Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Schaffhausen

For one person, living is cheaper in Schaffhausen: $3,139 a month against $4,040 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

194

Cost of Living Index in Reykjavik
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Reykjavik Living Index
150

Cost of Living Index in Schaffhausen
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Schaffhausen Living Index

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Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,040

/mo nomad

Schaffhausen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Schaffhausen

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

A single person spends $4,040 per month in Reykjavik vs $3,139 in Schaffhausen, rent included.

Reykjavik $4,040
Schaffhausen $3,139

A couple spends around $5,742 per month in Reykjavik vs $5,010 in Schaffhausen, rent included.

Reykjavik $5,742
Schaffhausen $5,010

A family of three spends $7,445 per month in Reykjavik vs $6,882 in Schaffhausen, rent included.

Reykjavik $7,445
Schaffhausen $6,882

Reykjavik costs about 29% more than Schaffhausen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Reykjavik and Schaffhausen sit above the global median – Reykjavik by 197%, Schaffhausen by 131%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.42 ISK 3,829

$30.45 CHF 25.24

3.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$125 ISK 15.2K

$122 CHF 101

2.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$27.18 ISK 3,312

$18.19 CHF 15.08

49.42%

Cappuccino

$6.65 ISK 810

$6.01 CHF 4.98

10.65%

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

$3.41 ISK 415

$5.32 CHF 4.41

-35.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 ISK 371

$4.78 CHF 3.96

-36.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$14.18 ISK 1,728

$8.39 CHF 6.96

69.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.16 ISK 1,482

$7.11 CHF 5.89

71.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 ISK 256

$2.16 CHF 1.79

-2.78%

White Bread (500g)

$4.14 ISK 504

$4.00 CHF 3.32

3.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 ISK 449

$4.25 CHF 3.52

-13.18%

Eggs

$7.09 ISK 863

$7.81 CHF 6.47

-9.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.32 ISK 2,719

$27.90 CHF 23.13

-20.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.78 ISK 3,019

$30.45 CHF 25.24

-18.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.67 ISK 5,199

$42.66 CHF 35.36

0.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ISK 401

$3.84 CHF 3.18

-14.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.88 ISK 351

$2.07 CHF 1.72

39.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 ISK 398

$3.17 CHF 2.63

3.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 ISK 776

$5.49 CHF 4.55

16.03%

Potato (1kg)

$3.96 ISK 483

$2.38 CHF 1.97

66.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 ISK 197

$2.14 CHF 1.77

-24.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.70 ISK 451

$2.31 CHF 1.91

60.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ISK 215

$1.16 CHF 0.96

52.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.66 ISK 1,664

$10.82 CHF 8.97

26.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.16 ISK 2,944

$12.00 CHF 9.94

101.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.66 ISK 445

$2.89 CHF 2.40

26.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 ISK 417

$3.59 CHF 2.97

-4.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.49 ISK 669

$4.01 CHF 3.32

36.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.1 ISK 11.7K

$98.0 CHF 81.2

-1.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.85 ISK 834

$6.10 CHF 5.06

12.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.90 ISK 353

$2.86 CHF 2.37

1.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$81.8 ISK 9,971

$59.6 CHF 49.39

37.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 ISK 246

$2.22 CHF 1.84

-9.01%

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

$68.2K ISK 8.3M

$38.4K CHF 31.8K

77.72%

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

$56.3K ISK 6.9M

$39.4K CHF 32.7K

42.87%

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

$95.9 ISK 11.7K

$229 CHF 190

-58.16%

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

$32.16 ISK 3,918

$28.98 CHF 24.02

10.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.4 ISK 10.5K

$62.0 CHF 51.4

39.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.9 ISK 11.8K

$110 CHF 91.2

-11.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$51.2 ISK 6,238

$46.30 CHF 38.37

10.58%

Cinema Ticket

$19.28 ISK 2,349

$23.59 CHF 19.55

-18.27%

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

$1,178 ISK 143.5K

$3,157 CHF 2,616

-62.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ISK 3.1M

$24.5K CHF 20.3K

5.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$152 ISK 18.5K

$163 CHF 135

-6.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.5 ISK 8,105

$54.9 CHF 45.47

21.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$183 ISK 22.3K

$172 CHF 142

6.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$246 ISK 29.9K

$150 CHF 124

63.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,585 ISK 314.9K

$1,272 CHF 1,054

103.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 ISK 255.6K

$1,192 CHF 988

76.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,513 ISK 428.1K

$2,689 CHF 2,228

30.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,792 ISK 340.1K

$2,317 CHF 1,921

20.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,038 ISK 979.3K

$8,110 CHF 6,723

-0.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,305 ISK 768.2K

$8,439 CHF 6,995

-25.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,549 ISK 554.3K

$7,148 CHF 5,925

-36.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

2.41

265.56%

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

Last update for Reykjavik: October 25, 2026

Last update for Schaffhausen: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reykjavik

$2.1K 51.9%

Schaffhausen

$1.2K 38% 43.2% $906

Groceries & Markets

Reykjavik

$628 15.5%

Schaffhausen

$626 19.9% 0.3% $1.9

Eating Out

Reykjavik

$534 13.2%

Schaffhausen

$467 14.9% 12.5% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Reykjavik

$291 7.2%

Schaffhausen

$243 7.7% 16.7% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reykjavik

$215 5.3%

Schaffhausen

$320 10.2% 49.3% $106

Getting Around

Reykjavik

$139 3.5%

Schaffhausen

$134 4.3% 3.6% $5

Sport & Entertainment

Reykjavik

$135 3.4%

Schaffhausen

$157 5% 16.1% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,585 in Reykjavik versus $1,272 in Schaffhausen. 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 57% higher in Schaffhausen, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $125 in Reykjavik versus $122 in Schaffhausen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $628 vs $626 – making Schaffhausen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🇨🇭 Schaffhausen

🕒 Local time

11:59 11:59 AM

12:59 12:59 PM

1 h ahead of Reykjavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,894 Capital

35,927

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.21 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.37 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to ISK – Icelandic Króna Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇸 Icelandic Króna (kr)

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.21 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.37 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.829 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.923 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Reykjavik Schaffhausen 2,590 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Reykjavik
Schaffhausen

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 Schaffhausen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Reykjavik costs about 29% more than Schaffhausen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,061 per month in Reykjavik and $4,709 in Schaffhausen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Schaffhausen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,272 there versus $2,585 in Reykjavik.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,040 in Reykjavik and $3,139 in Schaffhausen. That’s a gap of about 29%.

Kindergarten costs $1,178 per month in Reykjavik and $3,157 in Schaffhausen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,040 in Reykjavik and $3,139 in Schaffhausen. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Reykjavik has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,139 in Schaffhausen to $4,040 in Reykjavik. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.