Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Lelydorp

For one person, living is cheaper in Lelydorp: $198 a month against $4,037 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $46,100 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

Lelydorp

🇸🇷 Suriname

$198

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Lelydorp

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,037 in Reykjavik versus $198 in Lelydorp.

Reykjavik $4,037
Lelydorp $198

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,666 in Reykjavik versus $403 in Lelydorp.

Reykjavik $5,666
Lelydorp $403

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,295 in Reykjavik versus $608 in Lelydorp.

Reykjavik $7,295
Lelydorp $608

Living in Reykjavik is roughly 1936% more expensive than in Lelydorp, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Reykjavik is 201% above, Lelydorp is 85% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.59 ISK 3,730

$4.91 SRD 184

523.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$136 ISK 16.5K

$34.61 SRD 1,297

291.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$27.08 ISK 3,302

$6.11 SRD 229

343.21%

Cappuccino

$6.72 ISK 819

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

$3.27 ISK 399

$1.28 SRD 47.84

155.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 ISK 386

$0.47 SRD 17.44

572.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.91 ISK 1,696

$2.05 SRD 76.9

578.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.06 ISK 1,470

$2.91 SRD 109

314.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ISK 248

$1.22 SRD 45.86

67.21%

White Bread (500g)

$4.32 ISK 527

$1.01 SRD 37.87

327.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.67 ISK 447

$1.21 SRD 45.46

203.31%

Eggs

$7.02 ISK 856

$2.76 SRD 103

154.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.01 ISK 2,684

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.70 ISK 3,012

$4.10 SRD 154

502.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.66 ISK 5,202

$7.86 SRD 295

442.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 ISK 412

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 ISK 347

$1.52 SRD 57.1

87.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 ISK 387

Tomato (1kg)

$6.39 ISK 779

Potato (1kg)

$4.01 ISK 489

$0.98 SRD 36.77

309.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 ISK 200

$0.97 SRD 36.52

69.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.80 ISK 463

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ISK 212

$0.82 SRD 30.90

112.20%

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

$1.97 SRD 73.9

79.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 ISK 420

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.77 ISK 704

$0.52 SRD 19.67

1009.62%

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

$0.89 SRD 33.33

137.08%

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-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

$301 SRD 11.3K

1460.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

-48.18%

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

Last update for Reykjavik: October 4, 2026

Last update for Lelydorp: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reykjavik

$2K 50.9%

Lelydorp

–

Groceries & Markets

Reykjavik

$625 15.9%

Lelydorp

–

Eating Out

Reykjavik

$526 13.4%

Lelydorp

–

Clothing & Footwear

Reykjavik

$298 7.6%

Lelydorp

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reykjavik

$205 5.2%

Lelydorp

–

Sport & Entertainment

Reykjavik

$140 3.6%

Lelydorp

–

Getting Around

Reykjavik

$139 3.5%

Lelydorp

–

Cost Breakdown

Reykjavik pays 1460% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $136 in Reykjavik vs $35.00 in Lelydorp for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $625 vs $116 per month, with Lelydorp cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🇸🇷 Lelydorp

🕒 Local time

12:11 12:11 PM

09:11 9:11 AM

3 h behind Reykjavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,894 Capital

19,000

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Surinamese Dollar SRD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR

100 SRD = 2.67 USD

100 SRD = 2.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SRD, USD, EUR 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).

Surinamese Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 37.47 SRD (100 SRD = 2.67 USD). 1 EUR = 41.99 SRD (100 SRD = 2.38 EUR).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Reykjavik Lelydorp 7,020 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Reykjavik
Lelydorp

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 Lelydorp: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lelydorp wins on cost – living expenses run 1936% lower than in Reykjavik. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lelydorp the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1460% higher in Reykjavik, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

All in, you'll spend $4,037 per month in Reykjavik versus $198 in Lelydorp – a 1936% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 438% higher in Reykjavik. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $198 in Lelydorp versus $4,037 in Reykjavik, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lelydorp but tight or insufficient in Reykjavik. The gap between the two cities makes Lelydorp the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lelydorp delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $198 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lelydorp hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Reykjavik and Lelydorp 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 Lelydorp gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1936% less than in Reykjavik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.