Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Southampton

For one person, living is cheaper in Southampton: $3,694 a month against $4,023 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Reykjavik outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Reykjavik
🇮🇸 Iceland
$4,023
/mo nomad
Southampton
🇧🇲 Bermuda
$3,694
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Southampton

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

A single person spends $4,023 per month in Reykjavik vs $3,694 in Southampton, rent included.

  • Reykjavik $4,023
  • Southampton $3,694

A couple spends around $5,708 per month in Reykjavik vs $8,281 in Southampton, rent included.

  • Reykjavik $5,708
  • Southampton $8,281

A family of three spends $7,393 per month in Reykjavik vs $12.9K in Southampton, rent included.

  • Reykjavik $7,393
  • Southampton $12.9K

Reykjavik costs about 9% more than Southampton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Reykjavik and Southampton sit above the global median – Reykjavik by 197%, Southampton by 173%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Reykjavik
Southampton
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$31.00 ISK 3,760
$50.7 BMD 50.7
-38.86%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$123 ISK 14.9K
$151 BMD 151
-18.35%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$27.21 ISK 3,300
$16.82 BMD 16.82
61.77%
Cappuccino
$6.90 ISK 837
$6.02 BMD 6.02
14.62%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.30 ISK 401
$2.98 BMD 2.98
10.74%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.16 ISK 384
$3.09 BMD 3.09
2.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$13.84 ISK 1,678
$7.55 BMD 7.55
83.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$12.46 ISK 1,512
$9.03 BMD 9.03
37.98%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Reykjavik
Southampton
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.06 ISK 250
$4.79 BMD 4.79
-56.99%
White Bread (500g)
$4.11 ISK 498
$7.98 BMD 7.98
-48.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.68 ISK 446
$5.45 BMD 5.45
-32.48%
Eggs
$7.27 ISK 882
$7.33 BMD 7.33
-0.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$21.79 ISK 2,643
$23.09 BMD 23.09
-5.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$23.95 ISK 2,905
$21.09 BMD 21.09
13.56%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$41.43 ISK 5,025
$19.30 BMD 19.30
114.66%
Apples (1kg)
$3.42 ISK 414
$8.88 BMD 8.88
-61.49%
Banana (1kg)
$2.84 ISK 344
$6.79 BMD 6.79
-58.17%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.23 ISK 391
$7.23 BMD 7.23
-55.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.46 ISK 783
$8.49 BMD 8.49
-23.91%
Potato (1kg)
$4.05 ISK 491
$5.86 BMD 5.86
-30.89%
Onion (1kg)
$1.66 ISK 202
$4.13 BMD 4.13
-59.81%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.86 ISK 468
$6.39 BMD 6.39
-39.59%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.84 ISK 223
$3.39 BMD 3.39
-45.72%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.96 ISK 1,693
$18.34 BMD 18.34
-23.88%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.76 ISK 2,882
$23.79 BMD 23.79
-0.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.54 ISK 430
$5.12 BMD 5.12
-30.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.44 ISK 418
$4.20 BMD 4.20
-18.10%
🚌 Getting Around
Reykjavik
Southampton
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$5.81 ISK 705
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$95.3 ISK 11.6K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.72 ISK 815
$6.60 BMD 6.60
1.82%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.81 ISK 340
$3.07 BMD 3.07
-8.47%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$81.3 ISK 9,866
$70.9 BMD 70.9
14.81%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.12 ISK 257
$2.10 BMD 2.10
0.95%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$68.9K ISK 8.4M
$37.4K BMD 37.4K
84.53%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$55.8K ISK 6.8M
$43.4K BMD 43.4K
28.57%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Reykjavik
Southampton
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$95.8 ISK 11.6K
$288 BMD 288
-66.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.11 ISK 4,016
$148 BMD 148
-77.56%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$87.2 ISK 10.6K
$162 BMD 162
-46.25%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Reykjavik
Southampton
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$101 ISK 12.3K
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$50.7 ISK 6,155
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$19.85 ISK 2,407
$13.37 BMD 13.37
48.47%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Reykjavik
Southampton
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,195 ISK 144.9K
$1,314 BMD 1,314
-9.08%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$26.2K ISK 3.2M
$24.9K BMD 24.9K
5.29%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Reykjavik
Southampton
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$148 ISK 18.0K
$90.3 BMD 90.3
64.26%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$66.8 ISK 8,096
$70.2 BMD 70.2
-4.90%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$187 ISK 22.6K
$141 BMD 141
32.59%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$253 ISK 30.6K
$131 BMD 131
92.79%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Reykjavik
Southampton
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,579 ISK 312.8K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,080 ISK 252.3K
$1,503 BMD 1,503
38.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,455 ISK 419.0K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,752 ISK 333.8K
$7,867 BMD 7,867
-65.02%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,933 ISK 962.2K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,377 ISK 773.5K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Reykjavik
Southampton
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,695 ISK 569.5K
$9,763 BMD 9,763
-51.91%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.81
8.63
2.09%

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

Last update for Reykjavik: October 20, 2026

Last update for Southampton: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Reykjavik
$2.1K
Southampton
$1.5K 27.7% $577
Groceries & Markets
Reykjavik
$619
Southampton
$742 19.7% $122
Eating Out
Reykjavik
$532
Southampton
$608 14.3% $76
Clothing & Footwear
Reykjavik
$294
Southampton
$195 33.9% $100
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Reykjavik
$216
Southampton
$598 177% $382
Sport & Entertainment
Reykjavik
$141
Southampton
$27 * 81% $114
Getting Around
Reykjavik
$139
Southampton
$22 * 84.2% $117

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 108% higher in Southampton, 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 $123 in Reykjavik versus $151 in Southampton. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $619 vs $742 – making Reykjavik the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇸 Reykjavik
🇧🇲 Southampton
🕒 Local time
01:43 1:43 AM
22:43 10:43 PM
3 h behind Reykjavik
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
136,894 Capital
6,260
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BMD, USD, EUR to ISK – Icelandic Króna Converter

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR).

Bermudian Dollar exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 1 BMD (1 BMD = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 BMD (1 BMD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Reykjavik Southampton 4,600 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Reykjavik
  • Southampton

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 Southampton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Reykjavik or Southampton?
Reykjavik costs about 9% more than Southampton, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. 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 Southampton?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,034 per month in Reykjavik and $5,542 in Southampton. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How much does it cost to live in Reykjavik compared to Southampton?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,023 in Reykjavik and $3,694 in Southampton. That's a gap of about 9%.
How do childcare costs compare in Reykjavik and in Southampton?
Kindergarten costs $1,195 per month in Reykjavik and $1,314 in Southampton. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Reykjavik or in Southampton?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Southampton, where all-in costs run around $3,694, than in Reykjavik at $4,023. In Southampton 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 Southampton?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Southampton costs $3,694 versus $4,023 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 Southampton?
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 Southampton?
If budget matters most, go with Southampton. 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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