Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reykjavik and Ushuaia

For one person, living is cheaper in Ushuaia: $957 a month against $4,002 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $36,500 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
47

Cost of Living Index in Ushuaia
Learn more

Ushuaia Living Index

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Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,002

/mo nomad

Ushuaia

🇦🇷 Argentina

$957

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Reykjavik and in Ushuaia

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

A single person spends $4,002 per month in Reykjavik vs $957 in Ushuaia, rent included.

Reykjavik $4,002
Ushuaia $957

A couple spends around $5,705 per month in Reykjavik vs $1,570 in Ushuaia, rent included.

Reykjavik $5,705
Ushuaia $1,570

A family of three spends $7,407 per month in Reykjavik vs $2,183 in Ushuaia, rent included.

Reykjavik $7,407
Ushuaia $2,183

Reykjavik costs about 318% more than Ushuaia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Reykjavik sits 196% above the global median, while Ushuaia is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.56 ISK 3,828

$10.38 ARS 15.8K

204.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 ISK 14.8K

$33.08 ARS 50.2K

269.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$26.86 ISK 3,258

$9.06 ARS 13.7K

196.47%

Cappuccino

$6.81 ISK 827

$2.78 ARS 4,224

144.96%

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

$3.39 ISK 411

$1.67 ARS 2,528

102.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ISK 388

$1.54 ARS 2,330

107.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$14.14 ISK 1,715

$2.16 ARS 3,274

554.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.31 ISK 1,493

$3.04 ARS 4,610

304.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 ISK 255

$1.31 ARS 1,984

60.31%

White Bread (500g)

$4.19 ISK 508

$1.57 ARS 2,388

166.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 ISK 451

$2.02 ARS 3,069

84.16%

Eggs

$7.05 ISK 856

$2.27 ARS 3,449

210.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.56 ISK 2,615

$10.15 ARS 15.4K

112.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.68 ISK 2,993

$6.35 ARS 9,633

288.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.19 ISK 5,117

$9.23 ARS 14.0K

357.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ISK 392

$2.01 ARS 3,052

60.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 ISK 331

$2.06 ARS 3,132

32.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 ISK 384

$1.27 ARS 1,933

149.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.61 ISK 802

$2.62 ARS 3,980

152.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ISK 467

$1.17 ARS 1,779

229.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 ISK 201

$1.19 ARS 1,809

39.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.80 ISK 461

$1.32 ARS 2,005

187.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 ISK 212

$1.45 ARS 2,197

20.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.71 ISK 1,662

$3.11 ARS 4,716

340.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.21 ISK 2,937

$5.02 ARS 7,625

382.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 ISK 428

$1.97 ARS 2,994

79.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ISK 402

$3.02 ARS 4,583

9.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.75 ISK 697

$0.77 ARS 1,173

646.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 ISK 11.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.61 ISK 802

$1.47 ARS 2,224

349.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.90 ISK 352

$0.86 ARS 1,308

237.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.2 ISK 9,602

$5.86 ARS 8,894

1250.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 ISK 253

$1.10 ARS 1,671

90.00%

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

$51.0K ISK 6.2M

$27.9K ARS 42.3M

82.93%

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

$53.3K ISK 6.5M

$30.4K ARS 46.1M

75.48%

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

$95.3 ISK 11.6K

$65.8 ARS 99.8K

44.79%

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

$32.35 ISK 3,923

$17.24 ARS 26.2K

87.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.5 ISK 10.6K

$22.31 ARS 33.9K

292.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 ISK 12.4K

$26.50 ARS 40.2K

284.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.1 ISK 6,074

$13.68 ARS 20.8K

266.08%

Cinema Ticket

$19.88 ISK 2,412

$6.16 ARS 9,341

222.73%

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

$1,194 ISK 144.8K

$220 ARS 333.3K

443.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.4K ISK 3.1M

$2,731 ARS 4.1M

830.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$149 ISK 18.1K

$75.1 ARS 113.9K

98.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.6 ISK 8,080

$70.4 ARS 106.8K

-5.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$180 ISK 21.8K

$114 ARS 173.1K

57.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$253 ISK 30.7K

$111 ARS 168.4K

128.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,549 ISK 309.2K

$342 ARS 519.2K

645.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,056 ISK 249.4K

$233 ARS 354.2K

780.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,498 ISK 424.2K

$694 ARS 1.1M

403.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,764 ISK 335.2K

$537 ARS 814.2K

415.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,120 ISK 984.9K

$1,848 ARS 2.8M

339.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,254 ISK 758.5K

$1,594 ARS 2.4M

292.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,573 ISK 554.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

58.5

-84.94%

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

Last update for Reykjavik: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ushuaia: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reykjavik

$2.1K 51.4%

Ushuaia

$233 24.4% 88.6% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Reykjavik

$623 15.6%

Ushuaia

$231 24.1% 62.9% $392

Eating Out

Reykjavik

$536 13.4%

Ushuaia

$173 18.1% 67.7% $363

Clothing & Footwear

Reykjavik

$292 7.3%

Ushuaia

$167 17.4% 42.9% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reykjavik

$215 5.4%

Ushuaia

$105 11% 51% $110

Sport & Entertainment

Reykjavik

$142 3.5%

Ushuaia

$39 4.1% 72.6% $103

Getting Around

Reykjavik

$138 3.5%

Ushuaia

$8.9 * 0.9% 93.6% $129

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,549 in Reykjavik versus $342 in Ushuaia. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $122 in Reykjavik versus $33.00 in Ushuaia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $623 vs $231 – making Ushuaia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🇦🇷 Ushuaia

🕒 Local time

14:37 2:37 PM

11:37 11:37 AM

3 h behind Reykjavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,894 Capital

79,538

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to ISK – Icelandic Króna Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇸 Icelandic Króna (kr)

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Reykjavik Ushuaia 13,810 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Reykjavik
Ushuaia

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 Ushuaia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Reykjavik costs about 318% more than Ushuaia, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,003 per month in Reykjavik and $1,436 in Ushuaia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ushuaia, 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 $957 in Ushuaia. That's a gap of about 318%.

Kindergarten costs $1,194 per month in Reykjavik and $220 in Ushuaia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ushuaia, where all-in costs run around $957, than in Reykjavik at $4,002. In Ushuaia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Reykjavik it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ushuaia costs $957 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 Ushuaia. 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.