Moving to Singapore from Iceland
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Iceland to Singapore — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Iceland to Singapore, you would find that Singapore is 2.7% cheaper than Iceland overall. A ISK9,200,000 salary in Iceland would need to be roughly SGD93,800 in Singapore to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Chinese, English, Malay and Tamil. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Singapore averages 89°F vs 45°F in Reykjavik, making it significantly warmer.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Iceland to Singapore.
What does your salary buy?
ISK9,200,000 → SGD93,800
To maintain the same standard of living in Singapore
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 59.2% less
Groceries
pay 13.5% less
Transportation
pay 41.7% more
Housing
pay 20.4% more
Childcare
pay 34.2% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 11.9% 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 Singapore stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Singapore 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
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Singapore 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 performs better than Singapore 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
share of households with internet
Iceland performs better than Singapore 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
Singapore performs significantly better than Iceland across all employment & economy metrics.
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 generally does better on family life, though Singapore leads in life expectancy.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Directorate of Internal Revenue (2016), Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Reykjavik | Singapore |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 37°/28°F (3°/-2°C) | 89°/76°F (31°/25°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 48°/38°F (9°/4°C) | 90°/78°F (32°/26°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 54°/45°F (12°/7°C) | 89°/78°F (31°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/31°F (4°/-1°C) | 88°/76°F (31°/25°C) |
View all months
| Month | Reykjavik | Singapore |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/27°F (1.9°/-3.0°C) | 87°/76°F (30.6°/24.3°C) |
| Feb | 37°/28°F (2.8°/-2.1°C) | 89°/76°F (31.5°/24.6°C) |
| Mar | 38°/28°F (3.2°/-2.0°C) | 90°/77°F (32.2°/24.9°C) |
| Apr | 42°/33°F (5.7°/0.4°C) | 90°/78°F (32.4°/25.3°C) |
| May | 49°/38°F (9.4°/3.6°C) | 90°/78°F (32.3°/25.7°C) |
| Jun | 53°/44°F (11.7°/6.7°C) | 89°/78°F (31.9°/25.7°C) |
| Jul | 56°/47°F (13.3°/8.3°C) | 89°/78°F (31.4°/25.4°C) |
| Aug | 55°/46°F (13.0°/7.9°C) | 89°/78°F (31.4°/25.3°C) |
| Sep | 50°/41°F (10.1°/5.0°C) | 89°/77°F (31.6°/25.2°C) |
| Oct | 44°/36°F (6.8°/2.2°C) | 89°/77°F (31.8°/25.0°C) |
| Nov | 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.3°C) | 88°/76°F (31.2°/24.6°C) |
| Dec | 36°/27°F (2.2°/-2.8°C) | 87°/76°F (30.5°/24.3°C) |
Data:
Icelandic Meteorological Office,
Meteorological Service Singapore
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Iceland and Singapore. To live, work, or study long-term in Singapore, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Singapore's immigration authority.
Iceland passport holder visiting Singapore
Visa Free
Singapore 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 Singapore than Iceland?
Generally yes: Singapore runs about 3% cheaper than Iceland on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Singapore?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ISK9,200,000 comparable salary, that's around SGD23,450 in Singapore for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Singapore?
With 27.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Singapore 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 Singapore.
Is Singapore safe for expats?
Singapore performs significantly better than Iceland across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Singapore is 0.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.3 in Iceland.
How is healthcare in Singapore compared to Iceland?
Singapore generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iceland leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 28.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Singapore, compared to 43.7 in Iceland. Singapore scores 89 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Iceland: 89).
What's the weather like in Singapore compared to Iceland?
The average high temperature in Singapore is 89°F, compared to 45°F in Reykjavik. Singapore receives around 83.2 in of rainfall per year, while Reykjavik gets 31.4 in.
What language do they speak in Singapore?
The official languages in Singapore are Chinese, English, Malay and Tamil. In Iceland, the official language is Icelandic.
