Popular cities
Interlaken vs Reykjavik cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐จ๐ญ Interlaken
๐ฎ๐ธ Reykjavik
At a glance
- Where Reykjavik is clearly cheaper: Street food (59%โ), Entry ticket (36%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (33%โ)
- Where Interlaken is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (39%โ), Transit (38%โ), Bottled water (29%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: getting around โ Interlaken 1 vs Reykjavik 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Interlaken | Reykjavik | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | CHF 24$28.2 | kr 3,200$26.5 | Reykjavik โ6% |
| Street food1 item | CHF 14$16.5 | kr 820$6.8 | Reykjavik โ59% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | CHF 50$58.8 | kr 6,000$49.8 | Reykjavik โ15% |
| Coffeeone cup | CHF 5.5$6.47 | kr 750$6.22 | similar |
| Beerone bottle | CHF 8$9.41 | kr 1,500$12.4 | Interlaken โ24% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | CHF 14$16.5 | kr 2,200$18.2 | Interlaken โ10% |
| Bottled water | CHF 1.5$1.76 | kr 300$2.49 | Interlaken โ29% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | CHF 2.5$2.94 | kr 350$2.9 | similar |
| Taxi5 km in town | CHF 28$32.9 | kr 3,500$29 | Reykjavik โ12% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | CHF 20$23.5 | kr 1,900$15.8 | Reykjavik โ33% |
| Transitone ride | CHF 3$3.53 | kr 690$5.72 | Interlaken โ38% |
| Scooter rentalper day | CHF 30$35.3 | kr 7,000$58.1 | Interlaken โ39% |
| Hotel night3-star | CHF 220$259 | kr 25,000$207 | Reykjavik โ20% |
| Studio rent (month) | CHF 1,450$1,706 | kr 260,000$2,157 | Interlaken โ21% |
| Laundry | CHF 17$20 | kr 2,000$16.6 | Reykjavik โ17% |
| SIM card1 week data | CHF 25$29.4 | kr 3,500$29 | similar |
| Haircutcut | CHF 45$52.9 | kr 7,500$62.2 | Interlaken โ15% |
| Massage1 hour | CHF 140$165 | kr 18,000$149 | Reykjavik โ9% |
| Half-day tourper person | CHF 110$129 | kr 13,000$108 | Reykjavik โ17% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | CHF 44$51.8 | kr 4,000$33.2 | Reykjavik โ36% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Interlaken or Reykjavik?
Interlaken and Reykjavik cost about the same. Daily budget $508 vs $429; a month $8,181 vs $9,124.
Which is easier to travel, Interlaken or Reykjavik?
About the same: Interlaken 1.0/5, Reykjavik 1.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Interlaken and Reykjavik?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Interlaken is about $8,181 and Reykjavik about $9,124 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.