Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Santa Cruz do Sul

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz do Sul: $949 a month against $4,023 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $36,900 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz do Sul
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Santa Cruz do Sul Living Index

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Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,023

/mo nomad

Santa Cruz do Sul

🇧🇷 Brazil

$949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz do Sul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,023 per month in Reykjavik vs $949 in Santa Cruz do Sul, rent included.

Reykjavik $4,023
Santa Cruz do Sul $949

A couple spends around $5,708 per month in Reykjavik vs $1,519 in Santa Cruz do Sul, rent included.

Reykjavik $5,708
Santa Cruz do Sul $1,519

A family of three spends $7,393 per month in Reykjavik vs $2,089 in Santa Cruz do Sul, rent included.

Reykjavik $7,393
Santa Cruz do Sul $2,089

Reykjavik costs about 324% more than Santa Cruz do Sul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Reykjavik sits 197% above the global median, while Santa Cruz do Sul is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.00 ISK 3,760

$5.96 R$30.23

420.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 ISK 14.9K

$35.87 R$182

243.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$27.21 ISK 3,300

$7.10 R$35.99

283.24%

Cappuccino

$6.90 ISK 837

$2.24 R$11.36

208.04%

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

$3.30 ISK 401

$1.35 R$6.82

144.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 ISK 384

$0.88 R$4.46

259.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.84 ISK 1,678

$1.74 R$8.82

695.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.46 ISK 1,512

$2.70 R$13.70

361.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 ISK 250

$0.88 R$4.45

134.09%

White Bread (500g)

$4.11 ISK 498

$1.80 R$9.15

128.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.68 ISK 446

$1.39 R$7.07

164.75%

Eggs

$7.27 ISK 882

$2.24 R$11.36

224.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.79 ISK 2,643

$8.97 R$45.45

142.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$23.95 ISK 2,905

$4.80 R$24.32

398.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.43 ISK 5,025

$7.87 R$39.91

426.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 ISK 414

$2.18 R$11.06

56.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 ISK 344

$1.11 R$5.63

155.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 ISK 391

$1.18 R$5.99

173.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.46 ISK 783

$1.52 R$7.73

325.00%

Potato (1kg)

$4.05 ISK 491

$1.26 R$6.37

221.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 ISK 202

$1.21 R$6.12

37.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.86 ISK 468

$0.89 R$4.52

333.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ISK 223

$0.87 R$4.42

111.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.96 ISK 1,693

$2.33 R$11.80

499.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.76 ISK 2,882

$7.22 R$36.60

229.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.54 ISK 430

$1.17 R$5.91

202.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 ISK 418

$1.99 R$10.11

72.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.81 ISK 705

$0.99 R$5.00

486.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.3 ISK 11.6K

$48.92 R$248

94.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.72 ISK 815

$1.17 R$5.91

474.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.81 ISK 340

$0.92 R$4.66

205.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$81.3 ISK 9,866

$7.79 R$39.50

944.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 ISK 257

$1.11 R$5.64

90.99%

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

$68.9K ISK 8.4M

$20.3K R$103.1K

238.88%

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

$55.8K ISK 6.8M

$33.4K R$169.4K

66.98%

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

$95.8 ISK 11.6K

$86.3 R$438

11.01%

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

$33.11 ISK 4,016

$13.08 R$66.3

153.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.2 ISK 10.6K

$23.04 R$117

278.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$101 ISK 12.3K

$25.93 R$131

289.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.7 ISK 6,155

$24.49 R$124

107.19%

Cinema Ticket

$19.85 ISK 2,407

$7.66 R$38.85

159.14%

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

$1,195 ISK 144.9K

$288 R$1,462

314.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.2K ISK 3.2M

$6,499 R$32.9K

303.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$148 ISK 18.0K

$49.59 R$251

198.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.8 ISK 8,096

$55.4 R$281

20.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$187 ISK 22.6K

$99.2 R$503

88.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$253 ISK 30.6K

$65.8 R$333

284.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,579 ISK 312.8K

$533 R$2,702

383.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,080 ISK 252.3K

$296 R$1,499

603.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,455 ISK 419.0K

$927 R$4,697

272.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,752 ISK 333.8K

$607 R$3,075

353.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,933 ISK 962.2K

$1,850 R$9,380

328.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,377 ISK 773.5K

$1,188 R$6,021

436.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,695 ISK 569.5K

$373 R$1,889

1160.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

-19.91%

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

Last update for Reykjavik: October 20, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz do Sul: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reykjavik

$2.1K 51.7%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$296 31.2% 85.8% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Reykjavik

$619 15.4%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$190 20.1% 69.3% $429

Eating Out

Reykjavik

$532 13.2%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$119 12.5% 77.7% $414

Clothing & Footwear

Reykjavik

$294 7.3%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$121 12.8% 58.7% $173

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reykjavik

$216 5.4%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$122 12.9% 43.3% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Reykjavik

$141 3.5%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$41 4.4% 70.7% $100

Getting Around

Reykjavik

$139 3.5%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$59 6.2% 57.9% $81

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,579 in Reykjavik versus $533 in Santa Cruz do Sul. 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 1160% 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 $123 in Reykjavik versus $36.00 in Santa Cruz do Sul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $619 vs $190 – making Santa Cruz do Sul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🇧🇷 Santa Cruz do Sul

🕒 Local time

22:58 10:58 PM

19:58 7:58 PM

3 h behind Reykjavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,894 Capital

133,246

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 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 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Reykjavik Santa Cruz do Sul 10,770 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Reykjavik
Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz do Sul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Reykjavik costs about 324% more than Santa Cruz 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,034 per month in Reykjavik and $1,423 in Santa Cruz do Sul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Cruz do Sul, 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 $4,023 in Reykjavik and $949 in Santa Cruz do Sul. That's a gap of about 324%.

Public transport costs about 95% less in Santa Cruz do Sul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Santa Cruz do Sul, where all-in costs run around $949, than in Reykjavik at $4,023. In Santa Cruz do Sul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Reykjavik it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Santa Cruz do Sul costs $949 versus $4,023 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 Santa Cruz 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.