Reykjavik Very expensive
Eating out is expensive — the famous hot dog stand Bæjarins Beztu is a genuine local institution and costs a fraction of a restaurant. Supermarket chains Bónus and Krónan are far cheaper than 10-11.
Budget travel in Iceland
What a visitor's money does in Iceland: every guide rated from very cheap to very expensive, cheapest first, then the things that cost travellers money without buying anything — the ATM, the taxi, the SIM.
Very expensive average across 1 guide · 5 is very cheap
Money
Icelandic Króna (ISK) · 1 EUR = 139 ISK · 1 USD = 121 ISK
Iceland uses the króna and is genuinely cashless — you can complete an entire trip without withdrawing a single note. Do not bother exchanging money before you arrive.
ATMs
Avoid: airport exchange desks and their machines
Use: Landsbankinn, Arion banki, Íslandsbanki
You will barely need cash at all — cards work at petrol pumps, campsites and remote cafes.
Getting around
A short ride in Reykjavik: 2,500–4,500 kr across town — pricey
From the airport: Keflavík to Reykjavík 18,000–22,000 kr by taxi, against 3,500 kr on the Flybus
There is no ride-hailing in Iceland — the law has kept Uber and Bolt out, and taxis are metered and dear.
City by city, cheapest first
The cost rating is this site's own, for a visitor, from the guides' authors and the corrections readers send in. The general rules — the conversion prompt, shoulder season, the airport taxi — are in budget travel tips.
