Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Carlos and Reykjavik

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Carlos: $1,003 a month against $4,037 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $36,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Sao Carlos
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Sao Carlos Living Index
193

Cost of Living Index in Reykjavik
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Reykjavik Living Index

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Sao Carlos

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,003

/mo nomad

Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,003 per month in Sao Carlos vs $4,037 in Reykjavik, rent included.

Sao Carlos $1,003
Reykjavik $4,037

A couple spends around $1,742 per month in Sao Carlos vs $5,666 in Reykjavik, rent included.

Sao Carlos $1,742
Reykjavik $5,666

A family of three spends $2,480 per month in Sao Carlos vs $7,295 in Reykjavik, rent included.

Sao Carlos $2,480
Reykjavik $7,295

Sao Carlos is about 75% cheaper than Reykjavik, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sao Carlos sits 25% below the global median, while Reykjavik is 201% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.15 R$25.69

$30.59 ISK 3,730

-83.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.83 R$204

$136 ISK 16.5K

-69.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.16 R$35.74

$27.08 ISK 3,302

-73.56%

Cappuccino

$2.09 R$10.42

$6.72 ISK 819

-68.90%

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

$1.35 R$6.74

$3.27 ISK 399

-58.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 R$3.75

$3.16 ISK 386

-76.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.63 R$8.14

$13.91 ISK 1,696

-88.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 R$13.70

$12.06 ISK 1,470

-77.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 R$6.81

$2.04 ISK 248

-32.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 R$9.83

$4.32 ISK 527

-54.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 R$9.32

$3.67 ISK 447

-49.05%

Eggs

$2.88 R$14.36

$7.02 ISK 856

-58.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.62 R$63.0

$22.01 ISK 2,684

-42.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.42 R$27.04

$24.70 ISK 3,012

-78.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.53 R$47.59

$42.66 ISK 5,202

-77.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 R$13.40

$3.37 ISK 412

-20.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R$9.50

$2.85 ISK 347

-33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.04

$3.17 ISK 387

-42.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 R$9.55

$6.39 ISK 779

-70.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 R$8.34

$4.01 ISK 489

-58.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.14

$1.64 ISK 200

-12.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 R$4.87

$3.80 ISK 463

-74.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R$5.80

$1.74 ISK 212

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.15 R$15.74

$13.80 ISK 1,682

-77.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.61 R$42.96

$23.38 ISK 2,851

-63.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 R$7.32

$3.53 ISK 430

-58.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 R$14.75

$3.45 ISK 420

-14.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.06

$5.77 ISK 704

-82.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.73 R$118

$95.1 ISK 11.6K

-75.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 R$7.42

$6.63 ISK 808

-77.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 R$4.86

$2.79 ISK 341

-65.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 R$18.16

$81.4 ISK 9,923

-95.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 R$6.08

$2.11 ISK 257

-42.18%

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

$20.4K R$101.9K

$50.8K ISK 6.2M

-59.85%

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

$31.9K R$159.2K

$52.7K ISK 6.4M

-39.53%

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

$63.2 R$316

$88.7 ISK 10.8K

-28.71%

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

$13.95 R$69.7

$31.53 ISK 3,845

-55.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.86 R$124

$84.6 ISK 10.3K

-70.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.12 R$170

$100 ISK 12.2K

-66.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.34 R$241

$48.20 ISK 5,877

0.29%

Cinema Ticket

$5.42 R$27.07

$19.87 ISK 2,424

-72.72%

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

$297 R$1,481

$1,277 ISK 155.8K

-76.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,987 R$14.9K

$31.0K ISK 3.8M

-90.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.3 R$421

$161 ISK 19.6K

-47.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.3 R$486

$64.9 ISK 7,914

49.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 R$693

$183 ISK 22.3K

-24.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 R$819

$254 ISK 31.0K

-35.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$268 R$1,336

$2,499 ISK 304.8K

-89.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 R$1,172

$2,000 ISK 243.9K

-88.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$671 R$3,349

$3,452 ISK 421.0K

-80.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$661 R$3,300

$2,742 ISK 334.4K

-75.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$849 R$4,237

$8,001 ISK 975.7K

-89.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$750 R$3,744

$6,249 ISK 762.1K

-88.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$693 R$3,460

$4,691 ISK 572.0K

-85.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.75

8.81

22.02%

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

Last update for Sao Carlos: October 5, 2026

Last update for Reykjavik: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sao Carlos

$244 24.7%

Reykjavik

$625 15.9% 157% $381

Accommodation & Living

Sao Carlos

$235 23.8%

Reykjavik

$2K 50.9% 752% $1.8K

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Carlos

$218 22.1%

Reykjavik

$298 7.6% 36.7% $80

Eating Out

Sao Carlos

$110 11.1%

Reykjavik

$526 13.4% 379% $416

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Carlos

$102 10.3%

Reykjavik

$205 5.2% 101% $103

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Carlos

$45 4.6%

Reykjavik

$140 3.6% 212% $95

Getting Around

Sao Carlos

$34 3.5%

Reykjavik

$139 3.5% 307% $105

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $268 in Sao Carlos 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.

Salaries run about 577% 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 $41.00 in Sao Carlos versus $136 in Reykjavik. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $244 vs $625 – making Sao Carlos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Carlos

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🕒 Local time

01:41 1:41 AM

04:41 4:41 AM

3 h ahead of Sao Carlos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

254,857

136,894 Capital

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.31 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.6 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 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 BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sao Carlos Reykjavik 9,830 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Carlos
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 Carlos vs Reykjavik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Reykjavik costs about 302% more than Sao Carlos, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,505 per month in Sao Carlos 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 Sao Carlos, 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 $1,003 in Sao Carlos and $4,037 in Reykjavik. That's a gap of about 302%.

Public transport costs about 301% less in Sao Carlos. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sao Carlos, where all-in costs run around $1,003, than in Reykjavik at $4,037. In Sao Carlos 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 Carlos costs $1,003 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 Sao Carlos. 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.