Moving to Botswana from Iceland
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Iceland to Botswana — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Iceland to Botswana, and you’d need to navigate life in English and Tswana. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Gaborone averages 83°F vs 45°F in Reykjavik, making it significantly warmer.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Iceland and Botswana stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Iceland performs better than Botswana across all safety metrics.
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
Botswana generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iceland leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Iceland generally does better on environment, though Botswana leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
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 Botswana 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 Botswana 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 generally does better on family life, though Botswana leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Directorate of Internal Revenue (2016), Botswana Unified Revenue Service (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Reykjavik | Gaborone |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 37°/28°F (3°/-2°C) | 88°/66°F (31°/19°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 48°/38°F (9°/4°C) | 77°/48°F (25°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 54°/45°F (12°/7°C) | 79°/47°F (26°/8°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/31°F (4°/-1°C) | 89°/64°F (32°/18°C) |
View all months
| Month | Reykjavik | Gaborone |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/27°F (1.9°/-3.0°C) | 90°/67°F (32.5°/19.4°C) |
| Feb | 37°/28°F (2.8°/-2.1°C) | 89°/67°F (31.5°/19.3°C) |
| Mar | 38°/28°F (3.2°/-2.0°C) | 86°/63°F (30.2°/17.4°C) |
| Apr | 42°/33°F (5.7°/0.4°C) | 82°/56°F (27.8°/13.4°C) |
| May | 49°/38°F (9.4°/3.6°C) | 78°/47°F (25.4°/8.3°C) |
| Jun | 53°/44°F (11.7°/6.7°C) | 72°/40°F (22.5°/4.6°C) |
| Jul | 56°/47°F (13.3°/8.3°C) | 73°/40°F (22.8°/4.6°C) |
| Aug | 55°/46°F (13.0°/7.9°C) | 78°/46°F (25.7°/7.6°C) |
| Sep | 50°/41°F (10.1°/5.0°C) | 85°/54°F (29.6°/12.5°C) |
| Oct | 44°/36°F (6.8°/2.2°C) | 88°/61°F (31.0°/16.2°C) |
| Nov | 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.3°C) | 89°/64°F (31.5°/17.9°C) |
| Dec | 36°/27°F (2.2°/-2.8°C) | 90°/66°F (32.3°/18.8°C) |
Data:
Icelandic Meteorological Office,
Botswana Meteorological Services
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Iceland and Botswana. To live, work, or study long-term in Botswana, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Botswana's immigration authority.
Iceland passport holder visiting Botswana
Visa Free
Botswana passport holder visiting Iceland
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work remotely from Botswana?
With 7.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Botswana 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 Botswana.
Is Botswana safe for expats?
Iceland performs better than Botswana across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Botswana is 11.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.3 in Iceland.
How is healthcare in Botswana compared to Iceland?
Botswana generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iceland leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 3.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Botswana, compared to 43.7 in Iceland. Botswana scores 55 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Iceland: 89).
What's the weather like in Botswana compared to Iceland?
The average high temperature in Gaborone is 83°F, compared to 45°F in Reykjavik. Gaborone receives around 21.7 in of rainfall per year, while Reykjavik gets 31.4 in.
What language do they speak in Botswana?
The official languages in Botswana are English and Tswana. In Iceland, the official language is Icelandic.
