Moving to Iceland from Dominican Republic

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Dominican Republic to Iceland, you would find that Iceland is 3.0 times more expensive than Dominican Republic overall. A DOP4,408,790 salary in Dominican Republic would need to be roughly ISK28,191,606 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 87°F in Santo Domingo, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

DOP4,408,790 ISK28,191,606

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 2.6 times more

Transportation

pay 91.4% more

Housing

pay 3.5 times more

Childcare

pay 3.8 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 3.2 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 DOP = 2.14 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 Dominican Republic to Iceland, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
1 ↓ 50% vs 2022

people moved from Dominican Republic 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 Dominican Republic 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

DO
12.4
IS
1.1
Feel safe walking at night United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

of residents who feel safe walking alone at night

DO
40%
IS
91%

Iceland performs significantly better than Dominican Republic across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

DO
$1,169
IS
$6,927
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

DO
22.3
IS
45.2

Iceland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Dominican Republic leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

DO
27.0
IS
8.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

DO
3.0t
IS
8.5t

Dominican Republic 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

DO
10.7
IS
38.2
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

DO
39.5%
IS
0.4%

Iceland performs significantly better than Dominican Republic across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

DO
5.6%
IS
3.6%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

DO
$23,100
IS
$66,500

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

DO
72.6 yrs
IS
83.6 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

DO
21.2
IS
1.6

Iceland performs significantly better than Dominican Republic across all family life metrics.

Data: Direccion General de Impuestos Internos, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Santo Domingo Rain: 57.0 in/yr (1447 mm)
87° / 71°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Santo Domingo Reykjavik
Jan–Mar 85°/67°F (29°/20°C) 37°/28°F (3°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 87°/72°F (30°/22°C) 48°/38°F (9°/4°C)
Jul–Sep 89°/73°F (31°/23°C) 54°/45°F (12°/7°C)
Oct–Dec 87°/71°F (30°/21°C) 39°/31°F (4°/-1°C)
View all months
Month Santo Domingo Reykjavik
Jan 85°/67°F (29.2°/19.6°C) 35°/27°F (1.9°/-3.0°C)
Feb 85°/67°F (29.2°/19.7°C) 37°/28°F (2.8°/-2.1°C)
Mar 85°/68°F (29.6°/20.2°C) 38°/28°F (3.2°/-2.0°C)
Apr 86°/70°F (30.2°/21.1°C) 42°/33°F (5.7°/0.4°C)
May 87°/72°F (30.4°/22.2°C) 49°/38°F (9.4°/3.6°C)
Jun 87°/73°F (30.8°/22.9°C) 53°/44°F (11.7°/6.7°C)
Jul 88°/73°F (31.3°/22.8°C) 56°/47°F (13.3°/8.3°C)
Aug 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.7°C) 55°/46°F (13.0°/7.9°C)
Sep 89°/73°F (31.4°/22.7°C) 50°/41°F (10.1°/5.0°C)
Oct 88°/72°F (31.1°/22.3°C) 44°/36°F (6.8°/2.2°C)
Nov 87°/71°F (30.6°/21.4°C) 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.3°C)
Dec 85°/69°F (29.6°/20.3°C) 36°/27°F (2.2°/-2.8°C)

Data: Oficina Nacional de Meteorologiá Oficina Nacional de Meteorologiá, Icelandic Meteorological Office Icelandic Meteorological Office

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Dominican Republic 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.

Dominican Republic passport

Dominican Republic passport holder visiting Iceland

Visa Required
Dominican Republic passport holders need a visa to enter Iceland.
Iceland passport

Iceland passport holder visiting Dominican Republic

Visa Free
Iceland passport holders can enter Dominican Republic without a visa.

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 Dominican Republic?

Day-to-day costs in Iceland run about 199% higher than Dominican Republic 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 DOP4,408,790 comparable salary, that's around ISK7,047,902 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 Dominican Republic and Iceland.

Is Iceland safe for expats?

Iceland performs significantly better than Dominican Republic across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Iceland is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 12.4 in Dominican Republic. About 91% of people in Iceland feel safe walking alone at night.

How is healthcare in Iceland compared to Dominican Republic?

Iceland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Dominican Republic leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 45.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Iceland, compared to 22.3 in Dominican Republic. Iceland scores 89 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Dominican Republic: 77).

What's the weather like in Iceland compared to Dominican Republic?

The average high temperature in Reykjavik is 45°F, compared to 87°F in Santo Domingo. Reykjavik receives around 31.4 in of rainfall per year, while Santo Domingo gets 57.0 in.

What language do they speak in Iceland?

The official language in Iceland is Icelandic. In Dominican Republic, the official language is Spanish.

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At a Glance

DO IS
Population 10,694,700 357,603
Currency Dominican Peso (DOP) Icelandic Króna (ISK)
Languages Spanish Icelandic
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +1 +354
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 911 112