Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Sao Jose dos Campos

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Jose dos Campos: $1,050 a month against $4,037 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $35,800 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
50

Cost of Living Index in Sao Jose dos Campos
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Sao Jose dos Campos Living Index

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Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,037

/mo nomad

Sao Jose dos Campos

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,050

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Sao Jose dos Campos

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 Jose dos Campos actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,037 per month in Reykjavik vs $1,050 in Sao Jose dos Campos, rent included.

Reykjavik $4,037
Sao Jose dos Campos $1,050

A couple spends around $5,666 per month in Reykjavik vs $1,660 in Sao Jose dos Campos, rent included.

Reykjavik $5,666
Sao Jose dos Campos $1,660

A family of three spends $7,295 per month in Reykjavik vs $2,270 in Sao Jose dos Campos, rent included.

Reykjavik $7,295
Sao Jose dos Campos $2,270

Reykjavik costs about 284% more than Sao Jose dos Campos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Reykjavik sits 201% above the global median, while Sao Jose dos Campos is 22% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.59 ISK 3,730

$7.08 R$35.33

332.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$136 ISK 16.5K

$39.82 R$199

240.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$27.08 ISK 3,302

$9.10 R$45.41

197.58%

Cappuccino

$6.72 ISK 819

$2.30 R$11.46

192.17%

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

$3.27 ISK 399

$1.70 R$8.47

92.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 ISK 386

$1.17 R$5.82

170.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.91 ISK 1,696

$2.87 R$14.35

384.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.06 ISK 1,470

$4.35 R$21.71

177.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ISK 248

$1.20 R$5.99

70.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.32 ISK 527

$2.08 R$10.36

107.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.67 ISK 447

$1.19 R$5.96

208.40%

Eggs

$7.02 ISK 856

$2.70 R$13.48

160.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.01 ISK 2,684

$9.14 R$45.61

140.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.70 ISK 3,012

$4.45 R$22.21

455.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.66 ISK 5,202

$10.75 R$53.7

296.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 ISK 412

$2.84 R$14.17

18.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 ISK 347

$1.87 R$9.34

52.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 ISK 387

$1.84 R$9.21

72.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.39 ISK 779

$1.88 R$9.38

239.89%

Potato (1kg)

$4.01 ISK 489

$1.43 R$7.13

180.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 ISK 200

$1.37 R$6.82

19.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.80 ISK 463

$0.95 R$4.72

300.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ISK 212

$0.80 R$3.99

117.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.80 ISK 1,682

$2.82 R$14.08

389.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.38 ISK 2,851

$9.00 R$44.91

159.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 ISK 430

$1.73 R$8.66

104.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 ISK 420

$4.41 R$22.00

-21.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.77 ISK 704

$1.18 R$5.91

388.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.1 ISK 11.6K

$38.37 R$192

147.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.63 ISK 808

$1.35 R$6.72

391.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.79 ISK 341

$1.42 R$7.08

96.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$81.4 ISK 9,923

$9.39 R$46.89

766.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 ISK 257

$1.27 R$6.36

66.14%

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

$50.8K ISK 6.2M

$23.9K R$119.1K

112.99%

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

$52.7K ISK 6.4M

$33.8K R$168.9K

55.85%

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

$88.7 ISK 10.8K

$43.80 R$219

102.44%

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

$31.53 ISK 3,845

$14.25 R$71.1

121.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.6 ISK 10.3K

$18.34 R$91.5

361.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$100 ISK 12.2K

$29.98 R$150

234.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.20 ISK 5,877

$34.77 R$174

38.63%

Cinema Ticket

$19.87 ISK 2,424

$7.92 R$39.53

150.88%

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

$1,277 ISK 155.8K

$433 R$2,161

195.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.0K ISK 3.8M

$7,714 R$38.5K

301.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$161 ISK 19.6K

$56.6 R$283

184.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.9 ISK 7,914

$59.8 R$298

8.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$183 ISK 22.3K

$96.3 R$480

89.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$254 ISK 31.0K

$84.5 R$422

200.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,499 ISK 304.8K

$485 R$2,421

415.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 ISK 243.9K

$361 R$1,802

454.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,452 ISK 421.0K

$974 R$4,864

254.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 ISK 334.4K

$664 R$3,317

312.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,001 ISK 975.7K

$2,085 R$10.4K

283.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,249 ISK 762.1K

$1,498 R$7,477

317.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,691 ISK 572.0K

$813 R$4,059

476.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

11.12

-20.77%

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

Last update for Reykjavik: October 4, 2026

Last update for Sao Jose dos Campos: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reykjavik

$2K 50.9%

Sao Jose dos Campos

$361 34.6% 82% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Reykjavik

$625 15.9%

Sao Jose dos Campos

$228 21.9% 63.5% $397

Eating Out

Reykjavik

$526 13.4%

Sao Jose dos Campos

$146 14% 72.2% $380

Clothing & Footwear

Reykjavik

$298 7.6%

Sao Jose dos Campos

$134 12.8% 55.1% $164

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reykjavik

$205 5.2%

Sao Jose dos Campos

$76 7.3% 62.7% $128

Sport & Entertainment

Reykjavik

$140 3.6%

Sao Jose dos Campos

$46 4.4% 67.3% $94

Getting Around

Reykjavik

$139 3.5%

Sao Jose dos Campos

$52 4.9% 62.9% $87

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,499 in Reykjavik versus $485 in Sao Jose dos Campos. 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 477% 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 $40.00 in Sao Jose dos Campos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $625 vs $228 – making Sao Jose dos Campos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🇧🇷 Sao Jose dos Campos

🕒 Local time

06:00 6:00 AM

03:00 3:00 AM

3 h behind Reykjavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,894 Capital

697,054

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.31 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 = 7.31 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.6 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Reykjavik Sao Jose dos Campos 9,930 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Reykjavik
Sao Jose dos Campos

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 Jose dos Campos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Reykjavik costs about 284% more than Sao Jose dos Campos, 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 $1,575 in Sao Jose dos Campos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sao Jose dos Campos, 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 $1,050 in Sao Jose dos Campos. That's a gap of about 284%.

Public transport costs about 148% less in Sao Jose dos Campos. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sao Jose dos Campos, where all-in costs run around $1,050, than in Reykjavik at $4,037. In Sao Jose dos Campos 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 Jose dos Campos costs $1,050 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 Sao Jose dos Campos. 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.