Iceland by campervan: costs and prices

Practical costs in Iceland: currency, cards, cash, fuel, groceries and budgeting for a campervan trip. What to know before you go.

Published 18 September 2026Last checked 19 September 2026

Currency
Icelandic króna
ISK, not the euro. 139.40 kr to €1 on 18 September 2026
Language
Icelandic
English is spoken almost everywhere
Driving
Right
90 km/h paved, 80 gravel, 50 in town
Power
230V, type F
Same two-pin plug as most of the continent
Tap water
Safe to drink
Cold is excellent. Hot smells of sulphur
Emergency
112
Backup 599 0112. Road service 1777

Money

Iceland is the second most expensive country in Europe on Eurostat's own measure. For 2024 it put Icelandic household consumption at 161.7 against an EU average of 100, behind only Switzerland at 174.4 and well ahead of Denmark at 143.1 and Norway at 124.0. The detail is worse than the headline. Restaurants and hotels came in at 167.3, food and non-alcoholic drinks at 143.9, and alcoholic drinks at 285.1, close to three times the EU average.

Assorted foreign banknotes and coins arranged in a shop window display — Krónur on the price tag, a card on the counter. Cash is almost decorative

Icelandic price levels against the EU average of 100, 2024

Household consumption overall161.7
Food and non-alcoholic drinks143.9
Restaurants and hotels167.3
Alcoholic drinks285.1

Practical prices for camper travel

Diesel, 1 litre: 288.60 kr
Campsite or camper area, 1 night: 5,715 kr
Inexpensive restaurant meal: 3,500 kr
White bread, 500 g: 498.42 kr
Bottled water, 1.5 litres: 248.85 kr

Cards, cash and machines

Cards are the default and cash is close to unnecessary. Contactless is normal for small amounts and many places have no interest in notes at all.
Know your PIN. Unmanned fuel pumps and some car parks want chip and PIN rather than a tap, and a card you only ever tap will fail at exactly the wrong moment.

Tipping

Not expected. Service is in the price and nobody is working for tips.
Rounding up after a good restaurant meal is generous rather than standard.

The single biggest saving available to a van in Iceland is made before you arrive. Alcohol at 285.1 against an EU average of 100 means the duty free quota at the border is worth more here than anywhere else in Europe, and a van that eats its own cooking rather than eating out is working against a restaurant price level of 167.3.