Moving to Australia from Iceland
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Iceland to Australia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Iceland to Australia, you would find that Australia is 0.3% more expensive than Iceland overall. A ISK9,423,000 salary in Iceland would need to be roughly A$62,613 in Australia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Canberra averages 67°F vs 45°F in Reykjavik, making it significantly warmer.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Iceland to Australia.
What does your salary buy?
ISK9,423,000 → A$62,613
To maintain the same standard of living in Australia
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 31.7% less
Groceries
pay 25.2% less
Transportation
pay 29.8% less
Housing
pay 8.2% less
Childcare
pay 2.4 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 5.6% less
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 Iceland to Australia, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Iceland to Australia · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to Australia?
Top countries of origin for Australia's foreign-born residents.
- 1,285,149
- 653,232
- 611,266
- 579,264
- 286,303
- 269,812
- · · ·
-
147.613
Iceland
Key Indicator Comparison
How Iceland and Australia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Iceland generally does better on safety, though Australia leads in homicide rate.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Iceland performs better than Australia across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Iceland performs better than Australia across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Iceland performs better than Australia across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Iceland generally does better on employment & economy, though Australia leads in top income tax rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Iceland performs better than Australia 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.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Reykjavik | Canberra |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 37°/28°F (3°/-2°C) | 80°/54°F (26°/12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 48°/38°F (9°/4°C) | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 54°/45°F (12°/7°C) | 56°/35°F (13°/1°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/31°F (4°/-1°C) | 73°/47°F (23°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | Reykjavik | Canberra |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/27°F (1.9°/-3.0°C) | 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C) |
| Feb | 37°/28°F (2.8°/-2.1°C) | 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C) |
| Mar | 38°/28°F (3.2°/-2.0°C) | 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C) |
| Apr | 42°/33°F (5.7°/0.4°C) | 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C) |
| May | 49°/38°F (9.4°/3.6°C) | 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C) |
| Jun | 53°/44°F (11.7°/6.7°C) | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) |
| Jul | 56°/47°F (13.3°/8.3°C) | 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C) |
| Aug | 55°/46°F (13.0°/7.9°C) | 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C) |
| Sep | 50°/41°F (10.1°/5.0°C) | 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C) |
| Oct | 44°/36°F (6.8°/2.2°C) | 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) |
| Nov | 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.3°C) | 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C) |
| Dec | 36°/27°F (2.2°/-2.8°C) | 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C) |
Data:
Icelandic Meteorological Office,
Bureau of Meteorology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Iceland and Australia. To live, work, or study long-term in Australia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Australia's immigration authority.
Iceland passport holder visiting Australia
Electronic Travel Authorisation
Australia passport holder visiting Iceland
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Australia than Iceland?
Generally yes: Australia runs about 42% cheaper than Iceland on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Australia?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ISK9,423,000 comparable salary, that's around A$15,653 in Australia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Australia?
With 35.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Australia 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 Australia.
Is Australia safe for expats?
Iceland generally does better on safety, though Australia leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Australia is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Iceland.
How is healthcare in Australia compared to Iceland?
Iceland performs better than Australia across all health & wellbeing metrics. There are 39.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Australia, compared to 45.2 in Iceland. Australia scores 87 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Iceland: 89).
What's the weather like in Australia compared to Iceland?
The average high temperature in Canberra is 67°F, compared to 45°F in Reykjavik. Canberra receives around 24.8 in of rainfall per year, while Reykjavik gets 31.4 in.
What language do they speak in Australia?
The official language in Australia is English. In Iceland, the official language is Icelandic.
