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

Should you visit Reykjavik or Roatan?

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

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Reykjavik or Roatan, 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 Roatan?

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.

Roatan

Your next great vacation lies just thirty miles off the north coast of Honduras. Right above the world's largest coral reef is the island of Roatan. As a popular tourist attraction and standard cruise destination, it's not uncommon to see tons of Americans during your trip. In fact, the cruising industry has had huge impact on the island's culture. While ships are in port, traffic will be heavier and prices may go up. Because of the growth of tourism, most locals speak both Spanish and English.

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


Which place is cheaper, Roatan 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 Roatan is $42. 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 Roatan in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Reykjavik $160
    Roatan $11
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Reykjavik $320
    Roatan $22
Compare Hotels in Reykjavik and Roatan

Looking for a hotel in Reykjavik or Roatan? 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 Roatan


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 Roatan Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Reykjavik $52
    Roatan $18

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

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Roatan

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Roatan are as follows:


  • Water Taxi
    $4.00

Is it cheaper to fly into Reykjavik or Roatan?

Prices for flights to both Roatan 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
    Roatan $15
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
    Roatan $26
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

Tours and Activities in Roatan

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Roatan are as follows:

  • Monkeys and sloths, private tour , and beach: $89

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Reykjavik $32
    Roatan $6.64
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 Roatan, we can see that Reykjavik is more expensive. And not only is Roatan much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Reykjavik is in Europe and Roatan is in Central America, 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 Roatan would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Roatan 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 Roatan.

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


Which is Bigger, Reykjavik or Roatan?

Reykjavik has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Roatan. When comparing the sizes of Reykjavik and Roatan, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.