Moving to Kuwait from Iceland
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Iceland to Kuwait — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Iceland to Kuwait, you would find that Kuwait is 55.3% cheaper than Iceland overall. A ISK9,222,000 salary in Iceland would need to be roughly KWD9,265 in Kuwait to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Arabic. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Kuwait City averages 94°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 Kuwait.
What does your salary buy?
ISK9,222,000 → KWD9,265
To maintain the same standard of living in Kuwait
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 74.9% less
Groceries
pay 59.8% less
Transportation
pay 50.0% less
Housing
pay 56.8% less
Childcare
pay 54.9% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 33.9% 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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Key Indicator Comparison
How Iceland and Kuwait 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 Kuwait 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
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Iceland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kuwait leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Iceland performs better than Kuwait 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
Iceland performs better than Kuwait 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
Kuwait generally does better on employment & economy, though Iceland 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 Kuwait 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 | Kuwait City |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 37°/28°F (3°/-2°C) | 73°/51°F (23°/11°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 48°/38°F (9°/4°C) | 104°/76°F (40°/25°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 54°/45°F (12°/7°C) | 114°/84°F (46°/29°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/31°F (4°/-1°C) | 84°/60°F (29°/15°C) |
View all months
| Month | Reykjavik | Kuwait City |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/27°F (1.9°/-3.0°C) | 67°/47°F (19.5°/8.5°C) |
| Feb | 37°/28°F (2.8°/-2.1°C) | 71°/50°F (21.8°/10.0°C) |
| Mar | 38°/28°F (3.2°/-2.0°C) | 80°/57°F (26.9°/14.0°C) |
| Apr | 42°/33°F (5.7°/0.4°C) | 93°/67°F (33.9°/19.5°C) |
| May | 49°/38°F (9.4°/3.6°C) | 106°/78°F (40.9°/25.4°C) |
| Jun | 53°/44°F (11.7°/6.7°C) | 114°/84°F (45.5°/28.9°C) |
| Jul | 56°/47°F (13.3°/8.3°C) | 116°/87°F (46.7°/30.7°C) |
| Aug | 55°/46°F (13.0°/7.9°C) | 116°/85°F (46.9°/29.5°C) |
| Sep | 50°/41°F (10.1°/5.0°C) | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.2°C) |
| Oct | 44°/36°F (6.8°/2.2°C) | 98°/71°F (36.6°/21.5°C) |
| Nov | 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.3°C) | 82°/58°F (27.8°/14.5°C) |
| Dec | 36°/27°F (2.2°/-2.8°C) | 71°/50°F (21.9°/9.9°C) |
Data:
Icelandic Meteorological Office,
Meteorological Department
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Iceland and Kuwait. To live, work, or study long-term in Kuwait, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Kuwait's immigration authority.
Iceland passport holder visiting Kuwait
Visa on Arrival
Kuwait passport holder visiting Iceland
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Kuwait than Iceland?
Generally yes: Kuwait runs about 60% cheaper than Iceland on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Kuwait?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ISK9,222,000 comparable salary, that's around KWD2,316 in Kuwait for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Kuwait?
With 1.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Kuwait 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 Kuwait.
Is Kuwait safe for expats?
Iceland generally does better on safety, though Kuwait leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Kuwait is 0.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Iceland.
How is healthcare in Kuwait compared to Iceland?
Iceland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kuwait leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 22.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Kuwait, compared to 45.2 in Iceland. Kuwait scores 78 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Iceland: 89).
What's the weather like in Kuwait compared to Iceland?
The average high temperature in Kuwait City is 94°F, compared to 45°F in Reykjavik. Kuwait City receives around 4.6 in of rainfall per year, while Reykjavik gets 31.4 in.
What language do they speak in Kuwait?
The official language in Kuwait is Arabic. In Iceland, the official language is Icelandic.
