Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Sao Caetano do Sul

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Caetano do Sul: $1,058 a month against $4,002 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $35,300 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
51

Cost of Living Index in Sao Caetano do Sul
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Sao Caetano do Sul Living Index

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Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,002

/mo nomad

Sao Caetano do Sul

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,058

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,002 per month in Reykjavik vs $1,058 in Sao Caetano do Sul, rent included.

Reykjavik $4,002
Sao Caetano do Sul $1,058

A couple spends around $5,705 per month in Reykjavik vs $1,822 in Sao Caetano do Sul, rent included.

Reykjavik $5,705
Sao Caetano do Sul $1,822

A family of three spends $7,407 per month in Reykjavik vs $2,586 in Sao Caetano do Sul, rent included.

Reykjavik $7,407
Sao Caetano do Sul $2,586

Reykjavik costs about 278% more than Sao Caetano do Sul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Reykjavik sits 196% above the global median, while Sao Caetano do Sul is 22% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.56 ISK 3,834

$8.89 R$44.60

255.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 ISK 14.9K

$40.00 R$201

205.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$26.86 ISK 3,263

$8.77 R$44.01

206.27%

Cappuccino

$6.81 ISK 828

$2.38 R$11.96

186.13%

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

$3.39 ISK 411

$1.33 R$6.66

154.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ISK 389

$0.93 R$4.66

244.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$14.14 ISK 1,717

$2.36 R$11.82

499.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.31 ISK 1,495

$4.00 R$20.06

207.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 ISK 255

$1.19 R$5.95

76.47%

White Bread (500g)

$4.19 ISK 509

$2.05 R$10.30

104.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 ISK 452

$1.44 R$7.23

158.33%

Eggs

$7.05 ISK 857

$2.48 R$12.43

184.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.56 ISK 2,619

$10.70 R$53.7

101.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.68 ISK 2,998

$5.43 R$27.26

354.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.19 ISK 5,125

$10.91 R$54.8

286.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ISK 393

$2.39 R$11.98

35.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 ISK 332

$1.72 R$8.65

58.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 ISK 385

$1.55 R$7.76

104.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.61 ISK 804

$2.08 R$10.43

217.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ISK 467

$1.40 R$7.02

175.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 ISK 201

$1.26 R$6.34

31.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.80 ISK 462

$0.92 R$4.62

313.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 ISK 212

$0.81 R$4.08

116.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.71 ISK 1,665

$2.49 R$12.49

450.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.21 ISK 2,942

$8.97 R$44.99

169.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 ISK 429

$1.75 R$8.79

101.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ISK 403

$2.58 R$12.92

28.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.75 ISK 698

$0.68 R$3.43

745.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 ISK 11.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.61 ISK 804

$1.32 R$6.64

400.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.90 ISK 352

$1.02 R$5.13

184.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.2 ISK 9,617

$8.86 R$44.47

793.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 ISK 254

$1.34 R$6.72

55.97%

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

$51.0K ISK 6.2M

$24.5K R$123.1K

107.90%

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

$53.3K ISK 6.5M

$32.6K R$163.4K

63.53%

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

$95.3 ISK 11.6K

$103 R$517

-7.48%

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

$32.35 ISK 3,929

$14.91 R$74.8

116.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.5 ISK 10.6K

$22.99 R$115

280.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 ISK 12.4K

$50.3 R$253

102.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.1 ISK 6,083

$46.01 R$231

8.85%

Cinema Ticket

$19.88 ISK 2,415

$10.14 R$50.9

96.06%

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

$1,194 ISK 145.0K

$437 R$2,192

173.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.4K ISK 3.1M

$11.2K R$56.1K

127.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$149 ISK 18.1K

$65.3 R$328

128.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.6 ISK 8,093

$57.3 R$288

16.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$180 ISK 21.9K

$98.3 R$493

82.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$253 ISK 30.8K

$93.2 R$467

171.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,549 ISK 309.7K

$419 R$2,104

507.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,056 ISK 249.8K

$311 R$1,559

561.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,498 ISK 424.9K

$867 R$4,349

303.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,764 ISK 335.7K

$868 R$4,353

218.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,120 ISK 986.4K

$1,890 R$9,483

329.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,254 ISK 759.7K

$1,435 R$7,201

335.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,573 ISK 555.5K

$951 R$4,773

380.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

10.81

-18.50%

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

Last update for Reykjavik: October 12, 2026

Last update for Sao Caetano do Sul: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reykjavik

$2.1K 51.4%

Sao Caetano do Sul

$311 29.4% 84.9% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Reykjavik

$623 15.6%

Sao Caetano do Sul

$231 21.8% 62.9% $392

Eating Out

Reykjavik

$536 13.4%

Sao Caetano do Sul

$155 14.6% 71.1% $382

Clothing & Footwear

Reykjavik

$292 7.3%

Sao Caetano do Sul

$141 13.4% 51.6% $151

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reykjavik

$215 5.4%

Sao Caetano do Sul

$141 13.3% 34.5% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Reykjavik

$142 3.5%

Sao Caetano do Sul

$71 6.7% 50.1% $71

Getting Around

Reykjavik

$138 3.5%

Sao Caetano do Sul

$9.2 * 0.9% 93.4% $129

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 $419 in Sao Caetano 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 381% 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 $40.00 in Sao Caetano do Sul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $623 vs $231 – making Sao Caetano do Sul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🇧🇷 Sao Caetano do Sul

🕒 Local time

20:17 8:17 PM

17:17 5:17 PM

3 h behind Reykjavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,894 Capital

165,655

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.23 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.35 EUR

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 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 14, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.23 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.35 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.62 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Reykjavik Sao Caetano do Sul 9,990 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Reykjavik
Sao Caetano 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 Sao Caetano do Sul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Reykjavik costs about 278% more than Sao Caetano 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 $6,003 per month in Reykjavik and $1,588 in Sao Caetano do Sul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sao Caetano 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 $4,002 in Reykjavik and $1,058 in Sao Caetano do Sul. That's a gap of about 278%.

Kindergarten costs $1,194 per month in Reykjavik and $437 in Sao Caetano do Sul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sao Caetano do Sul, where all-in costs run around $1,058, than in Reykjavik at $4,002. In Sao Caetano 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. Sao Caetano do Sul costs $1,058 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 Sao Caetano 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.