Moving to Afghanistan from Iceland

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Iceland to Afghanistan, and you’d need to navigate life in Dari, Pashto and Turkmen. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Kabul averages 67°F vs 45°F in Reykjavik, making it significantly warmer.

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Key Indicator Comparison

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

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

IS
1.1
AF
4.0
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

IS
2.4
AF
24.1

Iceland performs better than Afghanistan across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

IS
$6,927
AF
$330
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

IS
45.2
AF
2.5

Afghanistan 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

IS
8.0
AF
143.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

IS
8.5t
AF
0.3t

Iceland generally does better on environment, though Afghanistan leads in co₂ emissions per capita.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

IS
38.2
AF
0.1
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

IS
0.4%
AF
54.8%

Iceland performs better than Afghanistan across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

IS
3.6%
AF
14.4%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

IS
$66,500
AF
$2,000

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

IS
83.6 yrs
AF
53.6 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

IS
1.6
AF
104.9

Iceland performs better than Afghanistan across all family life metrics.

Data: Directorate of Internal Revenue, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Kabul Rain: 12.3 in/yr (312 mm)
67° / 40°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Reykjavik Kabul
Jan–Mar 37°/28°F (3°/-2°C) 45°/25°F (8°/-4°C)
Apr–Jun 48°/38°F (9°/4°C) 76°/48°F (25°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 54°/45°F (12°/7°C) 88°/56°F (31°/13°C)
Oct–Dec 39°/31°F (4°/-1°C) 59°/31°F (15°/-1°C)
View all months
Month Reykjavik Kabul
Jan 35°/27°F (1.9°/-3.0°C) 40°/19°F (4.5°/-7.1°C)
Feb 37°/28°F (2.8°/-2.1°C) 42°/22°F (5.5°/-5.7°C)
Mar 38°/28°F (3.2°/-2.0°C) 54°/33°F (12.5°/0.7°C)
Apr 42°/33°F (5.7°/0.4°C) 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C)
May 49°/38°F (9.4°/3.6°C) 76°/48°F (24.4°/8.8°C)
Jun 53°/44°F (11.7°/6.7°C) 86°/54°F (30.2°/12.4°C)
Jul 56°/47°F (13.3°/8.3°C) 90°/60°F (32.1°/15.3°C)
Aug 55°/46°F (13.0°/7.9°C) 90°/58°F (32.0°/14.3°C)
Sep 50°/41°F (10.1°/5.0°C) 83°/49°F (28.5°/9.4°C)
Oct 44°/36°F (6.8°/2.2°C) 72°/39°F (22.4°/3.9°C)
Nov 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.3°C) 59°/30°F (15.0°/-1.2°C)
Dec 36°/27°F (2.2°/-2.8°C) 47°/24°F (8.3°/-4.7°C)

Data: Icelandic Meteorological Office Icelandic Meteorological Office

Visitor Visa Requirements

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

Iceland passport

Iceland passport holder visiting Afghanistan

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

Afghanistan passport holder visiting Iceland

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

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I work remotely from Afghanistan?

With 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Afghanistan can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Iceland and Afghanistan.

Is Afghanistan safe for expats?

Iceland performs better than Afghanistan across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Afghanistan is 4.0 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Iceland.

How is healthcare in Afghanistan compared to Iceland?

Afghanistan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iceland leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 2.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Afghanistan, compared to 45.2 in Iceland. Afghanistan scores 41 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Iceland: 89).

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

The average high temperature in Kabul is 67°F, compared to 45°F in Reykjavik. Kabul receives around 12.3 in of rainfall per year, while Reykjavik gets 31.4 in.

What language do they speak in Afghanistan?

The official languages in Afghanistan are Dari, Pashto and Turkmen. In Iceland, the official language is Icelandic.

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At a Glance

IS AF
Population 357,603 38,346,720
Currency Icelandic Króna (ISK) Afghan Afghani (AFN)
Languages Icelandic Dari, Pashto, Turkmen
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +354 +93
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112