Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Recife

For one person, living is cheaper in Recife: $909 a month against $4,037 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $37,500 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Recife
Learn more

Recife Living Index

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Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,037

/mo nomad

Recife

🇧🇷 Brazil

$909

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Recife

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

A single person spends $4,037 per month in Reykjavik vs $909 in Recife, rent included.

Reykjavik $4,037
Recife $909

A couple spends around $5,666 per month in Reykjavik vs $1,492 in Recife, rent included.

Reykjavik $5,666
Recife $1,492

A family of three spends $7,295 per month in Reykjavik vs $2,075 in Recife, rent included.

Reykjavik $7,295
Recife $2,075

Reykjavik costs about 344% more than Recife, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Reykjavik sits 201% above the global median, while Recife is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.59 ISK 3,730

$5.63 R$28.11

443.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$136 ISK 16.5K

$37.54 R$187

260.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$27.08 ISK 3,302

$9.83 R$49.07

175.48%

Cappuccino

$6.72 ISK 819

$2.58 R$12.87

160.47%

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

$3.27 ISK 399

$1.05 R$5.25

211.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 ISK 386

$0.65 R$3.23

386.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.91 ISK 1,696

$1.56 R$7.80

791.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.06 ISK 1,470

$3.13 R$15.63

285.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ISK 248

$1.38 R$6.90

47.83%

White Bread (500g)

$4.32 ISK 527

$1.61 R$8.04

168.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.67 ISK 447

$1.59 R$7.93

130.82%

Eggs

$7.02 ISK 856

$1.89 R$9.43

271.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.01 ISK 2,684

$7.46 R$37.22

195.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.70 ISK 3,012

$4.52 R$22.58

446.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.66 ISK 5,202

$8.17 R$40.77

422.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 ISK 412

$1.36 R$6.80

147.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 ISK 347

$1.36 R$6.78

109.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 ISK 387

$0.76 R$3.80

317.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.39 ISK 779

$1.28 R$6.40

399.22%

Potato (1kg)

$4.01 ISK 489

$1.41 R$7.05

184.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 ISK 200

$1.11 R$5.56

47.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.80 ISK 463

$0.52 R$2.60

630.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ISK 212

$0.90 R$4.51

93.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.80 ISK 1,682

$1.77 R$8.86

679.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.38 ISK 2,851

$7.88 R$39.36

196.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 ISK 430

$1.17 R$5.86

201.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 ISK 420

$1.54 R$7.67

124.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.77 ISK 704

$0.82 R$4.09

603.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.1 ISK 11.6K

$37.85 R$189

151.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.63 ISK 808

$1.21 R$6.02

447.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.79 ISK 341

$0.78 R$3.90

257.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$81.4 ISK 9,923

$3.52 R$17.56

2211.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 ISK 257

$1.36 R$6.81

55.15%

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

$50.8K ISK 6.2M

$24.1K R$120.2K

111.08%

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

$52.7K ISK 6.4M

$32.8K R$163.7K

60.83%

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

$88.7 ISK 10.8K

$114 R$570

-22.31%

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

$31.53 ISK 3,845

$13.46 R$67.2

134.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.6 ISK 10.3K

$17.75 R$88.6

376.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$100 ISK 12.2K

$21.55 R$108

365.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.20 ISK 5,877

$34.89 R$174

38.15%

Cinema Ticket

$19.87 ISK 2,424

$8.62 R$43.02

130.51%

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

$1,277 ISK 155.8K

$283 R$1,414

350.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.0K ISK 3.8M

$11.7K R$58.6K

163.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$161 ISK 19.6K

$45.60 R$228

252.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.9 ISK 7,914

$50.8 R$254

27.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$183 ISK 22.3K

$76.9 R$384

137.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$254 ISK 31.0K

$83.2 R$415

205.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,499 ISK 304.8K

$516 R$2,574

384.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 ISK 243.9K

$260 R$1,296

670.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,452 ISK 421.0K

$883 R$4,406

291.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 ISK 334.4K

$620 R$3,095

342.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,001 ISK 975.7K

$1,958 R$9,776

308.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,249 ISK 762.1K

$1,091 R$5,445

472.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,691 ISK 572.0K

$434 R$2,167

980.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

11.75

-25.02%

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

Last update for Reykjavik: October 4, 2026

Last update for Recife: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reykjavik

$2K 50.9%

Recife

$260 28.4% 87% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Reykjavik

$625 15.9%

Recife

$182 19.9% 70.9% $443

Eating Out

Reykjavik

$526 13.4%

Recife

$126 13.8% 76% $400

Clothing & Footwear

Reykjavik

$298 7.6%

Recife

$115 12.6% 61.3% $183

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reykjavik

$205 5.2%

Recife

$145 15.9% 29.1% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Reykjavik

$140 3.6%

Recife

$39 4.3% 72.3% $101

Getting Around

Reykjavik

$139 3.5%

Recife

$46 5.1% 66.7% $93

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,499 in Reykjavik versus $516 in Recife. 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 981% 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 $136 in Reykjavik versus $38.00 in Recife. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $625 vs $182 – making Recife the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🇧🇷 Recife

🕒 Local time

11:20 11:20 AM

08:20 8:20 AM

3 h behind Reykjavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,894 Capital

1,488,920

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD). 1 EUR = 137 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Reykjavik Recife 8,100 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Reykjavik
Recife

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 Recife: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Reykjavik costs about 344% more than Recife, 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 $6,055 per month in Reykjavik and $1,363 in Recife. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $1,277 per month in Reykjavik and $283 in Recife. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 244% more in Reykjavik, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Recife, where all-in costs run around $909, than in Reykjavik at $4,037. In Recife it covers expenses comfortably, while in Reykjavik it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Recife costs $909 versus $4,037 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 Recife. 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.