Moving to Samoa from Iceland
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Iceland to Samoa — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Iceland to Samoa, and you’d need to navigate life in English and Samoan. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Apia averages 86°F vs 45°F in Reykjavik, making it significantly warmer.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Iceland and Samoa 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 Samoa 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 Samoa 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 generally does better on environment, though Samoa leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
share of households with internet
Iceland performs better than Samoa 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 Samoa 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 Samoa 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 | Apia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 37°/28°F (3°/-2°C) | 87°/75°F (31°/24°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 48°/38°F (9°/4°C) | 87°/74°F (30°/23°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 54°/45°F (12°/7°C) | 85°/73°F (30°/23°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/31°F (4°/-1°C) | 87°/74°F (30°/24°C) |
View all months
| Month | Reykjavik | Apia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/27°F (1.9°/-3.0°C) | 87°/75°F (30.4°/23.9°C) |
| Feb | 37°/28°F (2.8°/-2.1°C) | 87°/76°F (30.6°/24.2°C) |
| Mar | 38°/28°F (3.2°/-2.0°C) | 87°/75°F (30.6°/24.0°C) |
| Apr | 42°/33°F (5.7°/0.4°C) | 87°/75°F (30.7°/23.8°C) |
| May | 49°/38°F (9.4°/3.6°C) | 87°/74°F (30.4°/23.4°C) |
| Jun | 53°/44°F (11.7°/6.7°C) | 86°/74°F (30.0°/23.2°C) |
| Jul | 56°/47°F (13.3°/8.3°C) | 85°/73°F (29.5°/22.6°C) |
| Aug | 55°/46°F (13.0°/7.9°C) | 85°/73°F (29.6°/22.8°C) |
| Sep | 50°/41°F (10.1°/5.0°C) | 86°/74°F (29.9°/23.1°C) |
| Oct | 44°/36°F (6.8°/2.2°C) | 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.4°C) |
| Nov | 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.3°C) | 87°/74°F (30.3°/23.6°C) |
| Dec | 36°/27°F (2.2°/-2.8°C) | 87°/75°F (30.5°/23.8°C) |
Icelandic Meteorological OfficeVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Iceland and Samoa. To live, work, or study long-term in Samoa, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Samoa's immigration authority.
Iceland passport holder visiting Samoa
Visa on Arrival
Samoa passport holder visiting Iceland
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work remotely from Samoa?
With 0.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Samoa 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 Samoa.
Is Samoa safe for expats?
Iceland performs better than Samoa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Samoa is 6.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Iceland.
How is healthcare in Samoa compared to Iceland?
Iceland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Samoa leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 5.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Samoa, compared to 45.2 in Iceland. Samoa scores 55 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Iceland: 89).
What's the weather like in Samoa compared to Iceland?
The average high temperature in Apia is 86°F, compared to 45°F in Reykjavik. Apia receives around 116.7 in of rainfall per year, while Reykjavik gets 31.4 in.
What language do they speak in Samoa?
The official languages in Samoa are English and Samoan. In Iceland, the official language is Icelandic.
