Moving to California from Iceland
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Iceland to California — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Iceland to California, you would find that California is 15.9% more expensive than Iceland overall. A ISK9,414,750 salary in Iceland would need to be roughly $52,585 in California to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Sacramento averages 74°F vs 45°F in Reykjavik, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Iceland to California.
What does your salary buy?
ISK9,414,750 → $52,585
To maintain the same standard of living in California
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 22.5% less
Groceries
pay 3.2% less
Transportation
pay 31.5% less
Housing
pay 37.7% more
Childcare
pay 2.9 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 16.0% 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 California, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Iceland to United States · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
146.8,241
Iceland
Key Indicator Comparison
How Iceland and California stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Iceland performs better than California across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Iceland performs better than California across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Iceland generally does better on employment & economy, though California leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Iceland performs better than California across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Reykjavik | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 37°/28°F (3°/-2°C) | 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 48°/38°F (9°/4°C) | 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 54°/45°F (12°/7°C) | 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/31°F (4°/-1°C) | 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Reykjavik | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/27°F (1.9°/-3.0°C) | 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) |
| Feb | 37°/28°F (2.8°/-2.1°C) | 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) |
| Mar | 38°/28°F (3.2°/-2.0°C) | 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) |
| Apr | 42°/33°F (5.7°/0.4°C) | 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) |
| May | 49°/38°F (9.4°/3.6°C) | 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) |
| Jun | 53°/44°F (11.7°/6.7°C) | 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) |
| Jul | 56°/47°F (13.3°/8.3°C) | 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) |
| Aug | 55°/46°F (13.0°/7.9°C) | 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) |
| Sep | 50°/41°F (10.1°/5.0°C) | 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) |
| Oct | 44°/36°F (6.8°/2.2°C) | 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) |
| Nov | 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.3°C) | 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) |
| Dec | 36°/27°F (2.2°/-2.8°C) | 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) |
Data:
Icelandic Meteorological Office,
National Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Iceland and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.
Iceland passport holder visiting United States
Electronic Travel Authorisation
United States 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 California than Iceland?
Generally yes: California runs about 30% cheaper than Iceland on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to California?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ISK9,414,750 comparable salary, that's around $13,146 in California for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from California?
Working remotely from California's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Iceland and California.
How is healthcare in California compared to Iceland?
Iceland performs better than California across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in California compared to Iceland?
The average high temperature in Sacramento is 74°F, compared to 45°F in Reykjavik. Sacramento receives around 18.5 in of rainfall per year, while Reykjavik gets 31.4 in.
What language do they speak in California?
The official language in California is English. In Iceland, the official language is Icelandic.
