Cost of living comparison

 Reykjavik, Iceland
compared to
 Palo Alto (CA), United States
Palo Alto vs. Reykjavik Cost of Living Summary

Palo Alto is 2.2 times more expensive than Reykjavik.

Restaurants
pay 1.1% less in Palo Alto
Groceries
pay 28.5% more in Palo Alto
Transportation
pay 18.6% less in Palo Alto
Housing
pay 2.1 times more in Palo Alto
Childcare
pay 8.5 times more in Palo Alto
Entertainment and Sports
pay 7.9% more in Palo Alto
Clothing
pay 43.2% less in Palo Alto

The cost of childcare, housing, groceries, and entertainment and sports in Palo Alto are more expensive than in Reykjavik. Expenses including clothing, transportation, and restaurants are lower in Palo Alto. Notably, childcare and housing are significantly more expensive in Palo Alto.

Palo Alto vs. Reykjavik Cost Breakdown

If you lived in Palo Alto instead of Reykjavik, you would:

pay 1.1% less for restaurants

 
Reykjavik
Palo Alto
Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant $20.00
ISK2,545
$27.50
 
Fast food combo meal
McDonalds, or similar
$18.02
ISK2,293
$11.50
 
Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) $3.15
ISK401
$3.00
 

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pay 28.5% more for groceries

 
Reykjavik
Palo Alto
Bread
1 loaf
$3.61
ISK459
$5.22
 
Local cheese (8 oz) $7.76
ISK987
$8.45
 
Milk (1 gallon) $6.40
ISK815
$5.33
 

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pay 18.6% less for transportation

 
Reykjavik
Palo Alto
Gasoline (1 gallon) $8.50
ISK1,082
$4.85
 
Monthly public transit pass $74.95
ISK9,538
$90.00
 
New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) $42,450.45
ISK5,401,820
$30,530.00
 

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pay 2.1 times more for housing

 
Reykjavik
Palo Alto
Internet connection
50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl
$69.87
ISK8,890
$60.00
 
1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area $1,971.17
ISK250,832
$3,397.50
 
1-Bedroom apartment outside city center $1,803.44
ISK229,488
$3,198.33
 

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pay 8.5 times more for childcare

 
Reykjavik
Palo Alto
Private preschool for 1 child, monthly $252.14
ISK32,085
$2,705.00
 
Middle school for 1 child, two semesters $5,993.99
ISK762,736
$37,770.00
 

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pay 7.9% more for entertainment and sports

 
Reykjavik
Palo Alto
Domestic/local beer (1 pint) $10.81
ISK1,376
$8.00
 
Cappuccino in mid-range area $5.31
ISK675
$5.10
 
Pack of cigarettes
Marlboro or similar
$12.25
ISK1,558
$11.00
 

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pay 43.2% less for clothing

 
Reykjavik
Palo Alto
Regular jeans
Levi's brand
$108.97
ISK13,867
$45.00
 
Regular dress
from H&M or similar store
$49.72
ISK6,327
$36.12
 
Running shoes
Nike or Adidas
$151.85
ISK19,323
$80.00
 

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The statistics used to build this comparison are calculated using data from users just like you. We average the price of thousands of data points entered by users across the world. Learn more about our data sources. Page last updated: June 2025
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