Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador and Reykjavik

For one person, living is cheaper in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador: $2,024 a month against $4,037 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $24,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
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St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador Living Index
193

Cost of Living Index in Reykjavik
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Reykjavik Living Index

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St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,024

/mo nomad

Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador 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 St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador and in Reykjavik actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,024 per month in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador vs $4,037 in Reykjavik, rent included.

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador $2,024
Reykjavik $4,037

A couple spends around $3,089 per month in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador vs $5,666 in Reykjavik, rent included.

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador $3,089
Reykjavik $5,666

A family of three spends $4,154 per month in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador vs $7,295 in Reykjavik, rent included.

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador $4,154
Reykjavik $7,295

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador is about 50% cheaper than Reykjavik, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador and Reykjavik sit above the global median – St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador by 51%, Reykjavik by 201%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.33 CA$24.66

$30.59 ISK 3,727

-43.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.3 CA$99.9

$136 ISK 16.5K

-48.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 CA$16.70

$27.08 ISK 3,300

-56.65%

Cappuccino

$4.07 CA$5.79

$6.72 ISK 818

-39.43%

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

$2.58 CA$3.66

$3.27 ISK 399

-21.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 CA$3.04

$3.16 ISK 386

-32.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.98 CA$7.08

$13.91 ISK 1,695

-64.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 CA$7.44

$12.06 ISK 1,469

-56.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.02 CA$4.29

$2.04 ISK 248

48.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 CA$4.27

$4.32 ISK 526

-30.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.14 CA$5.90

$3.67 ISK 447

12.81%

Eggs

$3.79 CA$5.39

$7.02 ISK 855

-46.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.44 CA$16.27

$22.01 ISK 2,682

-48.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.05 CA$18.56

$24.70 ISK 3,009

-47.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.78 CA$16.76

$42.66 ISK 5,198

-72.39%

Apples (1kg)

$4.72 CA$6.71

$3.37 ISK 411

40.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.91 CA$4.14

$2.85 ISK 347

2.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.78 CA$6.80

$3.17 ISK 387

50.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.17

$6.39 ISK 779

-53.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.76

$4.01 ISK 489

-34.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 CA$3.08

$1.64 ISK 200

32.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.74 CA$3.89

$3.80 ISK 462

-27.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 CA$2.80

$1.74 ISK 212

13.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.42 CA$19.09

$13.80 ISK 1,681

-2.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.45 CA$21.98

$23.38 ISK 2,849

-33.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.09 CA$5.81

$3.53 ISK 430

15.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 CA$5.95

$3.45 ISK 420

21.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 CA$2.54

$5.77 ISK 703

-69.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.4 CA$77.3

$95.1 ISK 11.6K

-42.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 CA$4.36

$6.63 ISK 808

-53.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 CA$2.52

$2.79 ISK 340

-36.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.99 CA$41.23

$81.4 ISK 9,915

-64.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.90

$2.11 ISK 257

-36.97%

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

$27.5K CA$39.1K

$50.8K ISK 6.2M

-45.87%

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

$21.5K CA$30.6K

$52.7K ISK 6.4M

-59.24%

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

$177 CA$252

$88.7 ISK 10.8K

99.81%

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

$40.72 CA$57.9

$31.53 ISK 3,842

29.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.4 CA$107

$84.6 ISK 10.3K

-10.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.0 CA$93.8

$100 ISK 12.2K

-34.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.35 CA$26.10

$48.20 ISK 5,873

-61.93%

Cinema Ticket

$10.47 CA$14.89

$19.87 ISK 2,422

-47.31%

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

$530 CA$754

$1,277 ISK 155.7K

-58.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,977 CA$14.2K

$31.0K ISK 3.8M

-67.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.3 CA$92.9

$161 ISK 19.6K

-59.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.72 CA$70.7

$64.9 ISK 7,908

-23.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 CA$111

$183 ISK 22.3K

-57.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.3 CA$133

$254 ISK 30.9K

-63.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$975 CA$1,387

$2,499 ISK 304.6K

-60.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 CA$1,124

$2,000 ISK 243.7K

-60.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,541 CA$2,192

$3,452 ISK 420.6K

-55.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,369 CA$1,947

$2,742 ISK 334.2K

-50.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,973 CA$2,807

$8,001 ISK 974.9K

-75.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,531 CA$2,177

$6,249 ISK 761.5K

-75.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,734 CA$3,889

$4,691 ISK 571.6K

-41.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.57

8.81

-48.13%

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

Last update for St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador: October 4, 2026

Last update for Reykjavik: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$790 38.4%

Reykjavik

$2K 50.9% 153% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$408 19.8%

Reykjavik

$625 15.9% 53.1% $217

Monthly Utilities & Internet

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$293 14.3%

Reykjavik

$205 5.2% 30.2% $88

Eating Out

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$277 13.5%

Reykjavik

$526 13.4% 89.9% $249

Clothing & Footwear

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$129 6.3%

Reykjavik

$298 7.6% 132% $169

Sport & Entertainment

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$87 4.2%

Reykjavik

$140 3.6% 61.3% $53

Getting Around

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$73 3.6%

Reykjavik

$139 3.5% 89.1% $65

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $975 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador 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 72% 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 $70.0 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador versus $136 in Reykjavik. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $408 vs $625 – making St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🕒 Local time

22:47 10:47 PM

01:17 1:17 AM

2 h 30 min ahead of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,525

136,894 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.21 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 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 CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador Reykjavik 2,610 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
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

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador vs Reykjavik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Reykjavik costs about 99% more than St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, 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 $3,036 per month in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador 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 St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, 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 $2,024 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador and $4,037 in Reykjavik. That's a gap of about 99%.

Public transport costs about 75% less in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, where all-in costs run around $2,024, than in Reykjavik at $4,037. In St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador it covers expenses comfortably, while in Reykjavik it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador costs $2,024 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 St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. 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.