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: $3,293 in Saint Helier versus $2,918 in Keflavik.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,349 in Saint Helier versus $4,439 in Keflavik.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,404 in Saint Helier versus $5,960 in Keflavik.

Living in Saint Helier is roughly 13% more expensive than Keflavik, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Saint Helier 147% above, Keflavik 119% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$37.07 JEP 27.62

$24.18 ISK 3,004

53.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$137 JEP 102

$147 ISK 18.2K

-6.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.77 JEP 8.02

$20.29 ISK 2,521

-46.92%

Cappuccino

$5.03 JEP 3.75

$3.92 ISK 488

28.32%

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

$3.16 JEP 2.36

$3.14 ISK 390

0.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 JEP 1.98

$2.50 ISK 311

6.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.00 JEP 5.96

$8.27 ISK 1,028

-3.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.27 JEP 6.16

$7.82 ISK 971

5.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 JEP 1.62

$1.90 ISK 236

14.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 JEP 1.72

$4.28 ISK 532

-46.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 JEP 2.61

$2.34 ISK 291

49.57%

Eggs

$5.90 JEP 4.40

$6.34 ISK 788

-6.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.27 JEP 6.91

$18.40 ISK 2,287

-49.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.99 JEP 8.94

$24.18 ISK 3,004

-50.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.08 JEP 14.22

$43.10 ISK 5,355

-55.73%

Apples (1kg)

$4.48 JEP 3.34

$2.42 ISK 301

85.12%

Banana (1kg)

$3.27 JEP 2.44

$2.36 ISK 293

38.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.30 JEP 3.20

$2.35 ISK 292

82.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 JEP 3.23

$3.93 ISK 488

10.43%

Potato (1kg)

$4.00 JEP 2.98

$3.08 ISK 382

29.87%

Onion (1kg)

$3.84 JEP 2.86

$2.11 ISK 263

81.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 JEP 1.53

$3.16 ISK 393

-35.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 JEP 1.82

$2.02 ISK 251

20.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.43 JEP 11.50

$13.63 ISK 1,693

13.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 JEP 8.10

$16.13 ISK 2,004

-32.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.50 JEP 3.35

$3.59 ISK 445

25.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.32 JEP 5.45

$2.77 ISK 344

164.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 JEP 2.28

$3.69 ISK 458

-17.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.2 JEP 51.6

$73.8 ISK 9,170

-6.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 JEP 4.64

$6.53 ISK 811

-4.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.97 JEP 2.96

$2.26 ISK 281

75.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.49 JEP 25.70

$85.7 ISK 10.6K

-59.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 JEP 1.58

$2.55 ISK 317

-16.86%

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

$22.7K JEP 16.9K

$47.8K ISK 5.9M

-52.58%

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

$33.4K JEP 24.9K

$51.3K ISK 6.4M

-34.93%

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

$249 JEP 185

$87.7 ISK 10.9K

183.64%

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

$25.76 JEP 19.19

$26.97 ISK 3,351

-4.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.9 JEP 57.3

$84.7 ISK 10.5K

-9.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.5 JEP 51.0

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.67 JEP 18.38

Cinema Ticket

$21.04 JEP 15.67

$17.28 ISK 2,147

21.76%

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

$2,184 JEP 1,627

$317 ISK 39.4K

587.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K JEP 12.8K

$30.6K ISK 3.8M

-43.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 JEP 79.8

$138 ISK 17.1K

-22.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$73.4 JEP 54.7

$61.0 ISK 7,579

20.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 JEP 93.3

$184 ISK 22.9K

-31.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$210 JEP 156

$185 ISK 22.9K

13.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,973 JEP 1,470

$1,846 ISK 229.4K

6.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,666 JEP 1,241

$1,351 ISK 167.9K

23.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,995 JEP 2,977

$2,474 ISK 307.5K

61.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,481 JEP 2,593

$2,018 ISK 250.8K

72.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.9K JEP 8,833

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.3K JEP 7,661

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,767 JEP 3,552

$3,710 ISK 460.9K

28.51%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Keflavik: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,973 in Saint Helier and $1,846 in Keflavik. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Helier pays 29% 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 $147 in Keflavik for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $424 vs $563 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 13% 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.

Saint Helier pays 29% more on average, 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: $1,973 in Saint Helier versus $1,846 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 7% less than in Saint Helier. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,184 in Saint Helier versus $317 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 $2,918 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 13% less than in Saint Helier. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.