Moving to Canada from Iceland
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Iceland to Canada — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Iceland to Canada, you would find that Canada is 24.4% cheaper than Iceland overall. A ISK9,423,000 salary in Iceland would need to be roughly CA$60,074 in Canada to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English and French.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Iceland to Canada.
What does your salary buy?
ISK9,423,000 → CA$60,074
To maintain the same standard of living in Canada
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 40.9% less
Groceries
pay 21.2% less
Transportation
pay 39.8% less
Housing
pay 13.0% less
Childcare
pay 27.2% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 34.0% 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 Canada, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to Canada?
Top countries of origin for Canada's foreign-born residents.
- 720,083
- 699,190
- 633,547
- 537,504
- 273,226
- 254,831
- · · ·
-
170.633
Iceland
Key Indicator Comparison
How Iceland and Canada stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Iceland performs better than Canada 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
Iceland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Canada leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Iceland performs better than Canada 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 generally does better on infrastructure, though Canada leads in broadband per 100 people.
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 Canada 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 Canada leads in life expectancy.
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 | Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 37°/28°F (3°/-2°C) | 27°/10°F (-3°/-12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 48°/38°F (9°/4°C) | 64°/45°F (18°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 54°/45°F (12°/7°C) | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/31°F (4°/-1°C) | 41°/25°F (5°/-4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Reykjavik | Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/27°F (1.9°/-3.0°C) | 21°/4°F (-6.1°/-15.3°C) |
| Feb | 37°/28°F (2.8°/-2.1°C) | 25°/8°F (-4.1°/-13.3°C) |
| Mar | 38°/28°F (3.2°/-2.0°C) | 36°/19°F (2.2°/-7.1°C) |
| Apr | 42°/33°F (5.7°/0.4°C) | 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.6°C) |
| May | 49°/38°F (9.4°/3.6°C) | 66°/46°F (19.1°/7.7°C) |
| Jun | 53°/44°F (11.7°/6.7°C) | 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.7°C) |
| Jul | 56°/47°F (13.3°/8.3°C) | 80°/60°F (26.5°/15.4°C) |
| Aug | 55°/46°F (13.0°/7.9°C) | 77°/57°F (24.9°/14.1°C) |
| Sep | 50°/41°F (10.1°/5.0°C) | 67°/48°F (19.5°/9.1°C) |
| Oct | 44°/36°F (6.8°/2.2°C) | 54°/37°F (12.5°/3.0°C) |
| Nov | 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.3°C) | 41°/27°F (4.8°/-2.8°C) |
| Dec | 36°/27°F (2.2°/-2.8°C) | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.1°C) |
Data:
Icelandic Meteorological Office,
Meteorological Service of Canada
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Iceland and Canada. To live, work, or study long-term in Canada, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Canada's immigration authority.
Iceland passport holder visiting Canada
Electronic Travel Authorisation
Canada 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 Canada than Iceland?
Generally yes: Canada runs about 43% cheaper than Iceland on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Canada?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ISK9,423,000 comparable salary, that's around CA$15,018 in Canada for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Canada?
With 42.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Canada 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 Canada.
Is Canada safe for expats?
Iceland performs better than Canada across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Canada is 2.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Iceland. About 88% of people in Canada feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Canada compared to Iceland?
Iceland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Canada leads in health coverage index. There are 25.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Canada, compared to 45.2 in Iceland. Canada scores 91 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Iceland: 89).
What's the weather like in Canada compared to Iceland?
The average high temperature in Ottawa is 52°F, compared to 45°F in Reykjavik. Ottawa receives around 37.1 in of rainfall per year, while Reykjavik gets 31.4 in.
What language do they speak in Canada?
The official languages in Canada are English and French. In Iceland, the official language is Icelandic.
