A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Reykjavik vs. Castries for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Reykjavik or Castries?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Reykjavik or Castries, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.

Where Should I go: Reykjavik or Castries?

Reykjavik

Reykjavik is the capital and largest city in the country of Iceland. The city is where the vast majority of the country's population resides and the urban area has about 200,000 residents. The city is sprawling, with a large area covered in suburbs. The the city center is quite compact, with many interesting and colorful houses. There are a lot of things that attract tourists to this city, including an interesting culture and history as well as plenty of shopping and dining opportunities.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Tours to Iceland, and The Best Tours for Seniors to Iceland.


Which place is cheaper, Castries or Reykjavik?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Reykjavik is $307, while the average daily cost in Castries is $186. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Reykjavik and Castries in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Reykjavik $160
    Castries $100
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Reykjavik $320
    Castries $200
Compare Hotels in Reykjavik and Castries

Looking for a hotel in Reykjavik or Castries? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.

Hotels in Reykjavik


Hotels in Castries


Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.


Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Reykjavik Hotel Prices and Castries Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Reykjavik $52
    Castries $25

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Reykjavik

Also for Reykjavik, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Iceland: Airport Transfers between Keflavík and Reykjavik Center: $31
  • Airport Transfer in Iceland from Keflavik Airport to Reykjavik City one way: $31
  • Airport Express Shared Departure transfer from Reykjavik City to Keflavik Airport: $31
  • Iceland: Airport Transfers between Keflavik and Reykjavik Hotels: $40
  • Airport Transfer in Iceland from Reykjavik City to Keflavik Airport with Hotel Pick Up: $42
  • Private Transfers in Iceland: $45
  • Private Transfer to Sky Lagoon from Reykjavik Keflavik: $49
  • Blue Lagoon Return Bus Transfer from Reykjavik: $51
  • Blue Lagoon Transfer from/to Keflavik International Airport: $58
  • Reykjavik Airport (RKV) to Skálafell - Arrival Private Transfer: $62
  • Skálafell to Reykjavik Airport (RKV) - Departure Private Transfer: $62
  • Reykjavík/Keflavík–Blue Lagoon, Silica & Retreat Transfer: $67

Is it cheaper to fly into Reykjavik or Castries?

Prices for flights to both Castries and Reykjavik change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Reykjavik $60
    Castries $66
Typical Food Prices in Reykjavik

For Reykjavik, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:


  • Dinner (Fish Market)
    $204

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Reykjavik

For Reykjavik, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Weekend Reykjavik Food Tour with a stop at the Reykjavik Flea Market: $143
  • The Reykjavik Harbor Food Tour: $145
  • 3 Hour Shared Christmas Food Tour with Guide in Reykjavik: $149
  • Private Vegetarian Reykjavik Food Tour: $195
  • Private Reykjavik Christmas Food Tour: $215

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Reykjavik $83
    Castries $27
Typical Entertainment Prices in Reykjavik

Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Reykjavik's activities, tours, and tickets:


  • Art Museum
    $12
  • Wine and Spa
    $34

Tours and Activities in Reykjavik

For Reykjavik, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Reykjavik Viking Roots to Modern Marvels Self Guided Walking Tour: $9.75
  • Settlement and Egils Saga Exhibition Ticket: $30
  • Northern Lights: Aurora Basecamp Observatory Guided Experience: $30
  • Self-Guided Audio Driving Tour of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula: $32
  • Saga Museum - Entrance ticket: $32
  • Reykjanes Peninsula and Blue Lagoon Self-Guided Driving Tour: $34
  • Reykjavik Escape Game Experience - Prison Break 1: $45
  • Reykjavík Shared Tuk Tuk Tour: $50
  • Walking tour of Reykjavik city: $51
  • Lava Show Reykjavik Admission Ticket - Optional Premium Upgrade : $55
  • Reykjavik Folklore Walking Tour: Meet the Elves, Trolls & Ghosts of Iceland: $55
  • Classic Puffin Watching Cruise from Downtown Reykjavík: $60

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Reykjavik $32
    Castries $11
Typical Alcohol Prices in Reykjavik

Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Reykjavik are as follows:


  • Beer
    $10

Sample the Local Flavors in Reykjavik

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Reykjavik:

  • Gin Distillery tour and tasting with Master Distiller: $35
  • Flóki Whisky Distillery Tour & Tasting in Reykjavík: $49


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Reykjavik and Castries, we can see that Reykjavik is more expensive. And not only is Castries much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Reykjavik is in Europe and Castries is in Caribbean Islands, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Castries would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Castries and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Reykjavik would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Reykjavik than you might in Castries.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Reykjavik Expensive? and Is Castries Expensive?.