254

$1.26 R$6.31

65.87%

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

$51.0K ISK 6.2M

$23.7K R$118.7K

115.59%

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

$53.3K ISK 6.5M

$33.3K R$167.0K

60.07%

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

$95.3 ISK 11.6K

$42.87 R$215

122.21%

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

$32.35 ISK 3,929

$12.19 R$61.2

165.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.5 ISK 10.6K

$22.01 R$110

297.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 ISK 12.4K

$23.26 R$117

337.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.1 ISK 6,083

$29.25 R$147

71.21%

Cinema Ticket

$19.88 ISK 2,415

$7.89 R$39.59

151.96%

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

$1,194 ISK 145.0K

$286 R$1,434

317.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.4K ISK 3.1M

$7,746 R$38.9K

228.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$149 ISK 18.1K

$56.3 R$283

164.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.6 ISK 8,093

$37.60 R$189

77.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$180 ISK 21.9K

$95.7 R$480

88.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$253 ISK 30.8K

$59.9 R$301

322.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,549 ISK 309.7K

$342 R$1,715

645.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,056 ISK 249.8K

$229 R$1,150

797.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,498 ISK 424.9K

$721 R$3,616

385.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,764 ISK 335.7K

$405 R$2,034

581.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,120 ISK 986.4K

$1,873 R$9,396

333.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,254 ISK 759.7K

$1,131 R$5,675

452.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,573 ISK 555.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

11.12

-20.77%

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

Last update for Reykjavik: October 12, 2026

Last update for Jacareí: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reykjavik

$2.1K 51.4%

Jacareí

$229 26.4% 88.9% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Reykjavik

$623 15.6%

Jacareí

$216 24.8% 65.3% $407

Eating Out

Reykjavik

$536 13.4%

Jacareí

$134 15.4% 75.1% $403

Clothing & Footwear

Reykjavik

$292 7.3%

Jacareí

$112 12.9% 61.5% $180

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reykjavik

$215 5.4%

Jacareí

$77 8.9% 64.2% $138

Sport & Entertainment

Reykjavik

$142 3.5%

Jacareí

$39 4.5% 72.4% $103

Getting Around

Reykjavik

$138 3.5%

Jacareí

$62 7.2% 54.9% $76

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,549 in Reykjavik and $342 in Jacareí. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $122 in Reykjavik vs $32.00 in Jacareí for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $623 vs $216 per month, with Jacareí cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🇧🇷 Jacareí

🕒 Local time

17:24 5:24 PM

14:24 2:24 PM

3 h behind Reykjavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,894 Capital

240,275

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.23 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.35 EUR

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to ISK – Icelandic Króna Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇸 Icelandic Króna (kr)

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).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.62 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Reykjavik Jacareí 9,950 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Reykjavik
Jacareí

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 Jacareí: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jacareí wins on cost – living expenses run 360% lower than in Reykjavik. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Jacareí the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $6,003 in Reykjavik and $1,304 in Jacareí 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,549 in Reykjavik versus $342 in Jacareí. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,194 in Reykjavik versus $286 in Jacareí. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 188% higher in Reykjavik. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $869 in Jacareí versus $4,002 in Reykjavik, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Jacareí but tight or insufficient in Reykjavik. The gap between the two cities makes Jacareí the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Jacareí delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $869 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Jacareí hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Reykjavik and Jacareí 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 Jacareí gentler on the wallet – expenses run 360% less than in Reykjavik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.