Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Nova Friburgo

For one person, living is cheaper in Nova Friburgo: $611 a month against $4,002 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $40,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

193

Cost of Living Index in Reykjavik
Learn more

Reykjavik Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Nova Friburgo
Learn more

Nova Friburgo Living Index

Jump to prices

Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,002

/mo nomad

Nova Friburgo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$611

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Nova Friburgo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,002 in Reykjavik versus $611 in Nova Friburgo.

Reykjavik $4,002
Nova Friburgo $611

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,705 in Reykjavik versus $1,026 in Nova Friburgo.

Reykjavik $5,705
Nova Friburgo $1,026

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,407 in Reykjavik versus $1,440 in Nova Friburgo.

Reykjavik $7,407
Nova Friburgo $1,440

Living in Reykjavik is roughly 555% more expensive than in Nova Friburgo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Reykjavik is 196% above, Nova Friburgo is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.56 ISK 3,834

$5.87 R$29.44

437.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 ISK 14.9K

$30.15 R$151

305.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$26.86 ISK 3,263

$6.38 R$32.01

321.00%

Cappuccino

$6.81 ISK 828

$1.76 R$8.84

286.93%

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

$3.39 ISK 411

$0.88 R$4.42

285.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ISK 389

$0.58 R$2.89

451.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$14.14 ISK 1,717

$1.19 R$5.95

1088.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.31 ISK 1,495

$2.45 R$12.30

402.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 ISK 255

$0.97 R$4.85

116.49%

White Bread (500g)

$4.19 ISK 509

$1.51 R$7.58

177.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 ISK 452

$1.38 R$6.94

169.57%

Eggs

$7.05 ISK 857

$1.94 R$9.75

263.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.56 ISK 2,619

$9.21 R$46.22

134.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.68 ISK 2,998

$3.42 R$17.16

621.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.19 ISK 5,125

$9.52 R$47.79

343.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ISK 393

$1.62 R$8.14

99.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 ISK 332

$1.20 R$6.04

127.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 ISK 385

$0.93 R$4.65

240.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.61 ISK 804

$1.28 R$6.43

416.41%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ISK 467

$0.65 R$3.25

492.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 ISK 201

$0.81 R$4.04

104.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.80 ISK 462

$0.56 R$2.82

578.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 ISK 212

$0.76 R$3.83

130.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.71 ISK 1,665

$1.58 R$7.94

767.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.21 ISK 2,942

$6.07 R$30.43

298.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 ISK 429

$1.01 R$5.07

249.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ISK 403

$1.42 R$7.12

133.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.75 ISK 698

$0.96 R$4.83

498.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 ISK 11.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.61 ISK 804

$1.22 R$6.11

441.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.90 ISK 352

$0.56 R$2.79

417.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.2 ISK 9,617

$6.87 R$34.45

1052.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 ISK 254

$1.25 R$6.27

67.20%

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

$51.0K ISK 6.2M

$20.0K R$100.3K

155.25%

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

$53.3K ISK 6.5M

$31.0K R$155.6K

71.83%

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

$95.3 ISK 11.6K

$41.63 R$209

128.83%

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

$32.35 ISK 3,929

$9.54 R$47.85

239.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.5 ISK 10.6K

$18.74 R$94.0

367.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 ISK 12.4K

$22.35 R$112

355.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.1 ISK 6,083

Cinema Ticket

$19.88 ISK 2,415

$6.77 R$33.95

193.65%

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

$1,194 ISK 145.0K

$147 R$739

710.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.4K ISK 3.1M

$2,693 R$13.5K

843.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$149 ISK 18.1K

$71.1 R$357

109.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.6 ISK 8,093

$84.5 R$424

-21.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$180 ISK 21.9K

$68.1 R$342

164.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$253 ISK 30.8K

$47.77 R$240

430.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,549 ISK 309.7K

$161 R$809

1480.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,056 ISK 249.8K

$99.3 R$498

1971.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,498 ISK 424.9K

$396 R$1,987

783.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,764 ISK 335.7K

$243 R$1,221

1035.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,120 ISK 986.4K

$1,604 R$8,050

406.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,254 ISK 759.7K

$810 R$4,062

672.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,573 ISK 555.5K

$521 R$2,613

778.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

10.67

-17.43%

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

Last update for Reykjavik: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nova Friburgo: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reykjavik

$2.1K 51.4%

Nova Friburgo

$99 16.3% 95.2% $2K

Groceries & Markets

Reykjavik

$623 15.6%

Nova Friburgo

$172 28.1% 72.4% $451

Eating Out

Reykjavik

$536 13.4%

Nova Friburgo

$104 17% 80.6% $433

Clothing & Footwear

Reykjavik

$292 7.3%

Nova Friburgo

$122 20% 58.2% $170

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reykjavik

$215 5.4%

Nova Friburgo

$70 11.5% 67.5% $145

Sport & Entertainment

Reykjavik

$142 3.5%

Nova Friburgo

$36 5.9% 74.7% $106

Getting Around

Reykjavik

$138 3.5%

Nova Friburgo

$7.9 * 1.3% 94.3% $130

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 $161 in Nova Friburgo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Reykjavik pays 778% 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: $122 in Reykjavik vs $30.00 in Nova Friburgo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $623 vs $172 per month, with Nova Friburgo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🇧🇷 Nova Friburgo

🕒 Local time

19:26 7:26 PM

16:26 4:26 PM

3 h behind Reykjavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,894 Capital

189,939

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Reykjavik Nova Friburgo 9,780 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Reykjavik
Nova Friburgo

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 Nova Friburgo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nova Friburgo wins on cost – living expenses run 555% lower than in Reykjavik. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nova Friburgo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 778% higher in Reykjavik, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,549 in Reykjavik versus $161 in Nova Friburgo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 262% higher in Reykjavik. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $4,002 per month in Reykjavik versus $611 in Nova Friburgo – a 555% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $611 in Nova Friburgo versus $4,002 in Reykjavik, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nova Friburgo but tight or insufficient in Reykjavik. The gap between the two cities makes Nova Friburgo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nova Friburgo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $611 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nova Friburgo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Reykjavik and Nova Friburgo 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 Nova Friburgo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 555% less than in Reykjavik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.