Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Linares

For one person, living is cheaper in Linares: $1,033 a month against $4,002 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $35,600 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
50

Cost of Living Index in Linares
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Linares Living Index

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Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,002

/mo nomad

Linares

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,033

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Linares

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

A single person spends $4,002 per month in Reykjavik vs $1,033 in Linares, rent included.

Reykjavik $4,002
Linares $1,033

A couple spends around $5,705 per month in Reykjavik vs $1,585 in Linares, rent included.

Reykjavik $5,705
Linares $1,585

A family of three spends $7,407 per month in Reykjavik vs $2,136 in Linares, rent included.

Reykjavik $7,407
Linares $2,136

Reykjavik costs about 287% more than Linares, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Reykjavik sits 196% above the global median, while Linares is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.56 ISK 3,828

$5.17 CLP 5,085

510.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 ISK 14.8K

$51.2 CLP 50.4K

139.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$26.86 ISK 3,258

$8.44 CLP 8,313

218.25%

Cappuccino

$6.81 ISK 827

$3.27 CLP 3,218

108.26%

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

$3.39 ISK 411

$0.60 CLP 590

465.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ISK 388

$1.00 CLP 986

220.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$14.14 ISK 1,715

$4.20 CLP 4,132

236.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.31 ISK 1,493

$3.15 CLP 3,096

290.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 ISK 255

$1.24 CLP 1,219

69.35%

White Bread (500g)

$4.19 ISK 508

$1.78 CLP 1,749

135.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 ISK 451

$1.60 CLP 1,571

132.50%

Eggs

$7.05 ISK 856

$2.48 CLP 2,446

184.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.56 ISK 2,615

$11.15 CLP 11.0K

93.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.68 ISK 2,993

$6.72 CLP 6,619

267.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.19 ISK 5,117

$10.44 CLP 10.3K

304.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ISK 392

$2.04 CLP 2,008

58.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 ISK 331

$1.56 CLP 1,533

75.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 ISK 384

$1.63 CLP 1,608

94.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.61 ISK 802

$0.79 CLP 781

736.71%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ISK 467

$0.73 CLP 721

427.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 ISK 201

$1.52 CLP 1,495

9.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.80 ISK 461

$1.23 CLP 1,214

208.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 ISK 212

$1.13 CLP 1,111

54.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.71 ISK 1,662

$5.24 CLP 5,163

161.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.21 ISK 2,937

$6.01 CLP 5,912

302.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 ISK 428

$1.55 CLP 1,530

127.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ISK 402

$2.30 CLP 2,265

44.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.75 ISK 697

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 ISK 11.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.61 ISK 802

$0.42 CLP 414

1473.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.90 ISK 352

$0.89 CLP 875

225.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.2 ISK 9,602

$11.72 CLP 11.5K

575.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 ISK 253

$1.50 CLP 1,481

39.33%

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

$51.0K ISK 6.2M

$17.5K CLP 17.2M

191.15%

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

$53.3K ISK 6.5M

$22.0K CLP 21.6M

142.29%

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

$95.3 ISK 11.6K

$149 CLP 146.4K

-35.93%

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

$32.35 ISK 3,923

$12.24 CLP 12.0K

164.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.5 ISK 10.6K

$19.28 CLP 19.0K

354.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 ISK 12.4K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.1 ISK 6,074

Cinema Ticket

$19.88 ISK 2,412

$7.54 CLP 7,417

163.66%

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

$1,194 ISK 144.8K

$424 CLP 416.9K

181.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.4K ISK 3.1M

$3,676 CLP 3.6M

591.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$149 ISK 18.1K

$51.1 CLP 50.3K

191.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.6 ISK 8,080

$28.76 CLP 28.3K

131.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$180 ISK 21.8K

$67.0 CLP 65.9K

168.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$253 ISK 30.7K

$82.2 CLP 80.9K

208.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,549 ISK 309.2K

$430 CLP 423.2K

492.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,056 ISK 249.4K

$368 CLP 361.9K

459.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,498 ISK 424.2K

$766 CLP 753.7K

356.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,764 ISK 335.2K

$633 CLP 622.8K

336.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,120 ISK 984.9K

$2,137 CLP 2.1M

279.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,254 ISK 758.5K

$2,164 CLP 2.1M

188.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,573 ISK 554.6K

$831 CLP 818.3K

450.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

4.94

78.34%

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

Last update for Reykjavik: October 12, 2026

Last update for Linares: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reykjavik

$2.1K 51.4%

Linares

$368 35.6% 82.1% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Reykjavik

$623 15.6%

Linares

$223 21.6% 64.2% $400

Eating Out

Reykjavik

$536 13.4%

Linares

$140 13.5% 74% $397

Clothing & Footwear

Reykjavik

$292 7.3%

Linares

$103 10% 64.7% $189

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reykjavik

$215 5.4%

Linares

$180 17.4% 16.2% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Reykjavik

$142 3.5%

Linares

$15 * 1.5% 89.4% $127

Getting Around

Reykjavik

$138 3.5%

Linares

$4.9 * 0.5% 96.5% $133

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,549 in Reykjavik versus $430 in Linares. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 450% higher in Reykjavik, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $122 in Reykjavik versus $51.0 in Linares. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $623 vs $223 – making Linares the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🇨🇱 Linares

🕒 Local time

04:05 4:05 AM

01:05 1:05 AM

3 h behind Reykjavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,894 Capital

73,602

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to ISK – Icelandic Króna Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇸 Icelandic Króna (kr)

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Reykjavik Linares 11,940 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Reykjavik
Linares

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 Linares: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Reykjavik is pricier by about 287%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,003 per month in Reykjavik and $1,550 in Linares. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Linares, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,002 in Reykjavik and $1,033 in Linares. That's a gap of about 287%.

Kindergarten costs $1,194 per month in Reykjavik and $424 in Linares. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Linares, where all-in costs run around $1,033, than in Reykjavik at $4,002. In Linares it covers expenses comfortably, while in Reykjavik it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Linares – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Linares. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Reykjavik makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.