Cost of living calculator - criteria for essential expenditure
Calculation
The Debtors Ombudsman sets a standard for maintenance (support criteria) based on information from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Housing. The Ministry’s criteria are based on a study by Statistics Iceland on expenditure of individuals and families.
The median expenditure for each family type is used to determine the maintenance criteria. This means that 50% allow the reference amount or lower to be used for the purchase of products falling within each category.
Regularly updated
The criteria are updated regularly and are based on the research of Statistics Iceland on household expenditure in the period 2013 to 2016.
The criteria are updated every two months.
Last Updated: 2 June 2025
Service provider
The Debtors' Ombudsman