Moving to Rwanda from Iceland
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Iceland to Rwanda — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Iceland to Rwanda, and you’d need to navigate life in English, French and Kinyarwanda. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Kigali averages 80°F vs 45°F in Reykjavik, making it significantly warmer.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Iceland and Rwanda stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Iceland performs better than Rwanda 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
Rwanda generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iceland leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
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 Rwanda 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
share of households with internet
Iceland performs better than Rwanda 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
share of people below the poverty line
Iceland generally does better on employment & economy, though Rwanda 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 performs better than Rwanda 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 | Kigali |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 37°/28°F (3°/-2°C) | 80°/60°F (27°/16°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 48°/38°F (9°/4°C) | 79°/61°F (26°/16°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 54°/45°F (12°/7°C) | 82°/60°F (28°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/31°F (4°/-1°C) | 80°/60°F (27°/16°C) |
View all months
| Month | Reykjavik | Kigali |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/27°F (1.9°/-3.0°C) | 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.6°C) |
| Feb | 37°/28°F (2.8°/-2.1°C) | 81°/60°F (27.4°/15.8°C) |
| Mar | 38°/28°F (3.2°/-2.0°C) | 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.7°C) |
| Apr | 42°/33°F (5.7°/0.4°C) | 79°/61°F (26.2°/16.1°C) |
| May | 49°/38°F (9.4°/3.6°C) | 79°/61°F (25.9°/16.2°C) |
| Jun | 53°/44°F (11.7°/6.7°C) | 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.3°C) |
| Jul | 56°/47°F (13.3°/8.3°C) | 81°/59°F (27.1°/15.0°C) |
| Aug | 55°/46°F (13.0°/7.9°C) | 82°/61°F (28.0°/16.0°C) |
| Sep | 50°/41°F (10.1°/5.0°C) | 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.0°C) |
| Oct | 44°/36°F (6.8°/2.2°C) | 81°/61°F (27.2°/15.9°C) |
| Nov | 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.3°C) | 79°/60°F (26.1°/15.5°C) |
| Dec | 36°/27°F (2.2°/-2.8°C) | 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.6°C) |
Data:
Icelandic Meteorological Office,
Rwanda Meteorology Agency
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Iceland and Rwanda. To live, work, or study long-term in Rwanda, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Rwanda's immigration authority.
Iceland passport holder visiting Rwanda
Visa on Arrival
Rwanda passport holder visiting Iceland
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work remotely from Rwanda?
With 0.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Rwanda 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 Rwanda.
Is Rwanda safe for expats?
Iceland performs better than Rwanda across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Rwanda is 3.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Iceland.
How is healthcare in Rwanda compared to Iceland?
Rwanda generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iceland leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 1.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Rwanda, compared to 45.2 in Iceland. Rwanda scores 49 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Iceland: 89).
What's the weather like in Rwanda compared to Iceland?
The average high temperature in Kigali is 80°F, compared to 45°F in Reykjavik. Kigali receives around 37.4 in of rainfall per year, while Reykjavik gets 31.4 in.
What language do they speak in Rwanda?
The official languages in Rwanda are English, French and Kinyarwanda. In Iceland, the official language is Icelandic.
