Iceland is known for high consumer and grocery prices, most tourists find these prices shocking but they are mostly shopping in the wrong places. At least in the Reykjavík area. Most shops found around the most hotels downtown and tourist attraction rely on foreigners to pay these high prices. Gas prices are different depending on where you fill up, not on the brand itself, the self service pumps mostly situated at the edges of the Reykjavík area offer substantially lower fuel prices like, most often Orkan and ÓB stations. When looking to buy groceries for your stay it is best to shop at low cost stores such as Bónus and Krónan and avoid places like 10-11 or buying your food at the gas stations with a high mark up. Also tourists tend to buy a lot of expensive bottled water while all the locals would never do that. The tap water in Iceland is excellent, most Icelanders would say it’s the best in the world but I can’t vouch for that, all I can say it’s just fine to take normal bottle and fill it up at any place and drink that. Unfortunately we don’t have a variety of clothing and consumer product stores so few ways around that. High prices come naturally by being an island that need to import most things but these are few ideas to lower your travel costs during your stay.
