Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Kourou

For one person, living is cheaper in Kourou: $177 a month against $4,037 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $46,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Reykjavik
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Reykjavik Living Index

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Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,037

/mo nomad

Kourou

🇬🇫 French Guiana

$177

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Kourou

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,037 in Reykjavik versus $177 in Kourou.

Reykjavik $4,037
Kourou $177

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,666 in Reykjavik versus $304 in Kourou.

Reykjavik $5,666
Kourou $304

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,295 in Reykjavik versus $432 in Kourou.

Reykjavik $7,295
Kourou $432

Living in Reykjavik is roughly 2181% more expensive than in Kourou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Reykjavik is 201% above, Kourou is 87% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.59 ISK 3,730

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$136 ISK 16.5K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$27.08 ISK 3,302

Cappuccino

$6.72 ISK 819

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

$3.27 ISK 399

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 ISK 386

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.91 ISK 1,696

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.06 ISK 1,470

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ISK 248

White Bread (500g)

$4.32 ISK 527

$1.98 €1.76

118.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.67 ISK 447

Eggs

$7.02 ISK 856

$6.74 €6.01

4.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.01 ISK 2,684

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.70 ISK 3,012

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.66 ISK 5,202

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 ISK 412

$4.33 €3.87

-22.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 ISK 347

$2.32 €2.07

22.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 ISK 387

Tomato (1kg)

$6.39 ISK 779

$7.83 €6.99

-18.39%

Potato (1kg)

$4.01 ISK 489

$2.45 €2.19

63.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 ISK 200

$7.00 €6.24

-76.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.80 ISK 463

$2.24 €2.00

69.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ISK 212

$1.95 €1.74

-10.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.80 ISK 1,682

Wine (Bottle)

$23.38 ISK 2,851

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 ISK 430

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 ISK 420

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.77 ISK 704

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.1 ISK 11.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.63 ISK 808

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.79 ISK 341

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$81.4 ISK 9,923

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 ISK 257

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

$50.8K ISK 6.2M

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

$52.7K ISK 6.4M

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

$88.7 ISK 10.8K

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

$31.53 ISK 3,845

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.6 ISK 10.3K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$100 ISK 12.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.20 ISK 5,877

Cinema Ticket

$19.87 ISK 2,424

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

$1,277 ISK 155.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.0K ISK 3.8M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$161 ISK 19.6K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.9 ISK 7,914

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$183 ISK 22.3K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$254 ISK 31.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,499 ISK 304.8K

$1,491 €1,330

67.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 ISK 243.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,452 ISK 421.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 ISK 334.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,001 ISK 975.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,249 ISK 762.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,691 ISK 572.0K

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: October 4, 2026

Last update for Kourou: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reykjavik

$2K 50.9%

Kourou

–

Groceries & Markets

Reykjavik

$625 15.9%

Kourou

–

Eating Out

Reykjavik

$526 13.4%

Kourou

–

Clothing & Footwear

Reykjavik

$298 7.6%

Kourou

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reykjavik

$205 5.2%

Kourou

–

Sport & Entertainment

Reykjavik

$140 3.6%

Kourou

–

Getting Around

Reykjavik

$139 3.5%

Kourou

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,499 in Reykjavik and $1,491 in Kourou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🇬🇫 Kourou

🕒 Local time

10:37 10:37 AM

07:37 7:37 AM

3 h behind Reykjavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,894 Capital

24,903

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to ISK – Icelandic Króna Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇸 Icelandic Króna (kr)

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD). 1 EUR = 137 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Reykjavik Kourou 7,000 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Reykjavik
Kourou

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 Kourou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Reykjavik and Kourou differ by about 2181% in total monthly costs ($4,037 vs $177 including rent). Kourou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $6,055 in Reykjavik and $265 in Kourou 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: $2,499 in Reykjavik versus $1,491 in Kourou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 257% higher in Reykjavik. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $4,037 per month in Reykjavik versus $177 in Kourou – a 2181% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $177 in Kourou versus $4,037 in Reykjavik, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kourou but tight or insufficient in Reykjavik. The gap between the two cities makes Kourou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Reykjavik and Kourou 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 Kourou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2181% less than in Reykjavik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.