Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Rafael and Reykjavik

For one person, living is cheaper in San Rafael: $1,318 a month against $4,037 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $32,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in San Rafael
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San Rafael Living Index
193

Cost of Living Index in Reykjavik
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Reykjavik Living Index

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San Rafael

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,318

/mo nomad

Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Rafael and in Reykjavik

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in San Rafael and in Reykjavik actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,318 per month in San Rafael vs $4,037 in Reykjavik, rent included.

San Rafael $1,318
Reykjavik $4,037

A couple spends around $2,096 per month in San Rafael vs $5,666 in Reykjavik, rent included.

San Rafael $2,096
Reykjavik $5,666

A family of three spends $2,875 per month in San Rafael vs $7,295 in Reykjavik, rent included.

San Rafael $2,875
Reykjavik $7,295

San Rafael is about 67% cheaper than Reykjavik, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

San Rafael sits 2% below the global median, while Reykjavik is 201% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.20 ARS 17.0K

$30.59 ISK 3,730

-63.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.65 ARS 75.3K

$136 ISK 16.5K

-63.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.69 ARS 22.3K

$27.08 ISK 3,302

-45.75%

Cappuccino

$4.34 ARS 6,580

$6.72 ISK 819

-35.42%

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

$2.42 ARS 3,663

$3.27 ISK 399

-25.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ARS 3,006

$3.16 ISK 386

-37.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.94 ARS 5,969

$13.91 ISK 1,696

-71.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 ARS 6,701

$12.06 ISK 1,470

-63.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 ARS 2,046

$2.04 ISK 248

-33.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 ARS 3,435

$4.32 ISK 527

-47.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 ARS 4,052

$3.67 ISK 447

-27.25%

Eggs

$3.18 ARS 4,820

$7.02 ISK 856

-54.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.56 ARS 22.1K

$22.01 ISK 2,684

-33.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.21 ARS 9,418

$24.70 ISK 3,012

-74.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ARS 16.9K

$42.66 ISK 5,202

-73.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 ARS 3,604

$3.37 ISK 412

-29.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 ARS 3,347

$2.85 ISK 347

-22.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 ARS 2,048

$3.17 ISK 387

-57.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.30 ARS 5,012

$6.39 ISK 779

-48.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 ARS 3,055

$4.01 ISK 489

-49.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,203

$1.64 ISK 200

-11.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 ARS 2,935

$3.80 ISK 463

-48.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 ARS 3,725

$1.74 ISK 212

41.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.82 ARS 4,279

$13.80 ISK 1,682

-79.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.05 ARS 7,656

$23.38 ISK 2,851

-78.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,625

$3.53 ISK 430

-50.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 ARS 4,619

$3.45 ISK 420

-11.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 ARS 1,513

$5.77 ISK 704

-82.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.1 ISK 11.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 ARS 2,966

$6.63 ISK 808

-70.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ARS 1,540

$2.79 ISK 341

-63.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.89 ARS 7,412

$81.4 ISK 9,923

-93.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ARS 1,929

$2.11 ISK 257

-39.81%

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

$26.6K ARS 40.4M

$50.8K ISK 6.2M

-47.56%

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

$32.6K ARS 49.4M

$52.7K ISK 6.4M

-38.21%

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

$135 ARS 205.3K

$88.7 ISK 10.8K

52.66%

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

$17.43 ARS 26.4K

$31.53 ISK 3,845

-44.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.44 ARS 35.6K

$84.6 ISK 10.3K

-72.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.21 ARS 47.3K

$100 ISK 12.2K

-68.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.20 ISK 5,877

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 ARS 10.5K

$19.87 ISK 2,424

-65.22%

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

$177 ARS 268.1K

$1,277 ISK 155.8K

-86.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,090 ARS 6.2M

$31.0K ISK 3.8M

-86.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 ARS 175.9K

$161 ISK 19.6K

-27.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$125 ARS 188.9K

$64.9 ISK 7,914

91.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 ARS 206.8K

$183 ISK 22.3K

-25.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 ARS 189.8K

$254 ISK 31.0K

-50.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$489 ARS 740.9K

$2,499 ISK 304.8K

-80.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$318 ARS 482.7K

$2,000 ISK 243.9K

-84.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$937 ARS 1.4M

$3,452 ISK 421.0K

-72.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 ARS 1.1M

$2,742 ISK 334.4K

-73.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,001 ISK 975.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,249 ISK 762.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,691 ISK 572.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

569.69%

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

Last update for San Rafael: October 5, 2026

Last update for Reykjavik: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Rafael

$318 24.6%

Reykjavik

$2K 50.9% 528% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

San Rafael

$286 22.1%

Reykjavik

$625 15.9% 119% $339

Eating Out

San Rafael

$232 17.9%

Reykjavik

$526 13.4% 127% $294

Clothing & Footwear

San Rafael

$226 17.5%

Reykjavik

$298 7.6% 31.9% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Rafael

$176 13.6%

Reykjavik

$205 5.2% 16.2% $29

Sport & Entertainment

San Rafael

$45 3.5%

Reykjavik

$140 3.6% 211% $95

Getting Around

San Rafael

$11 * 0.9%

Reykjavik

$139 3.5% 1160% $128

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $489 in San Rafael versus $2,499 in Reykjavik. 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 $50.0 in San Rafael versus $136 in Reykjavik. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $286 vs $625 – making San Rafael the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇷 San Rafael

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🕒 Local time

04:57 4:57 AM

07:57 7:57 AM

3 h ahead of San Rafael

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

118,850

136,894 Capital

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.31 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,701 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD). 1 EUR = 137 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.31 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Rafael Reykjavik 11,710 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

San Rafael
Reykjavik

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

San Rafael vs Reykjavik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Reykjavik costs about 206% more than San Rafael, 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 $1,978 per month in San Rafael and $6,055 in Reykjavik. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Rafael, 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 $1,318 in San Rafael and $4,037 in Reykjavik. That's a gap of about 206%.

Kindergarten costs $177 per month in San Rafael and $1,277 in Reykjavik. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in San Rafael, where all-in costs run around $1,318, than in Reykjavik at $4,037. In San Rafael it covers expenses comfortably, while in Reykjavik it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Rafael costs $1,318 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 San Rafael. 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.