Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and San Luis

For one person, living is cheaper in San Luis: $1,175 a month against $4,002 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $33,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Reykjavik
🇮🇸 Iceland
$4,002
/mo nomad
San Luis
🇦🇷 Argentina
$1,175
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $4,002 per month in Reykjavik vs $1,175 in San Luis, rent included.

  • Reykjavik $4,002
  • San Luis $1,175

A couple spends around $5,705 per month in Reykjavik vs $1,962 in San Luis, rent included.

  • Reykjavik $5,705
  • San Luis $1,962

A family of three spends $7,407 per month in Reykjavik vs $2,749 in San Luis, rent included.

  • Reykjavik $7,407
  • San Luis $2,749

Reykjavik costs about 241% more than San Luis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Reykjavik sits 196% above the global median, while San Luis is 13% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Reykjavik
San Luis
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$31.56 ISK 3,848
$8.42 ARS 12.8K
274.82%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$122 ISK 14.9K
$50.1 ARS 76.0K
144.16%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$26.86 ISK 3,275
$8.72 ARS 13.2K
208.03%
Cappuccino
$6.81 ISK 831
$2.10 ARS 3,180
224.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.39 ISK 413
$2.36 ARS 3,585
43.64%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.20 ISK 390
$1.88 ARS 2,852
70.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$14.14 ISK 1,724
$3.25 ARS 4,926
335.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$12.31 ISK 1,501
$4.54 ARS 6,881
171.15%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Reykjavik
San Luis
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.10 ISK 256
$1.23 ARS 1,863
70.73%
White Bread (500g)
$4.19 ISK 511
$2.04 ARS 3,090
105.39%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.72 ISK 454
$1.06 ARS 1,602
250.94%
Eggs
$7.05 ISK 860
$3.05 ARS 4,623
131.15%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$21.56 ISK 2,630
$14.72 ARS 22.3K
46.47%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$24.68 ISK 3,010
$6.40 ARS 9,702
285.63%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$42.19 ISK 5,145
$11.02 ARS 16.7K
282.85%
Apples (1kg)
$3.23 ISK 394
$2.34 ARS 3,552
38.03%
Banana (1kg)
$2.73 ISK 333
$2.14 ARS 3,244
27.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.17 ISK 387
$1.35 ARS 2,045
134.81%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.61 ISK 807
$3.18 ARS 4,825
107.86%
Potato (1kg)
$3.85 ISK 469
$0.98 ARS 1,484
292.86%
Onion (1kg)
$1.66 ISK 202
$1.45 ARS 2,197
14.48%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.80 ISK 464
$1.93 ARS 2,933
96.89%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.75 ISK 213
$2.44 ARS 3,697
-28.28%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.71 ISK 1,672
$2.81 ARS 4,254
387.90%
Wine (Bottle)
$24.21 ISK 2,953
$5.11 ARS 7,749
373.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.53 ISK 431
$1.70 ARS 2,581
107.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.32 ISK 404
$2.98 ARS 4,514
11.41%
🚌 Getting Around
Reykjavik
San Luis
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$5.75 ISK 701
$0.63 ARS 949
812.70%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$93.8 ISK 11.4K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.61 ISK 807
$0.66 ARS 1,003
901.52%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.90 ISK 354
$1.02 ARS 1,550
184.31%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$79.2 ISK 9,654
$4.75 ARS 7,210
1566.53%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.09 ISK 255
$1.21 ARS 1,838
72.73%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$51.0K ISK 6.2M
$27.3K ARS 41.3M
87.15%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$53.3K ISK 6.5M
$33.4K ARS 50.6M
59.57%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Reykjavik
San Luis
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$95.3 ISK 11.6K
$39.37 ARS 59.7K
141.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$32.35 ISK 3,945
$16.91 ARS 25.6K
91.31%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$87.5 ISK 10.7K
$24.67 ARS 37.4K
254.84%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Reykjavik
San Luis
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$102 ISK 12.4K
$33.15 ARS 50.3K
207.27%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$50.1 ISK 6,107
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$19.88 ISK 2,425
$5.46 ARS 8,274
264.10%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Reykjavik
San Luis
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,194 ISK 145.6K
$176 ARS 266.4K
579.67%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.4K ISK 3.1M
$4,167 ARS 6.3M
509.82%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Reykjavik
San Luis
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$149 ISK 18.2K
$126 ARS 191.6K
17.98%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$66.6 ISK 8,124
$142 ARS 215.1K
-53.03%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$180 ISK 21.9K
$144 ARS 218.5K
24.86%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$253 ISK 30.9K
$161 ARS 243.7K
57.61%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Reykjavik
San Luis
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,549 ISK 310.9K
$446 ARS 676.9K
471.09%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,056 ISK 250.7K
$351 ARS 532.6K
485.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,498 ISK 426.5K
$1,077 ARS 1.6M
224.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,764 ISK 337.0K
$781 ARS 1.2M
253.66%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,120 ISK 990.2K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,254 ISK 762.6K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Reykjavik
San Luis
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,573 ISK 557.7K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.81
59
-85.07%

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

Last update for Reykjavik: October 12, 2026

Last update for San Luis: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Reykjavik
$2.1K
San Luis
$351 82.9% $1.7K
Groceries & Markets
Reykjavik
$623
San Luis
$272 56.4% $351
Eating Out
Reykjavik
$536
San Luis
$161 70% $375
Clothing & Footwear
Reykjavik
$292
San Luis
$258 11.7% $34
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Reykjavik
$215
San Luis
$81 62.4% $134
Sport & Entertainment
Reykjavik
$142
San Luis
$44 68.9% $98
Getting Around
Reykjavik
$138
San Luis
$8.3 * 94% $130

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 $446 in San Luis. 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 $50.0 in San Luis. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $623 vs $272 – making San Luis the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇸 Reykjavik
🇦🇷 San Luis
🕒 Local time
15:38 3:38 PM
12:38 12:38 PM
3 h behind Reykjavik
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
136,894 Capital
204,019
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to ISK – Icelandic Króna Converter

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.35 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,693 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.91 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Reykjavik San Luis 11,510 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Reykjavik
  • San Luis

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 Luis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Reykjavik or San Luis?
Reykjavik costs about 241% more than San Luis, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Reykjavik and in San Luis?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,003 per month in Reykjavik and $1,762 in San Luis. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Reykjavik or San Luis?
Rent is clearly cheaper in San Luis, 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 San Luis?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,002 in Reykjavik and $1,175 in San Luis. That's a gap of about 241%.
How do childcare costs compare in Reykjavik and in San Luis?
Kindergarten costs $1,194 per month in Reykjavik and $176 in San Luis. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Reykjavik or in San Luis?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in San Luis, where all-in costs run around $1,175, than in Reykjavik at $4,002. In San Luis 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 San Luis?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Luis costs $1,175 versus $4,002 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 San Luis?
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 San Luis?
If budget matters most, go with San Luis. 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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