Iceland
Reykjavik travel budget: what to plan for
Plan €2307 for 7 nights in Reykjavik, return flight from London included, or €1124 travelling cheap. On the ground that works out at €316 per person per day.
Reykjavik - estimate transport, lodging, and meals before you book.
- From
- €149/day
- vs. London
- 149%
- Best month
- Jul
Your trip to Reykjavik
Set the length, the number of travellers and the comfort level: the figures recompute here.
€2,307
per person, flight included
- on the ground
- €2,212
- flight from London
- €95
- per person per day, on the ground
- €316
InstantTripCost estimate
Full 7-night budget breakdown
Per-person estimate including flights from London, split across the six expense categories.
per person · Comfort
| Category | Budget | Comfort | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flights | €81 | €95 | €143 |
| Hotel | €560 | €987 | €1484 |
| Food | €336 | €756 | €1701 |
| Transport | €56 | €126 | €315 |
| Activities | €42 | €182 | €553 |
| Misc | €49 | €161 | €483 |
| 7-night total | €1124 | €2307 | €4679 |
Flight from London (annual median).
Unit prices
comfort
Enough to check the total yourself, line by line, at the comfort level you picked.
- €16
- Breakfast
- €31
- Lunch
- €61
- Dinner
- €6
- City ride
- €26
- Site admission
- €316
- A full day
Orders of magnitude derived from our measured ranges, not surveyed venue by venue. Prices vary by neighbourhood and season.
Why go
Why visit Reykjavik
With a cost index of 149 % versus London, Reykjavik asks for a slightly higher budget than an equivalent stay at home.
A standard 7-night trip averages €2212 per person at mid-range comfort, flights from London included. Booking off-season (November) saves up to 67 % on the airfare alone, freeing up budget to upgrade lodging or activities.
Real budget
What a trip to Reykjavik actually costs
Let's break it down. Lodging: a hostel dorm or entry-level hotel runs around €80 per night, a well-rated 3-star around €141, and 4 to 5-star around €212. Food: around €16 a day eating local, €36 mixing canteens and restaurants, €81 if you sit down for dinner every evening.
Local transport: roughly €8 a day on public transit, €18 adding a few taxi rides. Activities: about €32 a day at a normal sightseeing pace, €66 if you stack paid entries and day trips.
On a 5-to-7-day trip, lodging accounts for roughly 35-45 % of total budget, food 15-20 %, flights 20-30 % depending on the booking window, with the remainder split between local transport, activities, and miscellaneous (visa, insurance, tipping, SIM card). A Reykjavik trip that goes over budget is almost always because the hotel is oversized for the rest, rarely because of activities.
Seasonality
When to go and what it costs
Peak season in Reykjavik is summer (June through August): hotel and flight rates climb 30-60 % above winter levels. For an off-peak trip, August combines decent weather and still-reasonable prices.
Money saving
How to cut the Reykjavik budget
Start with lodging, the heaviest line in the budget. In Reykjavik, a hotel 1 or 2 metro stops from the hyper-center often costs half what an equivalent charges right in the middle. Booking timing matters too: aim for 6 to 8 weeks before departure, not the night before, not a year out.
Trip dates weigh as much as hotel choice. For Reykjavik, a shoulder-season departure cuts the flight by 67 % versus peak. That leaves activities: one well-chosen guided tour or day trip per day beats a string of rushed paid tickets.
Practical info
Language, currency, and logistics in Reykjavik
Language: Icelandic, English is understood in most hotels and restaurants in tourist areas. Currency: Icelandic Krona (kr) - plan €50-100 in cash for the first days and use a fee-free card for the rest.
The three tiers
What a budget traveller, a comfort traveller and a premium traveller typically spend.
Budget
€136
per day, approx
- Hotel / night
- €80
- Meal
- €16
- Transit / day
- €8
Comfort
€267
per day, approx
- Hotel / night
- €141
- Meal
- €36
- Transit / day
- €18
Luxury
€500
per day, approx
- Hotel / night
- €212
- Meal
- €81
- Transit / day
- €45
Weather & best time to visit
Average temperatures and conditions by month in Reykjavik.
Best month to visitJuly
Where to sleep in Reykjavik
The hotels we measured
Accommodation picks by price range.
SM Hostel
Hostel, well rated (8.1/10) from 413 reviews.
Dalur - HI Eco Hostel
Hostel, well rated (8.3/10) from 2,672 reviews.
KEX Reykjavík
Hostel, well rated (8.2/10) from 4,122 reviews.
Bus Hostel Reykjavik
Hostel, decent (7.9/10) from 3,945 reviews.
Nordic Hostel
Hostel, rated excellent (9.3/10) from 1,303 reviews.
Hotel Ísland - Comfort
Hotel, decent (7.7/10) from 1,386 reviews.
Mjólk Hotel
Hotel, rated excellent (9.6/10) from 20 reviews.
Hotel Von
Hotel, very well rated (8.5/10) from 2,581 reviews.
Hotel Holt - The Art Hotel
Hotel, well rated (8.4/10) from 876 reviews.
All observed hotels in Reykjavik
24 properties, nightly rate for a 2-night stay arriving 15 October 2026.
| Hotel | Category | Rating | From / night |
|---|---|---|---|
| SM Hostel | Budget | ★ 8.1 | €24 |
| Dalur - HI Eco Hostel | Budget | ★ 8.3 | €28 |
| KEX Reykjavík | Budget | ★ 8.2 | €29 |
| Bus Hostel Reykjavik | Budget | ★ 7.9 | €32 |
| Bus Hostel Reykjavik | Mid-range | ★ 7.9 | €32 |
| Lækur Hostel | Budget | ★ 8.2 | €35 |
| Hostel B47 | Budget | ★ 8 | €44 |
| Nordic Hostel | Mid-range | ★ 9.3 | €52 |
| Loft - HI Eco Hostel | Budget | ★ 8.6 | €55 |
| Nordic Hostel | Budget | ★ 9.3 | €60 |
| Hotel Ísland - Comfort | Mid-range | ★ 7.7 | €81 |
| 101 Guesthouse Hotel | Mid-range | ★ 7.1 | €97 |
| NN Urban Guesthouse | Mid-range | ★ 9 | €117 |
| Fosshotel Rauðará | Mid-range | ★ 8.1 | €126 |
| Downtown Reykjavík Apartments | Mid-range | ★ 8 | €132 |
| ASKA Holt | Mid-range | ★ 8 | €133 |
| Mjólk Hotel | Luxury | ★ 9.6 | €149 |
| Hotel Von | Luxury | ★ 8.5 | €152 |
| Hotel Holt - The Art Hotel | Luxury | ★ 8.4 | €155 |
| Sand Hotel by Keahotels | Luxury | ★ 8.8 | €184 |
| Fosshotel Reykjavík | Luxury | ★ 8.6 | €185 |
| Hotel Borg by Keahotels | Luxury | ★ 8.5 | €189 |
| Reykjavik Residence Apartment Hotel | Luxury | ★ 9.3 | €200 |
| Guesthouse Galtafell | Luxury | ★ 8.7 | €200 |
Things to do in Reykjavik
Recommended activities and tours.
Icelandic Phallological Museum
The Icelandic Phallological Museum (Icelandic: Hið íslenzka reðasafn [ˈhɪːð ˈistlɛnska ˈrɛːðaˌsapn̥]), located in Reykjavík, Iceland, houses the world's largest display of penises and penile parts. It holds over 300 penises from more than 100 species of mammals.
Museum
Hallgrímskirkja
Hallgrímskirkja (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈhatl̥ˌkrimsˌcʰɪr̥ca], Church of Hallgrímur) is a Protestant Lutheran (Church of Iceland) parish church in Reykjavík, Iceland. At 74.5 metres (244 ft) tall, it is the largest church in Iceland and second tallest building in the country.
Church
National Museum of Iceland
The National Museum of Iceland (Icelandic: Þjóðminjasafn Íslands [ˈθjouðˌmɪnjaˌsapn ˈistlan(t)s]) was established on 24 February 1863, with Jón Árnason the first curator of the Icelandic collection, previously kept in Danish museums.
National museum
Reykjavik Art Museum
Reykjavik Art Museum (Icelandic: Listasafn Reykjavíkur [ˈlɪstaˌsapn ˌreiːcaˌviːkʏr̥]; founded in 1973) is the largest visual art institution in Iceland. It occupies three locations in Reykjavík; Hafnarhús by the old harbour (64.1490°N 21.9406°W / 64.1490; -21.9406 (Hafnarhús)), Kjarvalsstaðir by Klambratún (64.1378°N 21.9135°W / 64.1378; -21.9135 (Kjarvalsstaðir)) and Ásmundarsafn in Laugardalur (64.1416°N 21.8853°W / 64.1416; -21.8853 (Ásmundarsafn)).
Art museum
Kópavogskirkja
Kópavogur Church (Icelandic: Kópavogskirkja, Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈkʰouːpaˌvɔksˌcʰɪr̥ca]) is a church in Kópavogur, Iceland. It is located on Borgarholt hill at the top of Kársnes and offers a great view over Kópavogur, Reykjavík and surrounding area.
Church
Fríkirkjan í Reykjavík
The Fríkirkjan í Reykjavík (English: The Free Church in Reykjavik) is a Lutheran church independent from the Church of Iceland, the established church of Iceland. It lies in the centre of the Icelandic capital, by the lake Tjörnin.
Church
Austurvöllur
Austurvöllur (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈœystʏrˌvœtlʏr̥]) is a public square in Reykjavík, Iceland. The square is a popular gathering place for the citizens of Reykjavík, and especially during good weather due to the prevalence of cafés on Vallarstræti and Pósthússtræti.
Square
Klambratún
Klambratún is an outdoor park and recreation area in the Hlíðar district of Reykjavík, Iceland. The Reykjavik Art Museum stands within the grounds of the park.
Park
National Gallery of Iceland
The National Gallery of Iceland (Icelandic: Listasafn Íslands [ˈlɪstaˌsapn ˈistlan(t)s]) is an art museum in Reykjavík which contains a collection of Icelandic art. The gallery features artwork of famous Icelandic artists and artwork that helps explain the traditional Icelandic culture.
National museum
Árbæjarsafn
Árbæjarsafn (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈaurˌpaiːjarˌsapn̥]) is the historical museum of the city of Reykjavík as well as an open-air museum and a regional museum. Its purpose is to give the public an insight into the living conditions, work and recreational activities of the people of Reykjavík in earlier times.
Museum
Places referenced on Wikidata. Admission prices vary by season - check each venue's official site.
Paying less in Reykjavik
What moves the needle
What each decision takes off the €2333 total, strongest lever first.
- − €1169
Travel cheap rather than mid-range
Hostel or entry-level hotel, local canteens, public transport. Accommodation is where the gap opens up.
- − €632
Stay five nights instead of seven
Two fewer nights also removes two days of meals, transport and sightseeing.
- − €493
Travel as a pair
The room is shared, nothing else is. Travellers themselves name this as the strongest lever.
Differences computed from our own measurements, for a 7-night mid-range stay, excluding flights.
FAQ
FAQ - Reykjavik
- How much should I budget for a trip to Reykjavik?
- For a 7-day trip to Reykjavik, expect roughly €1124 - €4679 per person depending on your travel style, flights included. The budget profile (hostels, local food, public transit) sits at the lower end ; mid-range comfort sits in the middle ; luxury (premium hotel, fine dining) approaches the top.
- When is the best time to visit Reykjavik?
- The best value is in July, with pleasant temperatures and usually cheaper flights than during peak tourist season. This window combines moderate crowds and lower airfare.
- How do I get around in Reykjavik?
- Local transport (metro, bus, taxi) costs an average of €8 - €45 per day depending on your style. Public transit stays the cheapest option ; a day or weekly pass usually pays off after just two rides per day.
- How can I do Reykjavik on a budget?
- For a cheap trip to Reykjavik, target around €149 - €316 per day per person excluding flights: a hostel or budget hotel, meals at local eateries, public transit, and 1-2 free activities per day. Across a week, plan to land below the lower bound of the global range.
- What's the budget for a weekend in Reykjavik?
- For a 3-day / 2-night weekend in Reykjavik, plan around €550 - €1069 per person, flights included. Booking 6 to 8 weeks ahead and flying out Thursday evening / back Sunday evening cuts the total by 10-20 % on average.
- Is Reykjavik an expensive or affordable destination?
- At 113 % of our reference index, Reykjavik ranks among the premium destinations we track. In practice, a daily budget slightly above our average (+13 %), mostly on lodging.
- How many days do you need in Reykjavik?
- Plan 4 days for the essentials. A full week lets you add the surroundings without rushing, for roughly €948 more per person. Beyond ten days the cost grows linearly: each extra night adds about €316, lodging and daily spending included.
- Do you need a car in Reykjavik?
- Our estimates assume public transport, which covers the centre and its near surroundings. Rental, fuel, parking and tolls are not included: if your route leaves the served area, add them as a separate line.
- How much cash should you bring to Reykjavik?
- Bring €50 to €100 for the first days, until you see where cards work. When paying or withdrawing, decline the conversion into your home currency that terminals offer: it applies its own rate, consistently worse than your bank's.
At a glance
Wikidata, Wikipedia and Open-Meteo data
- Population
- 139k
- Area
- 244 km²
- Elevation
- 8 m
- Language
- Icelandic
- Currency
- kr
- Time zone
- UTC±00:00
- Founded
- 1786
- Avg. July temp.
- 12°
- Avg. Jan. temp.
- -1°
- Rainy days / year
- 196
inhabitants
Icelandic Krona
9° - 15°
-3° - 1°
About
Reykjavik in brief
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city of Iceland. It is located on the southern shore of the Faxaflói bay in southwest Iceland and has a latitude of 64°08′ N, making it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. Reykjavík has a population of around 140,000 as of 2026, and the surrounding Capital Region has a population of around 252,000, constituting approximately 64% of Iceland's population.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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