Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Rio do Sul

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio do Sul: $818 a month against $4,023 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $38,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Reykjavik
🇮🇸 Iceland
$4,023
/mo nomad
Rio do Sul
🇧🇷 Brazil
$818
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Rio do Sul

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

A single person spends $4,023 per month in Reykjavik vs $818 in Rio do Sul, rent included.

  • Reykjavik $4,023
  • Rio do Sul $818

A couple spends around $5,708 per month in Reykjavik vs $1,282 in Rio do Sul, rent included.

  • Reykjavik $5,708
  • Rio do Sul $1,282

A family of three spends $7,393 per month in Reykjavik vs $1,747 in Rio do Sul, rent included.

  • Reykjavik $7,393
  • Rio do Sul $1,747

Reykjavik costs about 392% more than Rio do Sul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Reykjavik sits 197% above the global median, while Rio do Sul is 40% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Reykjavik
Rio do Sul
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$31.00 ISK 3,760
$5.05 R$25.60
513.86%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$123 ISK 14.9K
$22.25 R$113
453.71%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$27.21 ISK 3,300
$8.04 R$40.74
238.43%
Cappuccino
$6.90 ISK 837
$2.12 R$10.75
225.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.30 ISK 401
$1.14 R$5.80
189.47%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.16 ISK 384
$0.88 R$4.49
259.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$13.84 ISK 1,678
$2.82 R$14.30
390.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$12.46 ISK 1,512
$4.04 R$20.46
208.42%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Reykjavik
Rio do Sul
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.06 ISK 250
$1.02 R$5.17
101.96%
White Bread (500g)
$4.11 ISK 498
$1.94 R$9.84
111.86%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.68 ISK 446
$1.36 R$6.87
170.59%
Eggs
$7.27 ISK 882
$1.64 R$8.33
343.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$21.79 ISK 2,643
$7.88 R$39.94
176.52%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$23.95 ISK 2,905
$4.06 R$20.57
489.90%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$41.43 ISK 5,025
$7.07 R$35.84
486.00%
Apples (1kg)
$3.42 ISK 414
$1.58 R$8.01
116.46%
Banana (1kg)
$2.84 ISK 344
$1.07 R$5.44
165.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.23 ISK 391
$0.79 R$4.00
308.86%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.46 ISK 783
$1.41 R$7.12
358.16%
Potato (1kg)
$4.05 ISK 491
$0.86 R$4.38
370.93%
Onion (1kg)
$1.66 ISK 202
$0.79 R$3.98
110.13%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.86 ISK 468
$0.74 R$3.74
421.62%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.84 ISK 223
$0.77 R$3.90
138.96%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.96 ISK 1,693
$2.98 R$15.13
368.46%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.76 ISK 2,882
$4.07 R$20.64
483.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.54 ISK 430
$1.31 R$6.64
170.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.44 ISK 418
$2.51 R$12.75
37.05%
🚌 Getting Around
Reykjavik
Rio do Sul
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$5.81 ISK 705
$1.05 R$5.32
453.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$95.3 ISK 11.6K
$43.59 R$221
118.70%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.72 ISK 815
$1.32 R$6.71
409.09%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.81 ISK 340
$0.78 R$3.97
260.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$81.3 ISK 9,866
$6.08 R$30.82
1237.83%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.12 ISK 257
$1.21 R$6.16
75.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$68.9K ISK 8.4M
$23.4K R$118.8K
194.26%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$55.8K ISK 6.8M
$33.8K R$171.4K
65.00%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Reykjavik
Rio do Sul
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$95.8 ISK 11.6K
$64.7 R$328
48.08%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.11 ISK 4,016
$9.83 R$49.86
236.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$87.2 ISK 10.6K
$20.96 R$106
315.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Reykjavik
Rio do Sul
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$101 ISK 12.3K
$26.42 R$134
282.59%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$50.7 ISK 6,155
$27.93 R$142
81.67%
Cinema Ticket
$19.85 ISK 2,407
$4.98 R$25.26
298.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Reykjavik
Rio do Sul
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,195 ISK 144.9K
$312 R$1,583
282.49%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$26.2K ISK 3.2M
$11.0K R$55.9K
137.72%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Reykjavik
Rio do Sul
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$148 ISK 18.0K
$49.65 R$252
198.61%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$66.8 ISK 8,096
$55.4 R$281
20.60%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$187 ISK 22.6K
$79.8 R$404
133.96%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$253 ISK 30.6K
$49.49 R$251
410.47%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Reykjavik
Rio do Sul
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,579 ISK 312.8K
$363 R$1,838
611.09%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,080 ISK 252.3K
$240 R$1,218
765.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,455 ISK 419.0K
$686 R$3,477
403.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,752 ISK 333.8K
$470 R$2,383
485.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,933 ISK 962.2K
$1,680 R$8,518
372.12%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,377 ISK 773.5K
$1,205 R$6,109
429.17%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Reykjavik
Rio do Sul
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,695 ISK 569.5K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.81
11.54
-23.66%

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

Last update for Reykjavik: October 20, 2026

Last update for Rio do Sul: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Reykjavik
$2.1K
Rio do Sul
$240 88.4% $1.8K
Groceries & Markets
Reykjavik
$619
Rio do Sul
$167 73% $452
Eating Out
Reykjavik
$532
Rio do Sul
$120 77.4% $412
Clothing & Footwear
Reykjavik
$294
Rio do Sul
$105 64.2% $189
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Reykjavik
$216
Rio do Sul
$96 55.8% $121
Sport & Entertainment
Reykjavik
$141
Rio do Sul
$36 74.2% $104
Getting Around
Reykjavik
$139
Rio do Sul
$53 61.9% $86

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,579 in Reykjavik versus $363 in Rio do Sul. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $123 in Reykjavik versus $22.00 in Rio do Sul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $619 vs $167 – making Rio do Sul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇸 Reykjavik
🇧🇷 Rio do Sul
🕒 Local time
23:10 11:10 PM
20:10 8:10 PM
3 h behind Reykjavik
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
136,894 Capital
72,587
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to ISK – Icelandic Króna Converter

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 21, 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 21, 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 Rio do Sul 10,440 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Reykjavik
  • Rio do Sul

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 do Sul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Reykjavik or Rio do Sul?
Reykjavik costs about 392% more than Rio do Sul, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Reykjavik and in Rio do Sul?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,034 per month in Reykjavik and $1,227 in Rio do Sul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Reykjavik or Rio do Sul?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Rio do Sul, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Reykjavik compared to Rio do Sul?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,023 in Reykjavik and $818 in Rio do Sul. That's a gap of about 392%.
How expensive is transport in Reykjavik compared to Rio do Sul?
Public transport costs about 119% less in Rio do Sul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Reykjavik or in Rio do Sul?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Rio do Sul, where all-in costs run around $818, than in Reykjavik at $4,023. In Rio do Sul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Reykjavik it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Reykjavik or Rio do Sul?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Rio do Sul costs $818 versus $4,023 in Reykjavik. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Reykjavik compared to Rio do Sul?
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.
Should I move to Reykjavik or to Rio do Sul?
If budget matters most, go with Rio do Sul. 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.

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