Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Lanus

For one person, living is cheaper in Lanus: $1,089 a month against $4,002 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $35,000 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
53

Cost of Living Index in Lanus
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Lanus Living Index

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Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,002

/mo nomad

Lanus

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,089

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Lanus

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,002 in Reykjavik versus $1,089 in Lanus.

Reykjavik $4,002
Lanus $1,089

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,705 in Reykjavik versus $1,793 in Lanus.

Reykjavik $5,705
Lanus $1,793

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,407 in Reykjavik versus $2,497 in Lanus.

Reykjavik $7,407
Lanus $2,497

Living in Reykjavik is roughly 268% more expensive than in Lanus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Reykjavik is 196% above, Lanus is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.56 ISK 3,828

$10.15 ARS 15.4K

210.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 ISK 14.8K

$37.97 ARS 57.6K

222.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$26.86 ISK 3,258

$12.89 ARS 19.6K

108.38%

Cappuccino

$6.81 ISK 827

$3.83 ARS 5,805

77.81%

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

$3.39 ISK 411

$1.98 ARS 3,009

71.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ISK 388

$1.60 ARS 2,434

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$14.14 ISK 1,715

$3.84 ARS 5,833

268.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.31 ISK 1,493

$2.29 ARS 3,470

437.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 ISK 255

$1.30 ARS 1,978

61.54%

White Bread (500g)

$4.19 ISK 508

$2.41 ARS 3,655

73.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 ISK 451

$1.59 ARS 2,417

133.96%

Eggs

$7.05 ISK 856

$2.53 ARS 3,843

178.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.56 ISK 2,615

$6.86 ARS 10.4K

214.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.68 ISK 2,993

$9.15 ARS 13.9K

169.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.19 ISK 5,117

$13.53 ARS 20.5K

211.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ISK 392

$2.74 ARS 4,156

17.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 ISK 331

$1.98 ARS 3,010

37.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 ISK 384

$1.05 ARS 1,595

201.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.61 ISK 802

$1.84 ARS 2,787

259.24%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ISK 467

$0.97 ARS 1,476

296.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 ISK 201

$0.69 ARS 1,048

140.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.80 ISK 461

$1.63 ARS 2,478

133.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 ISK 212

$1.71 ARS 2,600

2.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.71 ISK 1,662

$3.34 ARS 5,066

310.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.21 ISK 2,937

$5.85 ARS 8,883

313.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 ISK 428

$1.51 ARS 2,296

133.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ISK 402

$2.73 ARS 4,140

21.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.75 ISK 697

$1.07 ARS 1,625

437.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 ISK 11.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.61 ISK 802

$1.59 ARS 2,411

315.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.90 ISK 352

$0.98 ARS 1,482

195.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.2 ISK 9,602

$8.06 ARS 12.2K

882.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 ISK 253

$1.15 ARS 1,741

81.74%

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

$51.0K ISK 6.2M

$28.1K ARS 42.7M

81.50%

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

$53.3K ISK 6.5M

$29.7K ARS 45.1M

79.12%

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

$95.3 ISK 11.6K

$60.6 ARS 92.0K

57.19%

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

$32.35 ISK 3,923

$20.24 ARS 30.7K

59.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.5 ISK 10.6K

$27.37 ARS 41.5K

219.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 ISK 12.4K

$31.46 ARS 47.7K

223.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.1 ISK 6,074

Cinema Ticket

$19.88 ISK 2,412

$4.89 ARS 7,423

306.54%

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

$1,194 ISK 144.8K

$468 ARS 710.3K

155.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.4K ISK 3.1M

$8,856 ARS 13.4M

186.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$149 ISK 18.1K

$37.57 ARS 57.0K

296.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.6 ISK 8,080

$60.4 ARS 91.6K

10.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$180 ISK 21.8K

$116 ARS 176.2K

54.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$253 ISK 30.7K

$100 ARS 152.0K

152.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,549 ISK 309.2K

$470 ARS 713.4K

442.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,056 ISK 249.4K

$328 ARS 497.1K

527.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,498 ISK 424.2K

$881 ARS 1.3M

297.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,764 ISK 335.2K

$767 ARS 1.2M

260.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,120 ISK 984.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,254 ISK 758.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,573 ISK 554.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

57.25

-84.61%

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

Last update for Reykjavik: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lanus: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reykjavik

$2.1K 51.4%

Lanus

$328 30.1% 84.1% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Reykjavik

$623 15.6%

Lanus

$256 23.5% 58.9% $367

Eating Out

Reykjavik

$536 13.4%

Lanus

$204 18.7% 62% $333

Clothing & Footwear

Reykjavik

$292 7.3%

Lanus

$141 13% 51.6% $151

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reykjavik

$215 5.4%

Lanus

$108 9.9% 49.7% $107

Sport & Entertainment

Reykjavik

$142 3.5%

Lanus

$41 3.8% 70.9% $100

Getting Around

Reykjavik

$138 3.5%

Lanus

$11 * 1% 92.2% $127

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,549 in Reykjavik and $470 in Lanus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $122 in Reykjavik vs $38.00 in Lanus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $623 vs $256 per month, with Lanus cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🇦🇷 Lanus

🕒 Local time

18:57 6:57 PM

15:57 3:57 PM

3 h behind Reykjavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,894 Capital

459,263

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to ISK – Icelandic Króna Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇸 Icelandic Króna (kr)

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Reykjavik Lanus 11,450 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Reykjavik
Lanus

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 Lanus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lanus is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 268% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $6,003 in Reykjavik and $1,633 in Lanus 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 $470 in Lanus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,194 in Reykjavik versus $468 in Lanus. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lanus – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $122 in Reykjavik. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,089 in Lanus versus $4,002 in Reykjavik, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Lanus but tight or insufficient in Reykjavik. The gap between the two cities makes Lanus the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lanus 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.

Safety-wise, Reykjavik and Lanus 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 Lanus gentler on the wallet – expenses run 268% less than in Reykjavik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.