Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Petropolis

For one person, living is cheaper in Petropolis: $1,011 a month against $4,023 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $36,100 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
49

Cost of Living Index in Petropolis
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Petropolis Living Index

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Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,023

/mo nomad

Petropolis

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,011

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Petropolis

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,023 in Reykjavik versus $1,011 in Petropolis.

Reykjavik $4,023
Petropolis $1,011

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,708 in Reykjavik versus $1,516 in Petropolis.

Reykjavik $5,708
Petropolis $1,516

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,393 in Reykjavik versus $2,021 in Petropolis.

Reykjavik $7,393
Petropolis $2,021

Living in Reykjavik is roughly 298% more expensive than in Petropolis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Reykjavik is 197% above, Petropolis is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.00 ISK 3,760

$6.07 R$30.78

410.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 ISK 14.9K

$28.83 R$146

327.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$27.21 ISK 3,300

$6.91 R$35.02

293.78%

Cappuccino

$6.90 ISK 837

$1.70 R$8.64

305.88%

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

$3.30 ISK 401

$1.31 R$6.66

151.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 ISK 384

$0.58 R$2.93

444.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.84 ISK 1,678

$1.21 R$6.15

1043.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.46 ISK 1,512

$4.69 R$23.79

165.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 ISK 250

$0.93 R$4.70

121.51%

White Bread (500g)

$4.11 ISK 498

$1.52 R$7.69

170.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.68 ISK 446

$1.43 R$7.24

157.34%

Eggs

$7.27 ISK 882

$2.04 R$10.32

256.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.79 ISK 2,643

$9.19 R$46.60

137.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$23.95 ISK 2,905

$4.33 R$21.93

453.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.43 ISK 5,025

$9.57 R$48.50

332.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 ISK 414

$1.64 R$8.33

108.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 ISK 344

$1.15 R$5.83

146.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 ISK 391

$0.98 R$4.94

229.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.46 ISK 783

$1.21 R$6.11

433.88%

Potato (1kg)

$4.05 ISK 491

$0.65 R$3.31

523.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 ISK 202

$0.87 R$4.40

90.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.86 ISK 468

$0.58 R$2.92

565.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ISK 223

$0.61 R$3.10

201.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.96 ISK 1,693

$2.16 R$10.96

546.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.76 ISK 2,882

$5.88 R$29.79

304.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.54 ISK 430

$1.04 R$5.27

240.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 ISK 418

$1.42 R$7.21

142.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.81 ISK 705

$1.03 R$5.24

464.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.3 ISK 11.6K

$49.31 R$250

93.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.72 ISK 815

$1.15 R$5.82

484.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.81 ISK 340

$1.02 R$5.15

175.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$81.3 ISK 9,866

$8.01 R$40.60

915.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 ISK 257

$1.24 R$6.28

70.97%

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

$68.9K ISK 8.4M

$20.9K R$105.8K

230.37%

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

$55.8K ISK 6.8M

$31.2K R$158.3K

78.67%

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

$95.8 ISK 11.6K

$70.9 R$359

35.17%

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

$33.11 ISK 4,016

$9.78 R$49.60

238.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.2 ISK 10.6K

$18.71 R$94.9

365.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$101 ISK 12.3K

$31.96 R$162

216.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.7 ISK 6,155

$32.15 R$163

57.82%

Cinema Ticket

$19.85 ISK 2,407

$7.10 R$36.02

179.58%

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

$1,195 ISK 144.9K

$362 R$1,836

229.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.2K ISK 3.2M

$11.1K R$56.1K

137.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$148 ISK 18.0K

$55.2 R$280

168.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.8 ISK 8,096

$49.65 R$252

34.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$187 ISK 22.6K

$88.2 R$447

111.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$253 ISK 30.6K

$69.1 R$350

265.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,579 ISK 312.8K

$527 R$2,671

389.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,080 ISK 252.3K

$401 R$2,033

418.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,455 ISK 419.0K

$837 R$4,241

312.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,752 ISK 333.8K

$630 R$3,194

336.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,933 ISK 962.2K

$2,748 R$13.9K

188.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,377 ISK 773.5K

$1,985 R$10.1K

221.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,695 ISK 569.5K

$613 R$3,110

665.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

11.87

-25.78%

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

Last update for Reykjavik: October 20, 2026

Last update for Petropolis: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reykjavik

$2.1K 51.7%

Petropolis

$401 39.7% 80.7% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Reykjavik

$619 15.4%

Petropolis

$174 17.2% 71.8% $445

Eating Out

Reykjavik

$532 13.2%

Petropolis

$113 11.2% 78.8% $420

Clothing & Footwear

Reykjavik

$294 7.3%

Petropolis

$118 11.7% 59.9% $176

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reykjavik

$216 5.4%

Petropolis

$99 9.8% 54% $117

Sport & Entertainment

Reykjavik

$141 3.5%

Petropolis

$46 4.6% 67.2% $95

Getting Around

Reykjavik

$139 3.5%

Petropolis

$60 5.9% 57.2% $80

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,579 in Reykjavik and $527 in Petropolis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Reykjavik pays 665% 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 $29.00 in Petropolis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $619 vs $174 per month, with Petropolis cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🇧🇷 Petropolis

🕒 Local time

22:40 10:40 PM

19:40 7:40 PM

3 h behind Reykjavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,894 Capital

278,881

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 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 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Reykjavik Petropolis 9,810 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Reykjavik
Petropolis

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 Petropolis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Petropolis is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 298% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 665% 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: $2,579 in Reykjavik versus $527 in Petropolis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 255% higher in Reykjavik. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Petropolis – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $123 in Reykjavik. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,011 in Petropolis versus $4,023 in Reykjavik, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Petropolis but tight or insufficient in Reykjavik. The gap between the two cities makes Petropolis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Petropolis 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 Petropolis 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 Petropolis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 298% less than in Reykjavik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.