Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Quilmes

For one person, living is cheaper in Quilmes: $965 a month against $4,002 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $36,400 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
47

Cost of Living Index in Quilmes
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Quilmes Living Index

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Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,002

/mo nomad

Quilmes

🇦🇷 Argentina

$965

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Quilmes

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

A single person spends $4,002 per month in Reykjavik vs $965 in Quilmes, rent included.

Reykjavik $4,002
Quilmes $965

A couple spends around $5,705 per month in Reykjavik vs $1,611 in Quilmes, rent included.

Reykjavik $5,705
Quilmes $1,611

A family of three spends $7,407 per month in Reykjavik vs $2,257 in Quilmes, rent included.

Reykjavik $7,407
Quilmes $2,257

Reykjavik costs about 315% more than Quilmes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Reykjavik sits 196% above the global median, while Quilmes is 28% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.56 ISK 3,828

$5.63 ARS 8,548

460.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 ISK 14.8K

$34.37 ARS 52.2K

255.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$26.86 ISK 3,258

$8.93 ARS 13.5K

200.78%

Cappuccino

$6.81 ISK 827

$2.95 ARS 4,476

130.85%

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

$3.39 ISK 411

$1.69 ARS 2,565

100.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ISK 388

$1.72 ARS 2,608

86.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$14.14 ISK 1,715

$4.10 ARS 6,222

244.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.31 ISK 1,493

$2.19 ARS 3,329

462.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 ISK 255

$0.98 ARS 1,488

114.29%

White Bread (500g)

$4.19 ISK 508

$1.56 ARS 2,373

168.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 ISK 451

$1.63 ARS 2,478

128.22%

Eggs

$7.05 ISK 856

$2.25 ARS 3,408

213.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.56 ISK 2,615

$13.26 ARS 20.1K

62.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.68 ISK 2,993

$5.86 ARS 8,899

321.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.19 ISK 5,117

$10.18 ARS 15.4K

314.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ISK 392

$1.93 ARS 2,928

67.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 ISK 331

$1.58 ARS 2,398

72.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 ISK 384

$1.01 ARS 1,531

213.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.61 ISK 802

$3.08 ARS 4,673

114.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ISK 467

$0.99 ARS 1,499

288.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 ISK 201

$0.65 ARS 986

155.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.80 ISK 461

$0.73 ARS 1,105

420.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 ISK 212

$0.69 ARS 1,041

153.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.71 ISK 1,662

$5.15 ARS 7,815

166.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.21 ISK 2,937

$4.16 ARS 6,319

481.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 ISK 428

$1.24 ARS 1,877

184.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ISK 402

$1.87 ARS 2,833

77.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.75 ISK 697

$0.98 ARS 1,494

486.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 ISK 11.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.61 ISK 802

$2.77 ARS 4,196

138.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.90 ISK 352

$0.97 ARS 1,473

198.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.2 ISK 9,602

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 ISK 253

$1.09 ARS 1,654

91.74%

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

$51.0K ISK 6.2M

$50.1K ARS 76.1M

1.78%

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

$53.3K ISK 6.5M

$39.2K ARS 59.4M

36.04%

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

$95.3 ISK 11.6K

$59.9 ARS 90.9K

58.98%

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

$32.35 ISK 3,923

$14.26 ARS 21.6K

126.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.5 ISK 10.6K

$22.15 ARS 33.6K

295.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 ISK 12.4K

$27.18 ARS 41.2K

274.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.1 ISK 6,074

Cinema Ticket

$19.88 ISK 2,412

$9.98 ARS 15.1K

99.20%

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

$1,194 ISK 144.8K

$315 ARS 477.4K

279.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.4K ISK 3.1M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$149 ISK 18.1K

$97.6 ARS 148.1K

52.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.6 ISK 8,080

$34.71 ARS 52.7K

91.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$180 ISK 21.8K

$63.0 ARS 95.7K

185.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$253 ISK 30.7K

$69.9 ARS 106.0K

262.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,549 ISK 309.2K

$519 ARS 787.3K

391.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,056 ISK 249.4K

$332 ARS 504.4K

518.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,498 ISK 424.2K

$999 ARS 1.5M

250.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,764 ISK 335.2K

$812 ARS 1.2M

240.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,120 ISK 984.9K

$2,324 ARS 3.5M

249.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,254 ISK 758.5K

$1,818 ARS 2.8M

244.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,573 ISK 554.6K

$1,114 ARS 1.7M

310.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

100

-91.19%

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

Last update for Reykjavik: October 12, 2026

Last update for Quilmes: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reykjavik

$2.1K 51.4%

Quilmes

$332 34.4% 83.8% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Reykjavik

$623 15.6%

Quilmes

$213 22.1% 65.8% $410

Eating Out

Reykjavik

$536 13.4%

Quilmes

$146 15.1% 72.8% $391

Clothing & Footwear

Reykjavik

$292 7.3%

Quilmes

$119 12.4% 59.1% $173

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reykjavik

$215 5.4%

Quilmes

$96 10% 55.2% $119

Sport & Entertainment

Reykjavik

$142 3.5%

Quilmes

$47 4.9% 66.7% $94

Getting Around

Reykjavik

$138 3.5%

Quilmes

$12 * 1.2% 91.6% $126

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 $519 in Quilmes. 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 311% 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 $34.00 in Quilmes. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $623 vs $213 – making Quilmes the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🇦🇷 Quilmes

🕒 Local time

19:08 7:08 PM

16:08 4:08 PM

3 h behind Reykjavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,894 Capital

230,810

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to ISK – Icelandic Króna Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇸 Icelandic Króna (kr)

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Reykjavik Quilmes 11,450 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Reykjavik
Quilmes

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 Quilmes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Reykjavik costs about 315% more than Quilmes, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,003 per month in Reykjavik and $1,448 in Quilmes. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Quilmes, 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 $965 in Quilmes. That's a gap of about 315%.

Kindergarten costs $1,194 per month in Reykjavik and $315 in Quilmes. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Quilmes, where all-in costs run around $965, than in Reykjavik at $4,002. In Quilmes it covers expenses comfortably, while in Reykjavik it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Quilmes costs $965 versus $4,002 in Reykjavik. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Quilmes. 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.