Moving to Maine from Iceland
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Iceland to Maine — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Iceland to Maine, you would find that Maine is 16.6% more expensive than Iceland overall. A ISK9,414,750 salary in Iceland would need to be roughly $43,889 in Maine to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Augusta averages 77°F vs 45°F in Reykjavik, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Iceland to Maine.
What does your salary buy?
ISK9,414,750 → $43,889
To maintain the same standard of living in Maine
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 24.1% less
Groceries
pay 9.2% less
Transportation
pay 43.4% less
Housing
pay 11.2% more
Childcare
pay 3.5 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 28.2% 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?
How many people actually move from Iceland to Maine, based on official data.
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
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Iceland to Maine.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Iceland performs better than Maine across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Iceland performs better than Maine 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 Maine leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Iceland performs better than Maine 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 | Augusta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 37°/28°F (3°/-2°C) | 63°/37°F (17°/3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 48°/38°F (9°/4°C) | 84°/57°F (29°/14°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 54°/45°F (12°/7°C) | 91°/67°F (33°/20°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/31°F (4°/-1°C) | 69°/42°F (21°/6°C) |
View all months
| Month | Reykjavik | Augusta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/27°F (1.9°/-3.0°C) | 58°/33°F (14.4°/0.4°C) |
| Feb | 37°/28°F (2.8°/-2.1°C) | 62°/36°F (16.8°/2.2°C) |
| Mar | 38°/28°F (3.2°/-2.0°C) | 70°/42°F (21.1°/5.6°C) |
| Apr | 42°/33°F (5.7°/0.4°C) | 77°/48°F (25.2°/8.9°C) |
| May | 49°/38°F (9.4°/3.6°C) | 85°/57°F (29.4°/14.1°C) |
| Jun | 53°/44°F (11.7°/6.7°C) | 91°/66°F (32.8°/19.0°C) |
| Jul | 56°/47°F (13.3°/8.3°C) | 93°/70°F (34.1°/21.0°C) |
| Aug | 55°/46°F (13.0°/7.9°C) | 92°/69°F (33.2°/20.7°C) |
| Sep | 50°/41°F (10.1°/5.0°C) | 87°/63°F (30.4°/17.0°C) |
| Oct | 44°/36°F (6.8°/2.2°C) | 78°/51°F (25.4°/10.6°C) |
| Nov | 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.3°C) | 69°/41°F (20.6°/5.2°C) |
| Dec | 36°/27°F (2.2°/-2.8°C) | 60°/35°F (15.6°/1.4°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 Maine than Iceland?
Yes — Maine is on average about 41% cheaper than Iceland. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Maine?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $10,972 in Maine on a ISK9,414,750 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Maine?
Usually fine from major cities in Maine. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
How is healthcare in Maine compared to Iceland?
Iceland performs better than Maine across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Maine compared to Iceland?
The average high temperature in Augusta is 77°F, compared to 45°F in Reykjavik. Augusta receives around 43.6 in of rainfall per year, while Reykjavik gets 31.4 in.
What language do they speak in Maine?
The official language in Maine is English. In Iceland, the official language is Icelandic.
