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: $3,426 in Saint Helier versus $3,069 in Keflavik.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,205 in Saint Helier versus $4,595 in Keflavik.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,984 in Saint Helier versus $6,122 in Keflavik.

Living in Saint Helier is roughly 12% more expensive than in Keflavik, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Saint Helier 150% above, Keflavik 124% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$41.09 JEP 30.49

$24.41 ISK 2,974

68.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 JEP 89.4

$137 ISK 16.7K

-12.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.94 JEP 8.12

$20.50 ISK 2,497

-46.63%

Cappuccino

$4.83 JEP 3.58

$4.01 ISK 489

20.45%

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

$3.38 JEP 2.51

$3.22 ISK 392

4.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 JEP 1.85

$3.35 ISK 408

-25.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.33 JEP 6.18

$8.49 ISK 1,035

-1.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.29 JEP 4.67

$8.34 ISK 1,016

-24.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 JEP 1.72

$2.02 ISK 246

14.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 JEP 2.07

$4.32 ISK 526

-35.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 JEP 2.74

$2.40 ISK 292

53.75%

Eggs

$6.47 JEP 4.80

$6.45 ISK 785

0.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.35 JEP 5.45

$19.18 ISK 2,336

-61.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.07 JEP 8.95

$23.88 ISK 2,909

-49.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.39 JEP 13.64

$42.74 ISK 5,206

-56.97%

Apples (1kg)

$4.30 JEP 3.19

$2.44 ISK 297

76.23%

Banana (1kg)

$3.62 JEP 2.69

$2.41 ISK 293

50.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.29 JEP 3.18

$2.44 ISK 297

75.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.50 JEP 3.34

$4.23 ISK 515

6.38%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 JEP 2.40

$3.18 ISK 387

1.89%

Onion (1kg)

$3.17 JEP 2.35

$1.67 ISK 203

89.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 JEP 1.42

$3.84 ISK 468

-50.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 JEP 1.91

$1.84 ISK 224

39.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.52 JEP 15.22

$14.27 ISK 1,738

43.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.86 JEP 8.05

$16.28 ISK 1,983

-33.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.64 JEP 3.44

$3.83 ISK 467

21.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.85 JEP 5.82

$2.83 ISK 345

177.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.29 JEP 2.44

$3.60 ISK 439

-8.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.4 JEP 51.5

$77.8 ISK 9,470

-10.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 JEP 4.02

$6.53 ISK 796

-17.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.58 JEP 1.91

$2.71 ISK 330

-4.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$54.2 JEP 40.23

$75.5 ISK 9,196

-28.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 JEP 1.56

$1.92 ISK 234

9.38%

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

$27.4K JEP 20.3K

$51.7K ISK 6.3M

-46.96%

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

$36.7K JEP 27.2K

$54.7K ISK 6.7M

-32.88%

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

$331 JEP 246

$87.5 ISK 10.7K

278.22%

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

$46.21 JEP 34.29

$33.19 ISK 4,043

39.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.2 JEP 55.1

$84.8 ISK 10.3K

-12.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.0 JEP 57.9

$79.0 ISK 9,620

-1.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.28 JEP 20.98

Cinema Ticket

$20.05 JEP 14.87

$19.65 ISK 2,393

2.04%

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

$2,290 JEP 1,699

$415 ISK 50.5K

452.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K JEP 8,942

$30.8K ISK 3.8M

-60.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 JEP 79.6

$158 ISK 19.3K

-32.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$74.7 JEP 55.4

$66.0 ISK 8,042

13.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 JEP 91.9

$177 ISK 21.5K

-29.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$208 JEP 154

$191 ISK 23.2K

8.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,873 JEP 1,390

$1,875 ISK 228.3K

-0.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,600 JEP 1,187

$1,340 ISK 163.2K

19.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,448 JEP 2,559

$2,501 ISK 304.7K

37.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,782 JEP 2,064

$2,096 ISK 255.3K

32.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.7K JEP 8,700

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.5K JEP 7,827

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,642 JEP 3,445

$3,786 ISK 461.1K

22.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

8.88

-54.05%

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

Last update for Saint Helier: September 12, 2026

Last update for Keflavik: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,873 in Saint Helier and $1,875 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: $121 in Saint Helier vs $137 in Keflavik for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $427 vs $569 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 12% 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: $1,873 in Saint Helier versus $1,875 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 12% less than in Saint Helier. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,290 in Saint Helier versus $415 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 $3,069 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 12% less than in Saint Helier. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.