Moving to Denmark from Iceland
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Iceland to Denmark — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Iceland to Denmark, you would find that Denmark is 10.3% cheaper than Iceland overall. A ISK9,222,000 salary in Iceland would need to be roughly DKK325,848 in Denmark to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Danish.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Iceland to Denmark.
What does your salary buy?
ISK9,222,000 → DKK325,848
To maintain the same standard of living in Denmark
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 4.2% less
Groceries
pay 14.0% less
Transportation
pay 0.4% less
Housing
pay 7.1% less
Childcare
pay 3.3% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 16.5% 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 Denmark, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Iceland and Denmark stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Denmark performs significantly better than Iceland 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
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Iceland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Denmark leads in suicide rate.
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 Denmark 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
Iceland generally does better on infrastructure, though Denmark 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
Iceland generally does better on employment & economy, though Denmark leads in gdp per capita.
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 Denmark 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 | Copenhagen |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 37°/28°F (3°/-2°C) | 38°/29°F (3°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 48°/38°F (9°/4°C) | 58°/44°F (15°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 54°/45°F (12°/7°C) | 66°/53°F (19°/12°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/31°F (4°/-1°C) | 46°/37°F (8°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Reykjavik | Copenhagen |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/27°F (1.9°/-3.0°C) | 36°/28°F (2.0°/-2.0°C) |
| Feb | 37°/28°F (2.8°/-2.1°C) | 36°/28°F (2.0°/-2.0°C) |
| Mar | 38°/28°F (3.2°/-2.0°C) | 41°/30°F (5.0°/-1.0°C) |
| Apr | 42°/33°F (5.7°/0.4°C) | 50°/36°F (10.0°/2.0°C) |
| May | 49°/38°F (9.4°/3.6°C) | 59°/45°F (15.0°/7.0°C) |
| Jun | 53°/44°F (11.7°/6.7°C) | 66°/52°F (19.0°/11.0°C) |
| Jul | 56°/47°F (13.3°/8.3°C) | 68°/55°F (20.0°/13.0°C) |
| Aug | 55°/46°F (13.0°/7.9°C) | 68°/55°F (20.0°/13.0°C) |
| Sep | 50°/41°F (10.1°/5.0°C) | 63°/50°F (17.0°/10.0°C) |
| Oct | 44°/36°F (6.8°/2.2°C) | 54°/45°F (12.0°/7.0°C) |
| Nov | 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.3°C) | 45°/37°F (7.0°/3.0°C) |
| Dec | 36°/27°F (2.2°/-2.8°C) | 39°/30°F (4.0°/-1.0°C) |
Data:
Icelandic Meteorological Office,
Danish Meteorological Institute
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Iceland and Denmark. To live, work, or study long-term in Denmark, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Denmark's immigration authority.
Iceland passport holder visiting Denmark
Visa Free
Denmark 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 Denmark than Iceland?
Generally yes: Denmark runs about 32% cheaper than Iceland on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Denmark?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ISK9,222,000 comparable salary, that's around DKK81,462 in Denmark for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Denmark?
With 45.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Denmark 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 Denmark.
Is Denmark safe for expats?
Denmark performs significantly better than Iceland across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Denmark is 1.0 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Iceland.
How is healthcare in Denmark compared to Iceland?
Iceland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Denmark leads in suicide rate. There are 43.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Denmark, compared to 45.2 in Iceland. Denmark scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Iceland: 89).
What's the weather like in Denmark compared to Iceland?
The average high temperature in Copenhagen is 52°F, compared to 45°F in Reykjavik. Copenhagen receives around 20.7 in of rainfall per year, while Reykjavik gets 31.4 in.
What language do they speak in Denmark?
The official language in Denmark is Danish. In Iceland, the official language is Icelandic.
