Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Santa Fe

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Fe: $1,071 a month against $4,002 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $35,200 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 Santa Fe
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Santa Fe Living Index

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Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,002

/mo nomad

Santa Fe

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,071

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Santa Fe

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

A single person spends $4,002 per month in Reykjavik vs $1,071 in Santa Fe, rent included.

Reykjavik $4,002
Santa Fe $1,071

A couple spends around $5,705 per month in Reykjavik vs $1,655 in Santa Fe, rent included.

Reykjavik $5,705
Santa Fe $1,655

A family of three spends $7,407 per month in Reykjavik vs $2,239 in Santa Fe, rent included.

Reykjavik $7,407
Santa Fe $2,239

Reykjavik costs about 274% more than Santa Fe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Reykjavik sits 196% above the global median, while Santa Fe is 21% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.56 ISK 3,848

$9.93 ARS 15.1K

217.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 ISK 14.9K

$37.60 ARS 57.0K

225.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$26.86 ISK 3,275

$12.68 ARS 19.2K

111.83%

Cappuccino

$6.81 ISK 831

$1.69 ARS 2,556

302.96%

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

$3.39 ISK 413

$1.55 ARS 2,348

118.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ISK 390

$1.33 ARS 2,020

140.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$14.14 ISK 1,724

$3.43 ARS 5,208

312.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.31 ISK 1,501

$4.99 ARS 7,572

146.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 ISK 256

$1.01 ARS 1,526

107.92%

White Bread (500g)

$4.19 ISK 511

$1.64 ARS 2,481

155.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 ISK 454

$1.04 ARS 1,572

257.69%

Eggs

$7.05 ISK 860

$1.54 ARS 2,341

357.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.56 ISK 2,630

$8.60 ARS 13.0K

150.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.68 ISK 3,010

$6.07 ARS 9,200

306.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.19 ISK 5,145

$10.68 ARS 16.2K

295.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ISK 394

$1.99 ARS 3,016

62.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 ISK 333

$1.52 ARS 2,298

79.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 ISK 387

$0.87 ARS 1,316

264.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.61 ISK 807

$2.38 ARS 3,602

177.73%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ISK 469

$0.57 ARS 867

575.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 ISK 202

$0.63 ARS 955

163.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.80 ISK 464

$1.02 ARS 1,553

272.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 ISK 213

$1.02 ARS 1,546

71.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.71 ISK 1,672

$3.11 ARS 4,715

340.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.21 ISK 2,953

$4.87 ARS 7,389

397.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 ISK 431

$1.23 ARS 1,861

186.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ISK 404

$2.05 ARS 3,109

61.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.75 ISK 701

$1.04 ARS 1,570

452.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 ISK 11.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.61 ISK 807

$1.01 ARS 1,538

554.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.90 ISK 354

$0.98 ARS 1,479

195.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.2 ISK 9,654

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 ISK 255

$1.14 ARS 1,736

83.33%

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

$51.0K ISK 6.2M

$20.0K ARS 30.3M

155.43%

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

$53.3K ISK 6.5M

$29.8K ARS 45.2M

78.66%

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

$95.3 ISK 11.6K

$60.1 ARS 91.2K

58.48%

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

$32.35 ISK 3,945

$19.86 ARS 30.1K

62.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.5 ISK 10.7K

$20.95 ARS 31.8K

317.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 ISK 12.4K

$33.96 ARS 51.5K

199.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.1 ISK 6,107

Cinema Ticket

$19.88 ISK 2,425

$4.83 ARS 7,327

311.59%

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

$1,194 ISK 145.6K

$238 ARS 361.5K

400.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.4K ISK 3.1M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$149 ISK 18.2K

$88.2 ARS 133.7K

69.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.6 ISK 8,124

$60.4 ARS 91.6K

10.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$180 ISK 21.9K

$115 ARS 173.7K

57.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$253 ISK 30.9K

$140 ARS 212.8K

80.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,549 ISK 310.9K

$513 ARS 777.2K

397.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,056 ISK 250.7K

$360 ARS 545.9K

471.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,498 ISK 426.5K

$931 ARS 1.4M

275.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,764 ISK 337.0K

$609 ARS 923.1K

354.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,120 ISK 990.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,254 ISK 762.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,573 ISK 557.7K

$847 ARS 1.3M

440.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

100

-91.19%

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

Last update for Reykjavik: October 12, 2026

Last update for Santa Fe: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reykjavik

$2.1K 51.4%

Santa Fe

$360 33.6% 82.5% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Reykjavik

$623 15.6%

Santa Fe

$199 18.5% 68.1% $424

Eating Out

Reykjavik

$536 13.4%

Santa Fe

$176 16.5% 67.1% $360

Clothing & Footwear

Reykjavik

$292 7.3%

Santa Fe

$182 17% 37.8% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reykjavik

$215 5.4%

Santa Fe

$101 9.4% 53.1% $114

Sport & Entertainment

Reykjavik

$142 3.5%

Santa Fe

$44 4.1% 69.2% $98

Getting Around

Reykjavik

$138 3.5%

Santa Fe

$10 * 0.9% 92.7% $128

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 $513 in Santa Fe. 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 440% 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 $38.00 in Santa Fe. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $623 vs $199 – making Santa Fe the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🇦🇷 Santa Fe

🕒 Local time

19:54 7:54 PM

16:54 4:54 PM

3 h behind Reykjavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,894 Capital

391,164

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.35 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.91 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 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).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Reykjavik Santa Fe 11,180 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Reykjavik
Santa Fe

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 Fe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Reykjavik costs about 274% more than Santa Fe, 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 $1,607 in Santa Fe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Fe, 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 $1,071 in Santa Fe. That's a gap of about 274%.

Kindergarten costs $1,194 per month in Reykjavik and $238 in Santa Fe. 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 Santa Fe, where all-in costs run around $1,071, than in Reykjavik at $4,002. In Santa Fe 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 Fe costs $1,071 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 Santa Fe. 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.