Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $4,037 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $33,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

193

Cost of Living Index in Reykjavik
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Reykjavik Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index

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Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,037

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Rio de Janeiro

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 Rio de Janeiro actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,037 per month in Reykjavik vs $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Reykjavik $4,037
Rio de Janeiro $1,285

A couple spends around $5,666 per month in Reykjavik vs $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Reykjavik $5,666
Rio de Janeiro $1,888

A family of three spends $7,295 per month in Reykjavik vs $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Reykjavik $7,295
Rio de Janeiro $2,491

Reykjavik costs about 214% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Reykjavik sits 201% above the global median, while Rio de Janeiro is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.59 ISK 3,730

$9.98 R$49.83

206.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$136 ISK 16.5K

$40.34 R$201

235.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$27.08 ISK 3,302

$8.48 R$42.35

219.34%

Cappuccino

$6.72 ISK 819

$2.36 R$11.80

184.75%

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

$3.27 ISK 399

$1.63 R$8.13

100.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 ISK 386

$1.01 R$5.06

212.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.91 ISK 1,696

$2.44 R$12.19

470.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.06 ISK 1,470

$3.69 R$18.43

226.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ISK 248

$1.15 R$5.72

77.39%

White Bread (500g)

$4.32 ISK 527

$2.07 R$10.34

108.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.67 ISK 447

$1.29 R$6.42

184.50%

Eggs

$7.02 ISK 856

$2.27 R$11.32

209.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.01 ISK 2,684

$11.00 R$54.9

100.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.70 ISK 3,012

$4.31 R$21.51

473.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.66 ISK 5,202

$9.74 R$48.63

337.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 ISK 412

$2.83 R$14.12

19.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 ISK 347

$1.84 R$9.17

54.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 ISK 387

$1.60 R$7.96

98.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.39 ISK 779

$1.80 R$9.00

255.00%

Potato (1kg)

$4.01 ISK 489

$1.26 R$6.28

218.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 ISK 200

$1.07 R$5.34

53.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.80 ISK 463

$0.75 R$3.75

406.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ISK 212

$0.66 R$3.29

163.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.80 ISK 1,682

$3.05 R$15.21

352.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.38 ISK 2,851

$8.18 R$40.84

185.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 ISK 430

$1.19 R$5.92

196.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 ISK 420

$2.39 R$11.92

44.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.77 ISK 704

$1.01 R$5.06

471.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.1 ISK 11.6K

$50.2 R$250

89.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.63 ISK 808

$1.27 R$6.33

422.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.79 ISK 341

$0.90 R$4.51

210.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$81.4 ISK 9,923

$9.44 R$47.13

761.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 ISK 257

$1.33 R$6.65

58.65%

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

$50.8K ISK 6.2M

$23.4K R$117.0K

116.88%

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

$52.7K ISK 6.4M

$33.6K R$167.6K

57.07%

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

$88.7 ISK 10.8K

$134 R$666

-33.58%

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

$31.53 ISK 3,845

$12.23 R$61.0

157.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.6 ISK 10.3K

$22.65 R$113

273.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$100 ISK 12.2K

$31.56 R$158

218.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.20 ISK 5,877

$30.87 R$154

56.14%

Cinema Ticket

$19.87 ISK 2,424

$8.23 R$41.07

141.43%

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

$1,277 ISK 155.8K

$603 R$3,011

111.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.0K ISK 3.8M

$13.2K R$66.1K

133.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$161 ISK 19.6K

$41.62 R$208

286.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.9 ISK 7,914

$49.94 R$249

29.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$183 ISK 22.3K

$75.0 R$375

143.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$254 ISK 31.0K

$68.3 R$341

271.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,499 ISK 304.8K

$905 R$4,519

176.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 ISK 243.9K

$527 R$2,633

279.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,452 ISK 421.0K

$1,346 R$6,720

156.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 ISK 334.4K

$774 R$3,865

254.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,001 ISK 975.7K

$3,981 R$19.9K

100.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,249 ISK 762.1K

$1,562 R$7,798

300.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,691 ISK 572.0K

$643 R$3,210

629.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

11.93

-26.15%

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

Last update for Reykjavik: October 4, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reykjavik

$2K 50.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41% 73.6% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Reykjavik

$625 15.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 65.7% $410

Eating Out

Reykjavik

$526 13.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7% 68.8% $362

Clothing & Footwear

Reykjavik

$298 7.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 64.5% $192

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reykjavik

$205 5.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1% 17.8% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Reykjavik

$140 3.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7% 65.7% $92

Getting Around

Reykjavik

$139 3.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 56.8% $79

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,499 in Reykjavik versus $905 in Rio de Janeiro. 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 629% 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 $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $625 vs $215 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

12:38 12:38 PM

09:38 9:38 AM

3 h behind Reykjavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,894 Capital

6,211,223

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Reykjavik Rio de Janeiro 9,850 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Reykjavik
Rio de Janeiro

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 Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Reykjavik costs about 214% more than Rio de Janeiro, 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 $1,927 in Rio de Janeiro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rio de Janeiro, 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 $4,037 in Reykjavik and $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro. That's a gap of about 214%.

Public transport costs about 90% less in Rio de Janeiro. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rio de Janeiro, where all-in costs run around $1,285, than in Reykjavik at $4,037. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Reykjavik it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Rio de Janeiro costs $1,285 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 Rio de Janeiro. 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.