Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Sao Joao da Boa Vista

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Joao da Boa Vista: $823 a month against $4,002 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $38,100 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Sao Joao da Boa Vista
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Sao Joao da Boa Vista Living Index

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Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,002

/mo nomad

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

🇧🇷 Brazil

$823

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Sao Joao da Boa Vista

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 Joao da Boa Vista actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,002 per month in Reykjavik vs $823 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista, rent included.

Reykjavik $4,002
Sao Joao da Boa Vista $823

A couple spends around $5,705 per month in Reykjavik vs $1,320 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista, rent included.

Reykjavik $5,705
Sao Joao da Boa Vista $1,320

A family of three spends $7,407 per month in Reykjavik vs $1,818 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista, rent included.

Reykjavik $7,407
Sao Joao da Boa Vista $1,818

Reykjavik costs about 387% more than Sao Joao da Boa Vista, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Reykjavik sits 196% above the global median, while Sao Joao da Boa Vista is 39% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.56 ISK 3,834

$5.62 R$28.22

461.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 ISK 14.9K

$23.03 R$116

431.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$26.86 ISK 3,263

$7.07 R$35.45

279.92%

Cappuccino

$6.81 ISK 828

$2.05 R$10.29

232.20%

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

$3.39 ISK 411

$1.17 R$5.89

189.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ISK 389

$0.92 R$4.62

247.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$14.14 ISK 1,717

$1.98 R$9.94

614.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.31 ISK 1,495

$2.06 R$10.32

497.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 ISK 255

$1.07 R$5.37

96.26%

White Bread (500g)

$4.19 ISK 509

$1.64 R$8.23

155.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 ISK 452

$0.98 R$4.90

279.59%

Eggs

$7.05 ISK 857

$2.37 R$11.90

197.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.56 ISK 2,619

$10.01 R$50.2

115.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.68 ISK 2,998

$5.00 R$25.09

393.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.19 ISK 5,125

$10.07 R$50.5

318.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ISK 393

$1.95 R$9.80

65.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 ISK 332

$1.17 R$5.88

133.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 ISK 385

$0.97 R$4.89

226.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.61 ISK 804

$1.56 R$7.85

323.72%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ISK 467

$0.83 R$4.15

363.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 ISK 201

$0.81 R$4.09

104.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.80 ISK 462

$0.78 R$3.90

387.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 ISK 212

$0.77 R$3.87

127.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.71 ISK 1,665

$2.35 R$11.80

483.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.21 ISK 2,942

$6.09 R$30.55

297.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 ISK 429

$1.18 R$5.90

199.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ISK 403

$1.98 R$9.93

67.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.75 ISK 698

$0.87 R$4.38

560.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 ISK 11.4K

$44.48 R$223

110.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.61 ISK 804

$1.57 R$7.89

321.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.90 ISK 352

$1.57 R$7.87

84.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.2 ISK 9,617

$8.19 R$41.10

866.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 ISK 254

$1.07 R$5.35

95.33%

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

$51.0K ISK 6.2M

$19.8K R$99.3K

157.83%

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

$53.3K ISK 6.5M

$33.3K R$166.9K

60.12%

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

$95.3 ISK 11.6K

$95.3 R$478

-0.05%

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

$32.35 ISK 3,929

$9.88 R$49.55

227.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.5 ISK 10.6K

$19.70 R$98.8

344.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 ISK 12.4K

$28.59 R$143

256.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.1 ISK 6,083

$31.76 R$159

57.68%

Cinema Ticket

$19.88 ISK 2,415

$5.49 R$27.56

262.11%

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

$1,194 ISK 145.0K

$280 R$1,403

327.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.4K ISK 3.1M

$10.3K R$51.8K

146.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$149 ISK 18.1K

$54.6 R$274

173.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.6 ISK 8,093

$37.79 R$190

76.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$180 ISK 21.9K

$51.3 R$258

250.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$253 ISK 30.8K

$60.7 R$304

317.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,549 ISK 309.7K

$349 R$1,753

629.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,056 ISK 249.8K

$203 R$1,018

913.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,498 ISK 424.9K

$678 R$3,402

415.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,764 ISK 335.7K

$465 R$2,333

494.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,120 ISK 986.4K

$1,581 R$7,931

413.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,254 ISK 759.7K

$1,031 R$5,175

506.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,573 ISK 555.5K

$659 R$3,307

593.81%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Sao Joao da Boa Vista: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reykjavik

$2.1K 51.4%

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$203 24.7% 90.1% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

Reykjavik

$623 15.6%

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$193 23.4% 69.1% $430

Eating Out

Reykjavik

$536 13.4%

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$113 13.8% 78.9% $423

Clothing & Footwear

Reykjavik

$292 7.3%

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$92 11.2% 68.5% $200

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reykjavik

$215 5.4%

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$125 15.2% 41.9% $90

Sport & Entertainment

Reykjavik

$142 3.5%

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$40 4.8% 72.1% $102

Getting Around

Reykjavik

$138 3.5%

Sao Joao da Boa Vista

$57 7% 58.4% $81

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,549 in Reykjavik versus $349 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista. 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 594% 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 $23.00 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $623 vs $193 – making Sao Joao da Boa Vista the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🇧🇷 Sao Joao da Boa Vista

🕒 Local time

19:28 7:28 PM

16:28 4:28 PM

3 h behind Reykjavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,894 Capital

92,547

💱 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 Joao da Boa Vista 9,810 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Reykjavik
Sao Joao da Boa Vista

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 Joao da Boa Vista: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Reykjavik costs about 387% more than Sao Joao da Boa Vista, 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 $1,234 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sao Joao da Boa Vista, 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 $823 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista. That's a gap of about 387%.

Public transport costs about 111% less in Sao Joao da Boa Vista. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sao Joao da Boa Vista, where all-in costs run around $823, than in Reykjavik at $4,002. In Sao Joao da Boa Vista 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 Joao da Boa Vista costs $823 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 Joao da Boa Vista. 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.