Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Salta

For one person, living is cheaper in Salta: $1,138 a month against $4,002 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $34,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

193

Cost of Living Index in Reykjavik
Learn more

Reykjavik Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Salta
Learn more

Salta Living Index

Jump to prices

Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,002

/mo nomad

Salta

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,138

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Salta

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

A single person spends $4,002 per month in Reykjavik vs $1,138 in Salta, rent included.

Reykjavik $4,002
Salta $1,138

A couple spends around $5,705 per month in Reykjavik vs $1,915 in Salta, rent included.

Reykjavik $5,705
Salta $1,915

A family of three spends $7,407 per month in Reykjavik vs $2,692 in Salta, rent included.

Reykjavik $7,407
Salta $2,692

Reykjavik costs about 252% more than Salta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Reykjavik sits 196% above the global median, while Salta is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.56 ISK 3,828

$7.47 ARS 11.3K

322.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 ISK 14.8K

$56.6 ARS 85.9K

116.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$26.86 ISK 3,258

$12.91 ARS 19.6K

108.06%

Cappuccino

$6.81 ISK 827

$2.51 ARS 3,810

171.31%

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

$3.39 ISK 411

$1.57 ARS 2,377

115.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ISK 388

$1.86 ARS 2,817

72.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$14.14 ISK 1,715

$1.67 ARS 2,529

746.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.31 ISK 1,493

$3.30 ARS 5,014

273.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 ISK 255

$1.40 ARS 2,126

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.19 ISK 508

$1.78 ARS 2,708

135.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 ISK 451

$1.97 ARS 2,984

88.83%

Eggs

$7.05 ISK 856

$2.84 ARS 4,304

148.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.56 ISK 2,615

$10.29 ARS 15.6K

109.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.68 ISK 2,993

$7.67 ARS 11.6K

221.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.19 ISK 5,117

$11.47 ARS 17.4K

267.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ISK 392

$2.36 ARS 3,579

36.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 ISK 331

$1.68 ARS 2,552

62.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 ISK 384

$1.50 ARS 2,283

111.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.61 ISK 802

$2.03 ARS 3,078

225.62%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ISK 467

$1.06 ARS 1,602

263.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 ISK 201

$1.05 ARS 1,586

58.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.80 ISK 461

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 ISK 212

$1.75 ARS 2,662

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.71 ISK 1,662

$3.38 ARS 5,127

305.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.21 ISK 2,937

$4.87 ARS 7,388

397.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 ISK 428

$1.44 ARS 2,185

145.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ISK 402

$4.11 ARS 6,243

-19.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.75 ISK 697

$0.97 ARS 1,474

492.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 ISK 11.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.61 ISK 802

$1.35 ARS 2,046

389.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.90 ISK 352

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.2 ISK 9,602

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 ISK 253

$1.27 ARS 1,923

64.57%

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

$51.0K ISK 6.2M

$28.6K ARS 43.4M

78.22%

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

$53.3K ISK 6.5M

$33.8K ARS 51.2M

57.77%

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

$95.3 ISK 11.6K

$125 ARS 189.5K

-23.72%

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

$32.35 ISK 3,923

$17.09 ARS 25.9K

89.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.5 ISK 10.6K

$26.18 ARS 39.7K

234.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 ISK 12.4K

$29.89 ARS 45.4K

240.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.1 ISK 6,074

Cinema Ticket

$19.88 ISK 2,412

$9.51 ARS 14.4K

109.04%

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

$1,194 ISK 144.8K

$272 ARS 413.0K

338.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.4K ISK 3.1M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$149 ISK 18.1K

$108 ARS 163.4K

38.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.6 ISK 8,080

$58.5 ARS 88.8K

13.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$180 ISK 21.8K

$116 ARS 176.7K

54.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$253 ISK 30.7K

$138 ARS 210.1K

82.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,549 ISK 309.2K

$526 ARS 798.8K

384.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,056 ISK 249.4K

$325 ARS 493.4K

532.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,498 ISK 424.2K

$1,004 ARS 1.5M

248.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,764 ISK 335.2K

$818 ARS 1.2M

237.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,120 ISK 984.9K

$1,953 ARS 3.0M

315.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,254 ISK 758.5K

$1,457 ARS 2.2M

329.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,573 ISK 554.6K

$837 ARS 1.3M

446.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

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

Last update for Reykjavik: October 12, 2026

Last update for Salta: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reykjavik

$2.1K 51.4%

Salta

$325 28.6% 84.2% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Reykjavik

$623 15.6%

Salta

$244 * 21.5% 60.8% $378

Eating Out

Reykjavik

$536 13.4%

Salta

$157 13.8% 70.7% $379

Clothing & Footwear

Reykjavik

$292 7.3%

Salta

$189 16.7% 35.1% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reykjavik

$215 5.4%

Salta

$168 14.8% 21.8% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Reykjavik

$142 3.5%

Salta

$49 4.3% 65.5% $93

Getting Around

Reykjavik

$138 3.5%

Salta

$5.2 * 0.5% 96.2% $133

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 $526 in Salta. 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 446% 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 $57.0 in Salta. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $623 vs $244 – making Salta the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🇦🇷 Salta

🕒 Local time

15:41 3:41 PM

12:41 12:41 PM

3 h behind Reykjavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,894 Capital

535,303

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Reykjavik Salta 10,580 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Reykjavik
Salta

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 Salta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Reykjavik costs about 252% more than Salta, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $1,708 in Salta. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Salta, 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 $1,138 in Salta. That's a gap of about 252%.

Kindergarten costs $1,194 per month in Reykjavik and $272 in Salta. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Salta, where all-in costs run around $1,138, than in Reykjavik at $4,002. In Salta it covers expenses comfortably, while in Reykjavik it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Salta costs $1,138 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 Salta. 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.