Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Caetano do Sul and Reykjavik

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Caetano do Sul: $1,058 a month against $4,002 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $35,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Sao Caetano do Sul
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Sao Caetano do Sul Living Index
193

Cost of Living Index in Reykjavik
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Reykjavik Living Index

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Sao Caetano do Sul

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,058

/mo nomad

Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,002

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Caetano do Sul 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 Sao Caetano do Sul and in Reykjavik actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,058 per month in Sao Caetano do Sul vs $4,002 in Reykjavik, rent included.

Sao Caetano do Sul $1,058
Reykjavik $4,002

A couple spends around $1,822 per month in Sao Caetano do Sul vs $5,705 in Reykjavik, rent included.

Sao Caetano do Sul $1,822
Reykjavik $5,705

A family of three spends $2,586 per month in Sao Caetano do Sul vs $7,407 in Reykjavik, rent included.

Sao Caetano do Sul $2,586
Reykjavik $7,407

Sao Caetano do Sul is about 74% cheaper than Reykjavik, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sao Caetano do Sul sits 22% below the global median, while Reykjavik is 196% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.89 R$44.60

$31.56 ISK 3,834

-71.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.00 R$201

$122 ISK 14.9K

-67.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.77 R$44.01

$26.86 ISK 3,263

-67.35%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$11.96

$6.81 ISK 828

-65.05%

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

$1.33 R$6.66

$3.39 ISK 411

-60.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 R$4.66

$3.20 ISK 389

-70.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 R$11.82

$14.14 ISK 1,717

-83.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 R$20.06

$12.31 ISK 1,495

-67.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$5.95

$2.10 ISK 255

-43.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.30

$4.19 ISK 509

-51.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 R$7.23

$3.72 ISK 452

-61.29%

Eggs

$2.48 R$12.43

$7.05 ISK 857

-64.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.70 R$53.7

$21.56 ISK 2,619

-50.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.43 R$27.26

$24.68 ISK 2,998

-78.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 R$54.8

$42.19 ISK 5,125

-74.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 R$11.98

$3.23 ISK 393

-26.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 R$8.65

$2.73 ISK 332

-37.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 R$7.76

$3.17 ISK 385

-51.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 R$10.43

$6.61 ISK 804

-68.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.02

$3.85 ISK 467

-63.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.34

$1.66 ISK 201

-24.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 R$4.62

$3.80 ISK 462

-75.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 R$4.08

$1.75 ISK 212

-53.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.49 R$12.49

$13.71 ISK 1,665

-81.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.97 R$44.99

$24.21 ISK 2,942

-62.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 R$8.79

$3.53 ISK 429

-50.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 R$12.92

$3.32 ISK 403

-22.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 R$3.43

$5.75 ISK 698

-88.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 ISK 11.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 R$6.64

$6.61 ISK 804

-80.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 R$5.13

$2.90 ISK 352

-64.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 R$44.47

$79.2 ISK 9,617

-88.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 R$6.72

$2.09 ISK 254

-35.89%

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

$24.5K R$123.1K

$51.0K ISK 6.2M

-51.90%

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

$32.6K R$163.4K

$53.3K ISK 6.5M

-38.85%

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

$103 R$517

$95.3 ISK 11.6K

8.08%

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

$14.91 R$74.8

$32.35 ISK 3,929

-53.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.99 R$115

$87.5 ISK 10.6K

-73.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 R$253

$102 ISK 12.4K

-50.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.01 R$231

$50.1 ISK 6,083

-8.13%

Cinema Ticket

$10.14 R$50.9

$19.88 ISK 2,415

-48.99%

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

$437 R$2,192

$1,194 ISK 145.0K

-63.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K R$56.1K

$25.4K ISK 3.1M

-56.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.3 R$328

$149 ISK 18.1K

-56.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.3 R$288

$66.6 ISK 8,093

-13.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 R$493

$180 ISK 21.9K

-45.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.2 R$467

$253 ISK 30.8K

-63.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$419 R$2,104

$2,549 ISK 309.7K

-83.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$311 R$1,559

$2,056 ISK 249.8K

-84.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$867 R$4,349

$3,498 ISK 424.9K

-75.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$868 R$4,353

$2,764 ISK 335.7K

-68.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,890 R$9,483

$8,120 ISK 986.4K

-76.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,435 R$7,201

$6,254 ISK 759.7K

-77.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$951 R$4,773

$4,573 ISK 555.5K

-79.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.81

8.81

22.70%

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

Last update for Sao Caetano do Sul: October 10, 2026

Last update for Reykjavik: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Caetano do Sul

$311 29.4%

Reykjavik

$2.1K 51.4% 562% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Sao Caetano do Sul

$231 21.8%

Reykjavik

$623 15.6% 170% $392

Eating Out

Sao Caetano do Sul

$155 14.6%

Reykjavik

$536 13.4% 247% $382

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Caetano do Sul

$141 13.4%

Reykjavik

$292 7.3% 107% $151

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Caetano do Sul

$141 13.3%

Reykjavik

$215 5.4% 52.7% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Caetano do Sul

$71 6.7%

Reykjavik

$142 3.5% 101% $71

Getting Around

Sao Caetano do Sul

$9.2 * 0.9%

Reykjavik

$138 3.5% 1404% $129

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $419 in Sao Caetano do Sul versus $2,549 in Reykjavik. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 381% higher in Reykjavik, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Sao Caetano do Sul versus $122 in Reykjavik. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $231 vs $623 – making Sao Caetano do Sul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Caetano do Sul

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🕒 Local time

16:26 4:26 PM

19:26 7:26 PM

3 h ahead of Sao Caetano do Sul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

165,655

136,894 Capital

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.23 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.35 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.62 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.23 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.35 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sao Caetano do Sul Reykjavik 9,990 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Caetano do Sul
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

Sao Caetano do Sul vs Reykjavik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Reykjavik costs about 278% more than Sao Caetano do Sul, 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 $1,588 per month in Sao Caetano do Sul and $6,003 in Reykjavik. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sao Caetano do Sul, 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 $1,058 in Sao Caetano do Sul and $4,002 in Reykjavik. That's a gap of about 278%.

Kindergarten costs $437 per month in Sao Caetano do Sul and $1,194 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 Sao Caetano do Sul, where all-in costs run around $1,058, than in Reykjavik at $4,002. In Sao Caetano do Sul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Reykjavik it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sao Caetano do Sul costs $1,058 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 Sao Caetano do Sul. 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.