Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Serra

For one person, living is cheaper in Serra: $889 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.

193

Cost of Living Index in Reykjavik
Learn more

Reykjavik Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Serra
Learn more

Serra Living Index

Jump to prices

Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,002

/mo nomad

Serra

🇧🇷 Brazil

$889

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Serra

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

A single person spends $4,002 per month in Reykjavik vs $889 in Serra, rent included.

Reykjavik $4,002
Serra $889

A couple spends around $5,705 per month in Reykjavik vs $1,317 in Serra, rent included.

Reykjavik $5,705
Serra $1,317

A family of three spends $7,407 per month in Reykjavik vs $1,744 in Serra, rent included.

Reykjavik $7,407
Serra $1,744

Reykjavik costs about 350% more than Serra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.56 ISK 3,828

$4.77 R$24.16

561.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 ISK 14.8K

$22.99 R$117

432.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$26.86 ISK 3,258

$8.20 R$41.58

227.56%

Cappuccino

$6.81 ISK 827

$2.09 R$10.57

225.84%

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

$3.39 ISK 411

$1.34 R$6.77

152.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ISK 388

$0.62 R$3.15

416.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$14.14 ISK 1,715

$1.95 R$9.88

625.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.31 ISK 1,493

$3.06 R$15.53

302.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 ISK 255

$1.13 R$5.70

85.84%

White Bread (500g)

$4.19 ISK 508

$1.80 R$9.13

132.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 ISK 451

$1.17 R$5.95

217.95%

Eggs

$7.05 ISK 856

$2.14 R$10.87

229.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.56 ISK 2,615

$10.49 R$53.2

105.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.68 ISK 2,993

$4.58 R$23.22

438.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.19 ISK 5,117

$8.54 R$43.27

394.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ISK 392

$2.87 R$14.53

12.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 ISK 331

$1.53 R$7.74

78.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 ISK 384

$1.83 R$9.28

73.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.61 ISK 802

$1.62 R$8.20

308.02%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ISK 467

$1.18 R$5.96

226.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 ISK 201

$1.11 R$5.65

49.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.80 ISK 461

$1.34 R$6.78

183.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 ISK 212

$1.39 R$7.03

25.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.71 ISK 1,662

$2.49 R$12.62

450.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.21 ISK 2,937

$5.64 R$28.59

329.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 ISK 428

$0.98 R$4.98

260.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ISK 402

$3.27 R$16.59

1.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.75 ISK 697

$0.97 R$4.93

492.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 ISK 11.4K

$47.18 R$239

98.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.61 ISK 802

$1.31 R$6.66

404.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.90 ISK 352

$1.13 R$5.72

156.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.2 ISK 9,602

$6.89 R$34.95

1048.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 ISK 253

$1.08 R$5.49

93.52%

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

$51.0K ISK 6.2M

$23.5K R$119.2K

116.95%

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

$53.3K ISK 6.5M

$33.8K R$171.1K

57.81%

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

$95.3 ISK 11.6K

$158 R$803

-39.86%

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

$32.35 ISK 3,923

$12.30 R$62.4

163.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.5 ISK 10.6K

$21.05 R$107

315.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 ISK 12.4K

$25.83 R$131

294.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.1 ISK 6,074

$27.87 R$141

79.69%

Cinema Ticket

$19.88 ISK 2,412

$7.49 R$37.95

165.42%

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

$1,194 ISK 144.8K

$188 R$955

533.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.4K ISK 3.1M

$6,726 R$34.1K

277.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$149 ISK 18.1K

$55.0 R$279

171.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.6 ISK 8,080

$51.1 R$259

30.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$180 ISK 21.8K

$91.1 R$462

97.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$253 ISK 30.7K

$74.3 R$377

240.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,549 ISK 309.2K

$251 R$1,271

916.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,056 ISK 249.4K

$153 R$774

1246.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,498 ISK 424.2K

$446 R$2,261

684.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,764 ISK 335.2K

$220 R$1,117

1153.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,120 ISK 984.9K

$970 R$4,917

737.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,254 ISK 758.5K

$563 R$2,852

1011.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,573 ISK 554.6K

$559 R$2,833

718.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

-19.91%

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

Last update for Reykjavik: October 12, 2026

Last update for Serra: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reykjavik

$2.1K 51.4%

Serra

$153 17.2% 92.6% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

Reykjavik

$623 15.6%

Serra

$212 23.8% 66% $411

Eating Out

Reykjavik

$536 13.4%

Serra

$111 12.5% 79.2% $425

Clothing & Footwear

Reykjavik

$292 7.3%

Serra

$122 13.8% 58.1% $170

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reykjavik

$215 5.4%

Serra

$192 21.6% 10.9% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Reykjavik

$142 3.5%

Serra

$41 4.6% 71.2% $101

Getting Around

Reykjavik

$138 3.5%

Serra

$58 6.5% 57.9% $80

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,549 in Reykjavik versus $251 in Serra. 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 718% 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 Serra. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $623 vs $212 – making Serra the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🇧🇷 Serra

🕒 Local time

09:30 9:30 AM

06:30 6:30 AM

3 h behind Reykjavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,894 Capital

520,653

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Reykjavik Serra 9,500 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Reykjavik
Serra

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 Serra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Reykjavik costs about 350% more than Serra, 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 $6,003 per month in Reykjavik and $1,333 in Serra. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Serra, 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 $889 in Serra. That's a gap of about 350%.

Public transport costs about 99% less in Serra. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Serra, where all-in costs run around $889, than in Reykjavik at $4,002. In Serra it covers expenses comfortably, while in Reykjavik it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Serra costs $889 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 Serra. 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.