Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Helier and Keflavik Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Helier and Keflavik

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,417 in Saint Helier versus $2,853 in Keflavik.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,465 in Saint Helier versus $4,401 in Keflavik.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,513 in Saint Helier versus $5,949 in Keflavik.

Living in Saint Helier is roughly 20% more expensive than in Keflavik, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Saint Helier 157% above, Keflavik 114% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$37.81 JEP 28.13

$23.97 ISK 2,962

57.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$137 JEP 102

$143 ISK 17.7K

-4.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.07 JEP 8.24

$20.29 ISK 2,508

-45.44%

Cappuccino

$5.12 JEP 3.81

$3.95 ISK 488

29.62%

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

$3.18 JEP 2.36

$3.18 ISK 393

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 JEP 1.91

$2.52 ISK 312

1.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.35 JEP 6.21

$7.95 ISK 983

5.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.32 JEP 6.19

$8.18 ISK 1,011

1.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 JEP 1.68

$1.87 ISK 231

20.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 JEP 1.78

$4.18 ISK 517

-42.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.44 JEP 2.56

$2.37 ISK 293

45.15%

Eggs

$5.89 JEP 4.38

$6.43 ISK 795

-8.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.60 JEP 7.15

$18.22 ISK 2,252

-47.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.73 JEP 8.73

$24.11 ISK 2,980

-51.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.00 JEP 14.14

$42.82 ISK 5,292

-55.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.44 JEP 3.30

$2.35 ISK 291

88.94%

Banana (1kg)

$3.18 JEP 2.36

$2.44 ISK 302

30.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.31 JEP 3.21

$2.36 ISK 291

82.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.23 JEP 3.15

$4.00 ISK 494

5.75%

Potato (1kg)

$3.94 JEP 2.93

$3.06 ISK 378

28.76%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 JEP 2.79

$2.01 ISK 249

86.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 JEP 1.49

$3.17 ISK 392

-36.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 JEP 1.76

$1.93 ISK 239

22.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.28 JEP 11.37

$13.80 ISK 1,706

10.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.57 JEP 7.86

$15.90 ISK 1,965

-33.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.65 JEP 3.46

$3.74 ISK 462

24.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.40 JEP 5.51

$2.82 ISK 349

162.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 JEP 2.26

$3.67 ISK 454

-17.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.3 JEP 50.1

$74.3 ISK 9,183

-9.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 JEP 4.58

$6.37 ISK 787

-3.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.93 JEP 2.92

$2.26 ISK 279

73.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.70 JEP 25.07

$86.4 ISK 10.7K

-60.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 JEP 1.66

$2.43 ISK 300

-8.23%

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

$22.1K JEP 16.5K

$47.5K ISK 5.9M

-53.46%

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

$34.6K JEP 25.8K

$52.0K ISK 6.4M

-33.43%

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

$240 JEP 179

$86.6 ISK 10.7K

177.37%

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

$25.50 JEP 18.97

$27.84 ISK 3,441

-8.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.3 JEP 56.8

$86.2 ISK 10.7K

-11.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 JEP 52.6

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.71 JEP 18.38

Cinema Ticket

$21.02 JEP 15.64

$17.61 ISK 2,177

19.36%

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

$2,198 JEP 1,635

$318 ISK 39.3K

591.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K JEP 12.8K

$29.7K ISK 3.7M

-42.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 JEP 80.4

$141 ISK 17.4K

-23.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.9 JEP 53.5

$62.8 ISK 7,766

14.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 JEP 95.1

$180 ISK 22.3K

-29.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$213 JEP 159

$188 ISK 23.2K

13.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 JEP 1,479

$1,829 ISK 226.0K

8.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 JEP 1,213

$1,350 ISK 166.8K

20.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,948 JEP 2,937

$2,442 ISK 301.8K

61.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,559 JEP 2,648

$2,007 ISK 248.1K

77.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.5K JEP 8,532

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.1K JEP 7,529

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,558 JEP 3,391

$3,712 ISK 458.9K

22.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

9.63

-60.02%

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

Last update for Saint Helier: July 28, 2026

Last update for Keflavik: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,988 in Saint Helier and $1,829 in Keflavik. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Helier pays 23% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $137 in Saint Helier vs $143 in Keflavik for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $423 vs $560 per month, with Saint Helier cheaper across the board.

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

Saint Helier vs Keflavik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Keflavik wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Saint Helier. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Keflavik the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 23% higher in Saint Helier, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,988 in Saint Helier versus $1,829 in Keflavik. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Keflavik runs roughly 10% less than in Saint Helier. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,198 in Saint Helier versus $318 in Keflavik. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Keflavik is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Keflavik delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,853 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Keflavik hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Saint Helier and Keflavik are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Keflavik gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Saint Helier. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.