Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

For one person, living is cheaper in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador: $2,024 a month against $4,037 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $24,200 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
100

Cost of Living Index in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
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St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador Living Index

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Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,037

/mo nomad

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,024

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

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 St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,037 per month in Reykjavik vs $2,024 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, rent included.

Reykjavik $4,037
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador $2,024

A couple spends around $5,666 per month in Reykjavik vs $3,089 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, rent included.

Reykjavik $5,666
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador $3,089

A family of three spends $7,295 per month in Reykjavik vs $4,154 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, rent included.

Reykjavik $7,295
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador $4,154

Reykjavik costs about 99% more than St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Reykjavik and St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador sit above the global median – Reykjavik by 201%, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador by 51%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.59 ISK 3,727

$17.33 CA$24.66

76.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$136 ISK 16.5K

$70.3 CA$99.9

92.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$27.08 ISK 3,300

$11.74 CA$16.70

130.66%

Cappuccino

$6.72 ISK 818

$4.07 CA$5.79

65.11%

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

$3.27 ISK 399

$2.58 CA$3.66

26.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 ISK 386

$2.14 CA$3.04

47.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.91 ISK 1,695

$4.98 CA$7.08

179.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.06 ISK 1,469

$5.23 CA$7.44

130.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ISK 248

$3.02 CA$4.29

-32.45%

White Bread (500g)

$4.32 ISK 526

$3.00 CA$4.27

44.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.67 ISK 447

$4.14 CA$5.90

-11.35%

Eggs

$7.02 ISK 855

$3.79 CA$5.39

85.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.01 ISK 2,682

$11.44 CA$16.27

92.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.70 ISK 3,009

$13.05 CA$18.56

89.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.66 ISK 5,198

$11.78 CA$16.76

262.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 ISK 411

$4.72 CA$6.71

-28.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 ISK 347

$2.91 CA$4.14

-2.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 ISK 387

$4.78 CA$6.80

-33.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.39 ISK 779

$2.94 CA$4.17

117.35%

Potato (1kg)

$4.01 ISK 489

$2.64 CA$3.76

51.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 ISK 200

$2.17 CA$3.08

-24.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.80 ISK 462

$2.74 CA$3.89

38.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ISK 212

$1.97 CA$2.80

-11.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.80 ISK 1,681

$13.42 CA$19.09

2.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.38 ISK 2,849

$15.45 CA$21.98

51.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 ISK 430

$4.09 CA$5.81

-13.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 ISK 420

$4.18 CA$5.95

-17.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.77 ISK 703

$1.78 CA$2.54

224.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.1 ISK 11.6K

$54.4 CA$77.3

75.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.63 ISK 808

$3.07 CA$4.36

115.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.79 ISK 340

$1.77 CA$2.52

57.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$81.4 ISK 9,915

$28.99 CA$41.23

180.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 ISK 257

$1.33 CA$1.90

58.65%

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

$50.8K ISK 6.2M

$27.5K CA$39.1K

84.73%

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

$52.7K ISK 6.4M

$21.5K CA$30.6K

145.33%

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

$88.7 ISK 10.8K

$177 CA$252

-49.95%

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

$31.53 ISK 3,842

$40.72 CA$57.9

-22.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.6 ISK 10.3K

$75.4 CA$107

12.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$100 ISK 12.2K

$66.0 CA$93.8

52.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.20 ISK 5,873

$18.35 CA$26.10

162.67%

Cinema Ticket

$19.87 ISK 2,422

$10.47 CA$14.89

89.78%

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

$1,277 ISK 155.7K

$530 CA$754

140.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.0K ISK 3.8M

$9,977 CA$14.2K

210.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$161 ISK 19.6K

$65.3 CA$92.9

146.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.9 ISK 7,908

$49.72 CA$70.7

30.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$183 ISK 22.3K

$77.8 CA$111

134.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$254 ISK 30.9K

$93.3 CA$133

172.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,499 ISK 304.6K

$975 CA$1,387

156.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 ISK 243.7K

$790 CA$1,124

153.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,452 ISK 420.6K

$1,541 CA$2,192

123.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 ISK 334.2K

$1,369 CA$1,947

100.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,001 ISK 974.9K

$1,973 CA$2,807

305.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,249 ISK 761.5K

$1,531 CA$2,177

308.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,691 ISK 571.6K

$2,734 CA$3,889

71.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

4.57

92.78%

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

Last update for Reykjavik: October 4, 2026

Last update for St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reykjavik

$2K 50.9%

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$790 38.4% 60.5% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Reykjavik

$625 15.9%

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$408 19.8% 34.7% $217

Eating Out

Reykjavik

$526 13.4%

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$277 13.5% 47.3% $249

Clothing & Footwear

Reykjavik

$298 7.6%

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$129 6.3% 56.8% $169

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reykjavik

$205 5.2%

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$293 14.3% 43.2% $88

Sport & Entertainment

Reykjavik

$140 3.6%

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$87 4.2% 38% $53

Getting Around

Reykjavik

$139 3.5%

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$73 3.6% 47.1% $65

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,499 in Reykjavik versus $975 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. 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 72% 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 $70.0 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $625 vs $408 – making St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🇨🇦 St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

🕒 Local time

03:02 3:02 AM

00:32 12:32 AM

2 h 30 min behind Reykjavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,894 Capital

110,525

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.21 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, 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 = 8.21 USD). 1 EUR = 137 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Reykjavik St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador 2,610 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Reykjavik
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

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 St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Reykjavik costs about 99% more than St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, 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 $6,055 per month in Reykjavik and $3,036 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, 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 $2,024 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. That's a gap of about 99%.

Public transport costs about 75% less in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, where all-in costs run around $2,024, than in Reykjavik at $4,037. In St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador it covers expenses comfortably, while in Reykjavik it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador costs $2,024 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 St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. 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.