Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Reykjavik

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,244 a month against $4,037 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $33,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index
193

Cost of Living Index in Reykjavik
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Reykjavik Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,244

/mo nomad

Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,244 per month in Sao Paulo vs $4,037 in Reykjavik, rent included.

Sao Paulo $1,244
Reykjavik $4,037

A couple spends around $2,085 per month in Sao Paulo vs $5,666 in Reykjavik, rent included.

Sao Paulo $2,085
Reykjavik $5,666

A family of three spends $2,926 per month in Sao Paulo vs $7,295 in Reykjavik, rent included.

Sao Paulo $2,926
Reykjavik $7,295

Sao Paulo is about 69% cheaper than Reykjavik, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sao Paulo sits 7% below the global median, while Reykjavik is 201% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.94 R$44.87

$30.59 ISK 3,727

-70.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.46 R$248

$136 ISK 16.5K

-63.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 R$46.25

$27.08 ISK 3,300

-65.95%

Cappuccino

$2.54 R$12.77

$6.72 ISK 818

-62.20%

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

$1.45 R$7.29

$3.27 ISK 399

-55.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R$4.57

$3.16 ISK 386

-71.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 R$15.39

$13.91 ISK 1,695

-77.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 R$21.87

$12.06 ISK 1,469

-63.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 R$6.36

$2.04 ISK 248

-37.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 R$9.22

$4.32 ISK 526

-57.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.08

$3.67 ISK 447

-61.58%

Eggs

$2.84 R$14.27

$7.02 ISK 855

-59.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.56 R$63.0

$22.01 ISK 2,682

-42.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.37 R$26.95

$24.70 ISK 3,009

-78.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.72 R$53.8

$42.66 ISK 5,198

-74.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 R$13.74

$3.37 ISK 411

-18.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.08

$2.85 ISK 347

-36.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 R$7.78

$3.17 ISK 387

-51.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 R$9.95

$6.39 ISK 779

-69.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 R$7.38

$4.01 ISK 489

-63.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.23

$1.64 ISK 200

-24.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 R$6.38

$3.80 ISK 462

-66.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R$4.82

$1.74 ISK 212

-44.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 R$15.24

$13.80 ISK 1,681

-77.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 R$51.1

$23.38 ISK 2,849

-56.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 R$8.69

$3.53 ISK 430

-50.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 R$13.26

$3.45 ISK 420

-23.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 R$5.20

$5.77 ISK 703

-81.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.10 R$241

$95.1 ISK 11.6K

-49.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 R$9.12

$6.63 ISK 808

-72.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 R$5.10

$2.79 ISK 340

-63.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.16 R$51.0

$81.4 ISK 9,915

-87.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 R$6.38

$2.11 ISK 257

-39.81%

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

$24.3K R$122.0K

$50.8K ISK 6.2M

-52.14%

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

$34.0K R$170.6K

$52.7K ISK 6.4M

-35.52%

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

$104 R$522

$88.7 ISK 10.8K

17.22%

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

$16.16 R$81.1

$31.53 ISK 3,842

-48.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.59 R$113

$84.6 ISK 10.3K

-73.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.27 R$182

$100 ISK 12.2K

-63.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.78 R$240

$48.20 ISK 5,873

-0.87%

Cinema Ticket

$9.85 R$49.45

$19.87 ISK 2,422

-50.43%

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

$525 R$2,635

$1,277 ISK 155.7K

-58.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K R$83.2K

$31.0K ISK 3.8M

-46.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.9 R$336

$161 ISK 19.6K

-58.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 R$312

$64.9 ISK 7,908

-4.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 R$507

$183 ISK 22.3K

-44.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.9 R$456

$254 ISK 30.9K

-64.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$663 R$3,326

$2,499 ISK 304.6K

-73.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$423 R$2,121

$2,000 ISK 243.7K

-78.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,527 R$7,662

$3,452 ISK 420.6K

-55.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 R$5,061

$2,742 ISK 334.2K

-63.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,744 R$13.8K

$8,001 ISK 974.9K

-65.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,068 R$10.4K

$6,249 ISK 761.5K

-66.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$881 R$4,419

$4,691 ISK 571.6K

-81.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

8.81

32.58%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 6, 2026

Last update for Reykjavik: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$423 34.3%

Reykjavik

$2K 50.9% 373% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$243 19.8%

Reykjavik

$625 15.9% 157% $382

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$163 13.3%

Reykjavik

$526 13.4% 222% $363

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$145 11.7%

Reykjavik

$298 7.6% 106% $154

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Reykjavik

$205 5.2% 43.6% $62

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$59 4.8%

Reykjavik

$139 3.5% 135% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6%

Reykjavik

$140 3.6% 150% $84

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $663 in Sao Paulo 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 433% 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 $49.00 in Sao Paulo versus $136 in Reykjavik. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $625 – making Sao Paulo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🕒 Local time

23:04 11:04 PM

02:04 2:04 AM

3 h ahead of Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

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 = 8.21 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.32 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 = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.63 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.21 USD). 1 EUR = 137 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sao Paulo Reykjavik 9,980 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Reykjavik costs about 224% more than Sao Paulo, 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 $1,866 per month in Sao Paulo 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 Paulo, 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 $1,244 in Sao Paulo and $4,037 in Reykjavik. That's a gap of about 224%.

Public transport costs about 98% less in Sao Paulo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sao Paulo, where all-in costs run around $1,244, than in Reykjavik at $4,037. In Sao Paulo 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 Paulo costs $1,244 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 Paulo. 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.