Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Santos

For one person, living is cheaper in Santos: $1,132 a month against $4,037 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $34,900 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
56

Cost of Living Index in Santos
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Santos Living Index

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Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,037

/mo nomad

Santos

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,132

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Santos

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

A single person spends $4,037 per month in Reykjavik vs $1,132 in Santos, rent included.

Reykjavik $4,037
Santos $1,132

A couple spends around $5,666 per month in Reykjavik vs $1,745 in Santos, rent included.

Reykjavik $5,666
Santos $1,745

A family of three spends $7,295 per month in Reykjavik vs $2,359 in Santos, rent included.

Reykjavik $7,295
Santos $2,359

Reykjavik costs about 257% more than Santos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Reykjavik sits 201% above the global median, while Santos is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.59 ISK 3,730

$7.80 R$38.94

292.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$136 ISK 16.5K

$32.51 R$162

316.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$27.08 ISK 3,302

$6.91 R$34.48

291.90%

Cappuccino

$6.72 ISK 819

$2.78 R$13.86

141.73%

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

$3.27 ISK 399

$1.41 R$7.05

131.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 ISK 386

$1.01 R$5.03

212.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.91 ISK 1,696

$2.64 R$13.17

426.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.06 ISK 1,470

$2.96 R$14.80

307.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ISK 248

$1.08 R$5.38

88.89%

White Bread (500g)

$4.32 ISK 527

$1.85 R$9.22

133.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.67 ISK 447

$1.38 R$6.91

165.94%

Eggs

$7.02 ISK 856

$2.52 R$12.56

178.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.01 ISK 2,684

$12.16 R$60.7

81.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.70 ISK 3,012

$4.91 R$24.49

403.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.66 ISK 5,202

$10.06 R$50.2

324.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 ISK 412

$2.12 R$10.60

58.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 ISK 347

$1.26 R$6.27

126.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 ISK 387

$1.98 R$9.89

60.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.39 ISK 779

$1.81 R$9.01

253.04%

Potato (1kg)

$4.01 ISK 489

$1.32 R$6.59

203.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 ISK 200

$1.30 R$6.49

26.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.80 ISK 463

$1.21 R$6.03

214.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ISK 212

$0.91 R$4.55

91.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.80 ISK 1,682

$2.43 R$12.11

467.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.38 ISK 2,851

$8.18 R$40.85

185.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 ISK 430

$1.39 R$6.95

153.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 ISK 420

$1.90 R$9.49

81.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.77 ISK 704

$1.12 R$5.59

415.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.1 ISK 11.6K

$50.4 R$252

88.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.63 ISK 808

$1.51 R$7.56

339.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.79 ISK 341

$1.62 R$8.10

72.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$81.4 ISK 9,923

$18.35 R$91.6

343.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 ISK 257

$1.27 R$6.32

66.14%

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

$50.8K ISK 6.2M

$23.9K R$119.1K

112.94%

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

$52.7K ISK 6.4M

$33.1K R$165.2K

59.41%

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

$88.7 ISK 10.8K

$104 R$518

-14.56%

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

$31.53 ISK 3,845

$12.45 R$62.1

153.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.6 ISK 10.3K

$22.68 R$113

273.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$100 ISK 12.2K

$29.14 R$145

244.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.20 ISK 5,877

$56.9 R$284

-15.23%

Cinema Ticket

$19.87 ISK 2,424

$9.03 R$45.06

120.04%

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

$1,277 ISK 155.8K

$277 R$1,385

360.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.0K ISK 3.8M

$10.4K R$51.9K

197.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$161 ISK 19.6K

$56.1 R$280

186.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.9 ISK 7,914

$36.85 R$184

76.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$183 ISK 22.3K

$97.5 R$486

87.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$254 ISK 31.0K

$60.1 R$300

322.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,499 ISK 304.8K

$536 R$2,677

366.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 ISK 243.9K

$422 R$2,106

374.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,452 ISK 421.0K

$988 R$4,933

249.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 ISK 334.4K

$710 R$3,547

285.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,001 ISK 975.7K

$2,477 R$12.4K

223.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,249 ISK 762.1K

$1,794 R$8,955

248.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,691 ISK 572.0K

$585 R$2,922

701.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

12.79

-31.12%

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

Last update for Reykjavik: October 4, 2026

Last update for Santos: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reykjavik

$2K 50.9%

Santos

$422 36.7% 78.9% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Reykjavik

$625 15.9%

Santos

$221 19.2% 64.7% $404

Eating Out

Reykjavik

$526 13.4%

Santos

$145 12.6% 72.4% $381

Clothing & Footwear

Reykjavik

$298 7.6%

Santos

$113 9.8% 62.2% $185

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reykjavik

$205 5.2%

Santos

$139 12.1% 32.2% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Reykjavik

$140 3.6%

Santos

$47 4.1% 66.3% $93

Getting Around

Reykjavik

$139 3.5%

Santos

$65 5.6% 53.5% $74

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,499 in Reykjavik versus $536 in Santos. 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 701% 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 $136 in Reykjavik versus $33.00 in Santos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $625 vs $221 – making Santos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🇧🇷 Santos

🕒 Local time

13:47 1:47 PM

10:47 10:47 AM

3 h behind Reykjavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,894 Capital

418,608

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD). 1 EUR = 137 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Reykjavik Santos 10,020 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Reykjavik
Santos

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 Santos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Reykjavik costs about 257% more than Santos, 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 $6,055 per month in Reykjavik and $1,698 in Santos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santos, 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 $4,037 in Reykjavik and $1,132 in Santos. That's a gap of about 257%.

Public transport costs about 89% less in Santos. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Santos, where all-in costs run around $1,132, than in Reykjavik at $4,037. In Santos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Reykjavik it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Santos costs $1,132 versus $4,037 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 Santos. 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.