Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and San Isidro

For one person, living is cheaper in San Isidro: $1,080 a month against $4,002 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $35,100 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
52

Cost of Living Index in San Isidro
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San Isidro Living Index

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Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,002

/mo nomad

San Isidro

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,080

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in San Isidro

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

A single person spends $4,002 per month in Reykjavik vs $1,080 in San Isidro, rent included.

Reykjavik $4,002
San Isidro $1,080

A couple spends around $5,705 per month in Reykjavik vs $1,774 in San Isidro, rent included.

Reykjavik $5,705
San Isidro $1,774

A family of three spends $7,407 per month in Reykjavik vs $2,469 in San Isidro, rent included.

Reykjavik $7,407
San Isidro $2,469

Reykjavik costs about 271% more than San Isidro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Reykjavik sits 196% above the global median, while San Isidro is 20% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.56 ISK 3,828

$9.89 ARS 15.0K

219.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 ISK 14.8K

$37.49 ARS 56.9K

226.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$26.86 ISK 3,258

$11.68 ARS 17.7K

129.97%

Cappuccino

$6.81 ISK 827

$2.93 ARS 4,444

132.42%

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

$3.39 ISK 411

$1.77 ARS 2,681

91.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ISK 388

$1.63 ARS 2,474

96.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$14.14 ISK 1,715

$3.91 ARS 5,927

261.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.31 ISK 1,493

$2.30 ARS 3,492

435.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 ISK 255

$1.25 ARS 1,892

68.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.19 ISK 508

$1.57 ARS 2,383

166.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 ISK 451

$1.60 ARS 2,431

132.50%

Eggs

$7.05 ISK 856

$2.29 ARS 3,472

207.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.56 ISK 2,615

$8.46 ARS 12.8K

154.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.68 ISK 2,993

$6.09 ARS 9,242

305.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.19 ISK 5,117

$10.33 ARS 15.7K

308.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ISK 392

$1.93 ARS 2,929

67.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 ISK 331

$1.59 ARS 2,406

71.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 ISK 384

$1.02 ARS 1,555

210.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.61 ISK 802

$2.01 ARS 3,046

228.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ISK 467

$0.94 ARS 1,424

309.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 ISK 201

$0.69 ARS 1,046

140.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.80 ISK 461

$1.52 ARS 2,311

150.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 ISK 212

$1.69 ARS 2,563

3.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.71 ISK 1,662

$3.25 ARS 4,925

321.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.21 ISK 2,937

$4.87 ARS 7,383

397.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 ISK 428

$1.26 ARS 1,915

180.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ISK 402

$2.83 ARS 4,298

17.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.75 ISK 697

$0.94 ARS 1,430

511.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 ISK 11.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.61 ISK 802

$1.64 ARS 2,494

303.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.90 ISK 352

$1.02 ARS 1,549

184.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.2 ISK 9,602

$7.78 ARS 11.8K

917.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 ISK 253

$1.09 ARS 1,657

91.74%

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

$51.0K ISK 6.2M

$27.6K ARS 41.9M

84.78%

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

$53.3K ISK 6.5M

$29.5K ARS 44.7M

80.87%

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

$95.3 ISK 11.6K

$59.0 ARS 89.6K

61.43%

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

$32.35 ISK 3,923

$19.65 ARS 29.8K

64.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.5 ISK 10.6K

$27.03 ARS 41.0K

223.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 ISK 12.4K

$33.47 ARS 50.8K

204.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.1 ISK 6,074

Cinema Ticket

$19.88 ISK 2,412

$4.78 ARS 7,246

315.90%

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

$1,194 ISK 144.8K

$470 ARS 713.2K

154.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.4K ISK 3.1M

$8,938 ARS 13.6M

184.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$149 ISK 18.1K

$91.2 ARS 138.3K

63.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.6 ISK 8,080

$59.1 ARS 89.7K

12.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$180 ISK 21.8K

$114 ARS 173.7K

57.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$253 ISK 30.7K

$141 ARS 214.2K

79.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,549 ISK 309.2K

$514 ARS 779.4K

396.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,056 ISK 249.4K

$335 ARS 507.9K

514.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,498 ISK 424.2K

$1,063 ARS 1.6M

228.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,764 ISK 335.2K

$777 ARS 1.2M

255.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,120 ISK 984.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,254 ISK 758.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,573 ISK 554.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

57.25

-84.61%

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

Last update for Reykjavik: October 12, 2026

Last update for San Isidro: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reykjavik

$2.1K 51.4%

San Isidro

$335 31% 83.7% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Reykjavik

$623 15.6%

San Isidro

$216 20% 65.3% $407

Eating Out

Reykjavik

$536 13.4%

San Isidro

$187 17.3% 65.1% $349

Clothing & Footwear

Reykjavik

$292 7.3%

San Isidro

$183 16.9% 37.4% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reykjavik

$215 5.4%

San Isidro

$106 9.8% 50.9% $109

Sport & Entertainment

Reykjavik

$142 3.5%

San Isidro

$43 4% 69.6% $99

Getting Around

Reykjavik

$138 3.5%

San Isidro

$11 * 1% 92.4% $127

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 $514 in San Isidro. 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 $122 in Reykjavik versus $37.00 in San Isidro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $623 vs $216 – making San Isidro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🇦🇷 San Isidro

🕒 Local time

16:17 4:17 PM

13:17 1:17 PM

3 h behind Reykjavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,894 Capital

45,190

💱 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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Between locations

Reykjavik San Isidro 11,430 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Reykjavik
San Isidro

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 San Isidro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Reykjavik costs about 271% more than San Isidro, 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 $1,619 in San Isidro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Isidro, 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 $1,080 in San Isidro. That's a gap of about 271%.

Kindergarten costs $1,194 per month in Reykjavik and $470 in San Isidro. 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 San Isidro, where all-in costs run around $1,080, than in Reykjavik at $4,002. In San Isidro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Reykjavik it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Isidro costs $1,080 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 San Isidro. 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.