Moving to Iceland from Cameroon

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Cameroon to Iceland — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Cameroon to Iceland, you would find that Iceland is 3.7 times more expensive than Cameroon overall. A FCFA43,015,455 salary in Cameroon would need to be roughly ISK27,031,251 in Iceland to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Icelandic. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Reykjavik averages 45°F vs 84°F in Yaounde, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Cameroon to Iceland.

What does your salary buy?

FCFA43,015,455 ISK27,031,251

To maintain the same standard of living in Iceland

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 3.7 times more

Groceries

pay 2.3 times more

Transportation

pay 3.5 times more

Housing

pay 3.7 times more

Childcare

pay 6.1 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 4.4 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 XAF = 0.2186 ISK (July 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Cameroon to Iceland, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
8 ↑ 100% vs 2022

people moved from Cameroon to Iceland · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to Iceland?

Top countries of origin for Iceland's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Cameroon and Iceland stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

CM
4.5
IS
1.1
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

CM
10.6
IS
2.4

Iceland performs significantly better than Cameroon across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

CM
$246
IS
$6,927
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

CM
1.3
IS
45.2

Cameroon generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iceland leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

CM
101.0
IS
8.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

CM
0.4t
IS
8.5t

Cameroon generally does better on environment, though Iceland leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

CM
2.2
IS
38.2
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

CM
1.6%
IS
0.4%

Iceland performs significantly better than Cameroon across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

CM
3.6%
IS
3.6%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

CM
$4,800
IS
$66,500

Iceland generally does better on employment & economy, though Cameroon leads in top income tax rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

CM
63.3 yrs
IS
83.6 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

CM
48.7
IS
1.6

Iceland performs significantly better than Cameroon across all family life metrics.

Data: Ministry of Finance, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Yaounde Rain: 62.2 in/yr (1580 mm)
84° / 67°F

Avg. annual high / low

Reykjavik Rain: 31.4 in/yr (798 mm)
45° / 35°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Yaounde Reykjavik
Jan–Mar 88°/67°F (31°/19°C) 37°/28°F (3°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 84°/68°F (29°/20°C) 48°/38°F (9°/4°C)
Jul–Sep 81°/66°F (27°/19°C) 54°/45°F (12°/7°C)
Oct–Dec 83°/66°F (28°/19°C) 39°/31°F (4°/-1°C)
View all months
Month Yaounde Reykjavik
Jan 85°/65°F (29.3°/18.2°C) 35°/27°F (1.9°/-3.0°C)
Feb 87°/68°F (30.6°/20.0°C) 37°/28°F (2.8°/-2.1°C)
Mar 92°/68°F (33.4°/19.9°C) 38°/28°F (3.2°/-2.0°C)
Apr 85°/68°F (29.5°/20.1°C) 42°/33°F (5.7°/0.4°C)
May 84°/68°F (28.7°/20.1°C) 49°/38°F (9.4°/3.6°C)
Jun 82°/67°F (27.5°/19.3°C) 53°/44°F (11.7°/6.7°C)
Jul 83°/66°F (28.3°/19.0°C) 56°/47°F (13.3°/8.3°C)
Aug 79°/66°F (26.3°/19.0°C) 55°/46°F (13.0°/7.9°C)
Sep 81°/67°F (27.2°/19.6°C) 50°/41°F (10.1°/5.0°C)
Oct 82°/66°F (27.6°/18.9°C) 44°/36°F (6.8°/2.2°C)
Nov 83°/67°F (28.2°/19.2°C) 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.3°C)
Dec 83°/66°F (28.3°/19.1°C) 36°/27°F (2.2°/-2.8°C)

Data: Direction de la Meteorologie Nationale Direction de la Meteorologie Nationale, Icelandic Meteorological Office Icelandic Meteorological Office

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Cameroon and Iceland. To live, work, or study long-term in Iceland, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Iceland's immigration authority.

Cameroon passport

Cameroon passport holder visiting Iceland

Visa Required
Cameroon passport holders need a visa to enter Iceland.
Iceland passport

Iceland passport holder visiting Cameroon

Visa Online (e-Visa)
Iceland passport holders need to apply for an e-Visa before travelling to Cameroon.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Iceland than Cameroon?

Day-to-day costs in Iceland run about 188% higher than Cameroon on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Iceland?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a FCFA43,015,455 comparable salary, that's around ISK6,757,813 in Iceland for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Iceland?

With 38.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Iceland can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Cameroon and Iceland.

Is Iceland safe for expats?

Iceland performs significantly better than Cameroon across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Iceland is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 4.5 in Cameroon.

How is healthcare in Iceland compared to Cameroon?

Cameroon generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iceland leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 45.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Iceland, compared to 1.3 in Cameroon. Iceland scores 89 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Cameroon: 44).

What's the weather like in Iceland compared to Cameroon?

The average high temperature in Reykjavik is 45°F, compared to 84°F in Yaounde. Reykjavik receives around 31.4 in of rainfall per year, while Yaounde gets 62.2 in.

What language do they speak in Iceland?

The official language in Iceland is Icelandic. In Cameroon, the official languages are English and French.

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At a Glance

CM IS
Population 29,321,637 357,603
Currency CFA Franc BEAC (FCFA) Icelandic Króna (ISK)
Languages English, French Icelandic
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +237 +354
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112