Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Nova Iguacu

For one person, living is cheaper in Nova Iguacu: $736 a month against $4,023 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $39,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Reykjavik
🇮🇸 Iceland
$4,023
/mo nomad
Nova Iguacu
🇧🇷 Brazil
$736
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,023 in Reykjavik versus $736 in Nova Iguacu.

  • Reykjavik $4,023
  • Nova Iguacu $736

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,708 in Reykjavik versus $1,212 in Nova Iguacu.

  • Reykjavik $5,708
  • Nova Iguacu $1,212

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,393 in Reykjavik versus $1,687 in Nova Iguacu.

  • Reykjavik $7,393
  • Nova Iguacu $1,687

Living in Reykjavik is roughly 446% more expensive than in Nova Iguacu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Reykjavik is 197% above, Nova Iguacu is 46% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Reykjavik
Nova Iguacu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$31.00 ISK 3,760
$3.54 R$17.92
775.71%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$123 ISK 14.9K
$30.13 R$153
308.89%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$27.21 ISK 3,300
$7.87 R$39.92
245.74%
Cappuccino
$6.90 ISK 837
$1.89 R$9.59
265.08%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.30 ISK 401
$1.20 R$6.11
175.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.16 ISK 384
$0.58 R$2.94
444.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$13.84 ISK 1,678
$1.68 R$8.50
723.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$12.46 ISK 1,512
$1.61 R$8.15
673.91%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Reykjavik
Nova Iguacu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.06 ISK 250
$1.23 R$6.25
67.48%
White Bread (500g)
$4.11 ISK 498
$1.62 R$8.19
153.70%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.68 ISK 446
$1.13 R$5.71
225.66%
Eggs
$7.27 ISK 882
$1.97 R$9.96
269.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$21.79 ISK 2,643
$8.24 R$41.75
164.44%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$23.95 ISK 2,905
$2.82 R$14.31
749.29%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$41.43 ISK 5,025
$7.08 R$35.90
485.17%
Apples (1kg)
$3.42 ISK 414
$1.37 R$6.95
149.64%
Banana (1kg)
$2.84 ISK 344
$1.41 R$7.15
101.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.23 ISK 391
$0.95 R$4.82
240.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.46 ISK 783
$1.74 R$8.84
271.26%
Potato (1kg)
$4.05 ISK 491
$1.02 R$5.19
297.06%
Onion (1kg)
$1.66 ISK 202
$1.03 R$5.22
61.17%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.86 ISK 468
$0.41 R$2.08
841.46%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.84 ISK 223
$0.42 R$2.13
338.10%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.96 ISK 1,693
$1.82 R$9.25
667.03%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.76 ISK 2,882
$5.80 R$29.41
309.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.54 ISK 430
$0.97 R$4.92
264.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.44 ISK 418
$1.37 R$6.94
151.09%
🚌 Getting Around
Reykjavik
Nova Iguacu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$5.81 ISK 705
$1.48 R$7.51
292.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$95.3 ISK 11.6K
$50.1 R$254
90.43%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.72 ISK 815
$1.33 R$6.77
405.26%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.81 ISK 340
$1.38 R$6.98
103.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$81.3 ISK 9,866
$9.26 R$46.94
778.40%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.12 ISK 257
$1.18 R$5.96
79.66%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$68.9K ISK 8.4M
$23.8K R$120.8K
189.19%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$55.8K ISK 6.8M
$34.0K R$172.1K
64.32%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Reykjavik
Nova Iguacu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$95.8 ISK 11.6K
$42.49 R$215
125.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.11 ISK 4,016
$11.82 R$59.9
180.12%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$87.2 ISK 10.6K
$17.90 R$90.7
386.87%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Reykjavik
Nova Iguacu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$101 ISK 12.3K
$23.75 R$120
325.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$50.7 ISK 6,155
$39.25 R$199
29.27%
Cinema Ticket
$19.85 ISK 2,407
$6.08 R$30.80
226.48%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Reykjavik
Nova Iguacu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,195 ISK 144.9K
$73.3 R$371
1530.50%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$26.2K ISK 3.2M
$1,935 R$9,808
1255.32%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Reykjavik
Nova Iguacu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$148 ISK 18.0K
$54.2 R$275
173.44%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$66.8 ISK 8,096
$37.22 R$189
79.34%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$187 ISK 22.6K
$65.2 R$331
186.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$253 ISK 30.6K
$58.4 R$296
332.96%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Reykjavik
Nova Iguacu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,579 ISK 312.8K
$321 R$1,627
703.31%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,080 ISK 252.3K
$214 R$1,086
871.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,455 ISK 419.0K
$654 R$3,318
427.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,752 ISK 333.8K
$444 R$2,250
519.99%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,933 ISK 962.2K
$972 R$4,926
716.46%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,377 ISK 773.5K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Reykjavik
Nova Iguacu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,695 ISK 569.5K
$244 R$1,238
1822.88%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.81
11.12
-20.77%

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

Last update for Reykjavik: October 20, 2026

Last update for Nova Iguacu: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Reykjavik
$2.1K
Nova Iguacu
$214 89.7% $1.9K
Groceries & Markets
Reykjavik
$619
Nova Iguacu
$160 74.2% $460
Eating Out
Reykjavik
$532
Nova Iguacu
$93 82.5% $439
Clothing & Footwear
Reykjavik
$294
Nova Iguacu
$97 67.1% $198
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Reykjavik
$216
Nova Iguacu
$72 66.6% $144
Sport & Entertainment
Reykjavik
$141
Nova Iguacu
$36 74.5% $105
Getting Around
Reykjavik
$139
Nova Iguacu
$64 53.9% $75

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,579 in Reykjavik and $321 in Nova Iguacu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Reykjavik pays 1823% 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: $123 in Reykjavik vs $30.00 in Nova Iguacu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $619 vs $160 per month, with Nova Iguacu cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇸 Reykjavik
🇧🇷 Nova Iguacu
🕒 Local time
15:32 3:32 PM
12:32 12:32 PM
3 h behind Reykjavik
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
136,894 Capital
785,867
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to ISK – Icelandic Króna Converter

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Reykjavik Nova Iguacu 9,840 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Reykjavik
  • Nova Iguacu

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 Iguacu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Reykjavik and in Nova Iguacu?
Reykjavik and Nova Iguacu differ by about 446% in total monthly costs ($4,023 vs $736 including rent). Nova Iguacu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Reykjavik or Nova Iguacu?
Average pay runs 1823% higher in Reykjavik, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Reykjavik and in Nova Iguacu?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,579 in Reykjavik versus $321 in Nova Iguacu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city is more expensive overall: Reykjavik or Nova Iguacu?
All in, you'll spend $4,023 per month in Reykjavik versus $736 in Nova Iguacu – a 446% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How do commuting costs compare in Reykjavik and in Nova Iguacu?
A monthly transit pass in Nova Iguacu runs roughly 90% less than in Reykjavik. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $736 in Nova Iguacu versus $4,023 in Reykjavik, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nova Iguacu but tight or insufficient in Reykjavik. The gap between the two cities makes Nova Iguacu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Reykjavik and Nova Iguacu?
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.
Is Reykjavik or Nova Iguacu safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Reykjavik and Nova Iguacu are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Reykjavik or Nova Iguacu?
Expats usually find Nova Iguacu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 446% less than in Reykjavik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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