Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Sao Vicente

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Vicente: $888 a month against $4,002 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $37,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Reykjavik
🇮🇸 Iceland
$4,002
/mo nomad
Sao Vicente
🇧🇷 Brazil
$888
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $4,002 per month in Reykjavik vs $888 in Sao Vicente, rent included.

  • Reykjavik $4,002
  • Sao Vicente $888

A couple spends around $5,705 per month in Reykjavik vs $1,469 in Sao Vicente, rent included.

  • Reykjavik $5,705
  • Sao Vicente $1,469

A family of three spends $7,407 per month in Reykjavik vs $2,050 in Sao Vicente, rent included.

  • Reykjavik $7,407
  • Sao Vicente $2,050

Reykjavik costs about 351% more than Sao Vicente, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Reykjavik sits 196% above the global median, while Sao Vicente is 34% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Reykjavik
Sao Vicente
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$31.56 ISK 3,834
$7.86 R$39.45
301.53%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$122 ISK 14.9K
$35.59 R$179
243.78%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$26.86 ISK 3,263
$7.20 R$36.11
273.06%
Cappuccino
$6.81 ISK 828
$2.28 R$11.46
198.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.39 ISK 411
$1.33 R$6.65
154.89%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.20 ISK 389
$0.88 R$4.44
263.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$14.14 ISK 1,717
$2.38 R$11.93
494.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$12.31 ISK 1,495
$2.96 R$14.85
315.88%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Reykjavik
Sao Vicente
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.10 ISK 255
$1.09 R$5.48
92.66%
White Bread (500g)
$4.19 ISK 509
$2.03 R$10.17
106.40%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.72 ISK 452
$1.39 R$6.98
167.63%
Eggs
$7.05 ISK 857
$2.51 R$12.59
180.88%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$21.56 ISK 2,619
$12.22 R$61.3
76.43%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$24.68 ISK 2,998
$4.94 R$24.80
399.60%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$42.19 ISK 5,125
$9.77 R$49.03
331.83%
Apples (1kg)
$3.23 ISK 393
$2.15 R$10.78
50.23%
Banana (1kg)
$2.73 ISK 332
$1.30 R$6.55
110.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.17 ISK 385
$1.60 R$8.05
98.12%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.61 ISK 804
$1.51 R$7.57
337.75%
Potato (1kg)
$3.85 ISK 467
$1.32 R$6.63
191.67%
Onion (1kg)
$1.66 ISK 201
$1.34 R$6.73
23.88%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.80 ISK 462
$0.91 R$4.59
317.58%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.75 ISK 212
$0.95 R$4.78
84.21%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.71 ISK 1,665
$2.37 R$11.90
478.48%
Wine (Bottle)
$24.21 ISK 2,942
$8.05 R$40.39
200.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.53 ISK 429
$1.55 R$7.79
127.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.32 ISK 403
$2.58 R$12.94
28.68%
🚌 Getting Around
Reykjavik
Sao Vicente
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$5.75 ISK 698
$1.06 R$5.34
442.45%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$93.8 ISK 11.4K
$44.30 R$222
111.76%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.61 ISK 804
$1.19 R$5.97
455.46%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.90 ISK 352
$0.78 R$3.91
271.79%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$79.2 ISK 9,617
$14.31 R$71.8
453.18%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.09 ISK 254
$1.35 R$6.75
54.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$51.0K ISK 6.2M
$24.3K R$121.7K
110.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$53.3K ISK 6.5M
$33.1K R$166.0K
61.06%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Reykjavik
Sao Vicente
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$95.3 ISK 11.6K
$67.3 R$337
41.65%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$32.35 ISK 3,929
$14.88 R$74.7
117.41%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$87.5 ISK 10.6K
$23.01 R$115
280.44%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Reykjavik
Sao Vicente
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$102 ISK 12.4K
$19.90 R$99.9
411.86%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$50.1 ISK 6,083
$25.61 R$129
95.55%
Cinema Ticket
$19.88 ISK 2,415
$7.97 R$39.98
149.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Reykjavik
Sao Vicente
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,194 ISK 145.0K
$279 R$1,398
328.46%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.4K ISK 3.1M
$10.3K R$51.5K
147.47%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Reykjavik
Sao Vicente
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$149 ISK 18.1K
$56.0 R$281
166.17%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$66.6 ISK 8,093
$37.00 R$186
80.05%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$180 ISK 21.9K
$89.0 R$447
102.09%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$253 ISK 30.8K
$62.8 R$315
303.38%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Reykjavik
Sao Vicente
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,549 ISK 309.7K
$277 R$1,391
819.53%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,056 ISK 249.8K
$224 R$1,122
819.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,498 ISK 424.9K
$863 R$4,331
305.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,764 ISK 335.7K
$517 R$2,592
434.91%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,120 ISK 986.4K
$1,720 R$8,631
372.02%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,254 ISK 759.7K
$1,212 R$6,082
415.91%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Reykjavik
Sao Vicente
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,573 ISK 555.5K
$402 R$2,019
1036.64%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.81
11.21
-21.41%

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

Last update for Reykjavik: October 12, 2026

Last update for Sao Vicente: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Reykjavik
$2.1K
Sao Vicente
$224 89.1% $1.8K
Groceries & Markets
Reykjavik
$623
Sao Vicente
$221 64.5% $402
Eating Out
Reykjavik
$536
Sao Vicente
$139 74.2% $398
Clothing & Footwear
Reykjavik
$292
Sao Vicente
$110 62.3% $182
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Reykjavik
$215
Sao Vicente
$105 51.1% $110
Sport & Entertainment
Reykjavik
$142
Sao Vicente
$36 74.7% $106
Getting Around
Reykjavik
$138
Sao Vicente
$54 61.1% $84

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,549 in Reykjavik versus $277 in Sao Vicente. 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 1037% 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 $36.00 in Sao Vicente. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $623 vs $221 – making Sao Vicente the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇸 Reykjavik
🇧🇷 Sao Vicente
🕒 Local time
20:16 8:16 PM
17:16 5:16 PM
3 h behind Reykjavik
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
136,894 Capital
329,911
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to ISK – Icelandic Króna Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Reykjavik Sao Vicente 10,030 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Reykjavik
  • Sao Vicente

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 Vicente: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Reykjavik or Sao Vicente?
Reykjavik costs about 351% more than Sao Vicente, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Reykjavik and in Sao Vicente?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,003 per month in Reykjavik and $1,332 in Sao Vicente. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Reykjavik or Sao Vicente?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Sao Vicente, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Reykjavik compared to Sao Vicente?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,002 in Reykjavik and $888 in Sao Vicente. That's a gap of about 351%.
How expensive is transport in Reykjavik compared to Sao Vicente?
Public transport costs about 112% less in Sao Vicente. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Reykjavik or in Sao Vicente?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sao Vicente, where all-in costs run around $888, than in Reykjavik at $4,002. In Sao Vicente it covers expenses comfortably, while in Reykjavik it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Reykjavik or Sao Vicente?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sao Vicente costs $888 versus $4,002 in Reykjavik. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Reykjavik compared to Sao Vicente?
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.
Should I move to Reykjavik or to Sao Vicente?
If budget matters most, go with Sao Vicente. 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.

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