Cost of Living Comparison Between United Kingdom and Iceland Cost of Living Comparison Between United Kingdom and Iceland

Name: Iceland
Address: IS

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,363 per month in United Kingdom vs $1,712 in Iceland, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,474 per month in United Kingdom vs $2,549 in Iceland, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,585 per month in United Kingdom vs $3,385 in Iceland, rent included.

United Kingdom costs about 38% more than Iceland on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both United Kingdom and Iceland are pricier than the global median – United Kingdom by 76%, Iceland by 28%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.41 £15.17

$26.20 ISK 3,231

-22.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.0 £64.7

$129 ISK 15.9K

-32.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.13 £7.53

$19.99 ISK 2,465

-49.32%

Cappuccino

$4.70 £3.49

$6.03 ISK 744

-22.06%

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

$2.36 £1.75

$3.36 ISK 414

-29.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 £1.30

$2.60 ISK 321

-32.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.66 £4.95

$11.97 ISK 1,476

-44.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.43 £4.78

$10.31 ISK 1,272

-37.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 £1.27

$1.92 ISK 237

-11.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 £1.21

$4.22 ISK 520

-61.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 £1.70

$3.43 ISK 423

-33.24%

Eggs

$4.03 £2.99

$6.39 ISK 788

-36.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.77 £7.26

$18.18 ISK 2,242

-46.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 £6.63

$24.14 ISK 2,976

-63.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.31 £10.64

$42.49 ISK 5,239

-66.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 £2.26

$3.14 ISK 387

-2.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 £1.19

$2.41 ISK 297

-33.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 £2.11

$2.87 ISK 354

-1.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.53 £2.62

$4.93 ISK 608

-28.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 £1.19

$3.55 ISK 437

-54.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 £1.17

$2.24 ISK 277

-29.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 £0.87

$3.12 ISK 385

-62.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 £1.16

$2.25 ISK 278

-30.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.03 £14.89

$14.40 ISK 1,775

39.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.90 £8.10

$23.05 ISK 2,842

-52.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 £2.16

$3.61 ISK 445

-19.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 £2.51

$3.08 ISK 379

9.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.17 £2.35

$5.17 ISK 637

-38.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.2 £70.8

$82.8 ISK 10.2K

15.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 £4.05

$6.54 ISK 806

-16.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 £1.18

$2.26 ISK 279

-29.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.31 £20.30

$84.8 ISK 10.5K

-67.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 £1.48

$2.53 ISK 312

-21.34%

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

$37.8K £28.1K

$47.3K ISK 5.8M

-20.24%

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

$40.2K £29.9K

$53.9K ISK 6.6M

-25.43%

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

$323 £240

$88.9 ISK 11.0K

262.92%

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

$17.22 £12.80

$28.02 ISK 3,455

-38.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.23 £31.39

$87.8 ISK 10.8K

-51.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.03 £34.21

$80.8 ISK 9,966

-43.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.67 £11.65

$37.38 ISK 4,609

-58.08%

Cinema Ticket

$13.48 £10.02

$17.80 ISK 2,194

-24.27%

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

$1,713 £1,274

$356 ISK 44.0K

380.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.8K £15.5K

$30.7K ISK 3.8M

-32.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 £67.8

$141 ISK 17.4K

-35.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.88 £33.36

$63.7 ISK 7,853

-29.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 £75.9

$171 ISK 21.1K

-40.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 £77.3

$255 ISK 31.5K

-59.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,417 £1,053

$2,220 ISK 273.7K

-36.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,132 £841

$1,975 ISK 243.6K

-42.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 £1,715

$3,128 ISK 385.6K

-26.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,839 £1,367

$2,669 ISK 329.1K

-31.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,727 £4,257

$7,489 ISK 923.4K

-23.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,523 £3,362

$6,310 ISK 778.0K

-28.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,333 £2,477

$4,699 ISK 579.4K

-29.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

9.88

-41.80%

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

Last update for United Kingdom: May 30, 2026

Last update for Iceland: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,265 in United Kingdom vs $534 in Iceland. For reference, capital cities sit at $3,019 in London and $2,175 in Reykjavik.

Average salary: $3,219 in United Kingdom vs $4,897 in Iceland. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 137% higher in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 417% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 52% higher in Iceland, giving Iceland stronger purchasing power.

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

United Kingdom vs Iceland: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Iceland is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 43% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in United Kingdom, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but United Kingdom consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Iceland, contributing to the overall 43% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$3,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Iceland, but in United Kingdom it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Iceland is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.