Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Sao Luis

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Luis: $834 a month against $4,037 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $38,400 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Sao Luis
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Sao Luis Living Index

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Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,037

/mo nomad

Sao Luis

🇧🇷 Brazil

$834

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Sao Luis

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

A single person spends $4,037 per month in Reykjavik vs $834 in Sao Luis, rent included.

Reykjavik $4,037
Sao Luis $834

A couple spends around $5,666 per month in Reykjavik vs $1,310 in Sao Luis, rent included.

Reykjavik $5,666
Sao Luis $1,310

A family of three spends $7,295 per month in Reykjavik vs $1,786 in Sao Luis, rent included.

Reykjavik $7,295
Sao Luis $1,786

Reykjavik costs about 384% more than Sao Luis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Reykjavik sits 201% above the global median, while Sao Luis is 38% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.59 ISK 3,730

$6.60 R$32.93

363.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$136 ISK 16.5K

$39.74 R$198

240.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$27.08 ISK 3,302

$6.82 R$34.03

297.07%

Cappuccino

$6.72 ISK 819

$2.15 R$10.71

212.56%

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

$3.27 ISK 399

$1.27 R$6.33

157.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 ISK 386

$0.73 R$3.65

332.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.91 ISK 1,696

$1.96 R$9.77

609.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.06 ISK 1,470

$2.44 R$12.16

394.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ISK 248

$1.11 R$5.52

83.78%

White Bread (500g)

$4.32 ISK 527

$1.93 R$9.64

123.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.67 ISK 447

$1.11 R$5.54

230.63%

Eggs

$7.02 ISK 856

$2.27 R$11.31

209.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.01 ISK 2,684

$10.14 R$50.6

117.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.70 ISK 3,012

$4.28 R$21.36

477.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.66 ISK 5,202

$7.64 R$38.12

458.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 ISK 412

$2.11 R$10.55

59.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 ISK 347

$1.39 R$6.95

105.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 ISK 387

$1.22 R$6.09

159.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.39 ISK 779

$1.73 R$8.64

269.36%

Potato (1kg)

$4.01 ISK 489

$1.33 R$6.64

201.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 ISK 200

$1.34 R$6.67

22.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.80 ISK 463

$0.90 R$4.47

322.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ISK 212

$0.73 R$3.62

138.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.80 ISK 1,682

$2.44 R$12.17

465.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.38 ISK 2,851

$8.21 R$41.00

184.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 ISK 430

$1.27 R$6.36

177.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 ISK 420

$2.32 R$11.60

48.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.77 ISK 704

$0.85 R$4.27

578.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.1 ISK 11.6K

$38.52 R$192

146.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.63 ISK 808

$1.03 R$5.12

543.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.79 ISK 341

$0.94 R$4.70

196.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$81.4 ISK 9,923

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 ISK 257

$1.21 R$6.05

74.38%

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

$50.8K ISK 6.2M

$24.2K R$120.6K

110.31%

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

$52.7K ISK 6.4M

$30.4K R$151.5K

73.71%

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

$88.7 ISK 10.8K

$97.5 R$487

-9.02%

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

$31.53 ISK 3,845

$18.02 R$90.0

74.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.6 ISK 10.3K

$21.42 R$107

295.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$100 ISK 12.2K

$20.11 R$100

399.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.20 ISK 5,877

$15.27 R$76.2

215.65%

Cinema Ticket

$19.87 ISK 2,424

$6.84 R$34.14

190.50%

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

$1,277 ISK 155.8K

$183 R$915

596.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.0K ISK 3.8M

$2,911 R$14.5K

963.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$161 ISK 19.6K

$64.7 R$323

148.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.9 ISK 7,914

$54.6 R$273

18.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$183 ISK 22.3K

$75.1 R$375

143.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$254 ISK 31.0K

$59.0 R$294

330.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,499 ISK 304.8K

$363 R$1,812

588.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 ISK 243.9K

$187 R$935

967.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,452 ISK 421.0K

$580 R$2,893

495.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 ISK 334.4K

$330 R$1,648

730.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,001 ISK 975.7K

$1,575 R$7,864

407.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,249 ISK 762.1K

$721 R$3,598

767.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,691 ISK 572.0K

$386 R$1,929

1114.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

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

Last update for Reykjavik: October 4, 2026

Last update for Sao Luis: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reykjavik

$2K 50.9%

Sao Luis

$187 22.3% 90.6% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Reykjavik

$625 15.9%

Sao Luis

$197 23.6% 68.4% $428

Eating Out

Reykjavik

$526 13.4%

Sao Luis

$122 14.5% 76.9% $404

Clothing & Footwear

Reykjavik

$298 7.6%

Sao Luis

$114 13.6% 61.7% $184

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reykjavik

$205 5.2%

Sao Luis

$137 16.3% 33.2% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Reykjavik

$140 3.6%

Sao Luis

$34 4% 75.9% $106

Getting Around

Reykjavik

$139 3.5%

Sao Luis

$48 5.7% 65.7% $91

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,499 in Reykjavik versus $363 in Sao Luis. 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 1114% 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 Luis. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $625 vs $197 – making Sao Luis the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🇧🇷 Sao Luis

🕒 Local time

06:44 6:44 AM

03:44 3:44 AM

3 h behind Reykjavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,894 Capital

1,037,775

💱 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

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Between locations

Reykjavik Sao Luis 7,640 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Reykjavik
Sao Luis

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 Luis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Reykjavik costs about 384% more than Sao Luis, 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 $1,251 in Sao Luis. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sao Luis, 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 $834 in Sao Luis. That's a gap of about 384%.

Public transport costs about 147% less in Sao Luis. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sao Luis, where all-in costs run around $834, than in Reykjavik at $4,037. In Sao Luis 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 Luis costs $834 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 Luis. 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.