Moving to West Virginia from Iceland
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Iceland to West Virginia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Iceland to West Virginia, you would find that West Virginia is 19.2% cheaper than Iceland overall. A ISK9,486,750 salary in Iceland would need to be roughly $34,546 in West Virginia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Charleston averages 73°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 West Virginia.
What does your salary buy?
ISK9,486,750 → $34,546
To maintain the same standard of living in West Virginia
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 36.9% less
Groceries
pay 26.8% less
Transportation
pay 41.5% less
Housing
pay 13.3% more
Childcare
pay 50.9% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 41.1% 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?
Real numbers on people moving from Iceland to West Virginia, and how the trend has changed.
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
How Iceland and West Virginia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Iceland performs better than West Virginia across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Iceland performs better than West Virginia 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 performs better than West Virginia across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Iceland performs better than West Virginia 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 | Charleston |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 37°/28°F (3°/-2°C) | 61°/47°F (16°/8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 48°/38°F (9°/4°C) | 79°/67°F (26°/19°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 54°/45°F (12°/7°C) | 85°/75°F (30°/24°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/31°F (4°/-1°C) | 67°/54°F (20°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Reykjavik | Charleston |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/27°F (1.9°/-3.0°C) | 57°/43°F (13.7°/6.0°C) |
| Feb | 37°/28°F (2.8°/-2.1°C) | 60°/46°F (15.3°/7.5°C) |
| Mar | 38°/28°F (3.2°/-2.0°C) | 65°/52°F (18.3°/10.9°C) |
| Apr | 42°/33°F (5.7°/0.4°C) | 72°/59°F (22.2°/14.9°C) |
| May | 49°/38°F (9.4°/3.6°C) | 79°/67°F (25.9°/19.5°C) |
| Jun | 53°/44°F (11.7°/6.7°C) | 85°/74°F (29.2°/23.3°C) |
| Jul | 56°/47°F (13.3°/8.3°C) | 88°/77°F (30.9°/24.9°C) |
| Aug | 55°/46°F (13.0°/7.9°C) | 86°/76°F (30.2°/24.5°C) |
| Sep | 50°/41°F (10.1°/5.0°C) | 82°/72°F (27.8°/22.1°C) |
| Oct | 44°/36°F (6.8°/2.2°C) | 75°/62°F (23.7°/16.9°C) |
| Nov | 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.3°C) | 67°/54°F (19.6°/12.0°C) |
| Dec | 36°/27°F (2.2°/-2.8°C) | 60°/46°F (15.3°/7.6°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 West Virginia than Iceland?
Generally yes: West Virginia runs about 54% cheaper than Iceland on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to West Virginia?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ISK9,486,750 comparable salary, that's around $8,636 in West Virginia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from West Virginia?
Working remotely from West Virginia's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Iceland and West Virginia.
How is healthcare in West Virginia compared to Iceland?
Iceland performs better than West Virginia across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in West Virginia compared to Iceland?
The average high temperature in Charleston is 73°F, compared to 45°F in Reykjavik. Charleston receives around 44.4 in of rainfall per year, while Reykjavik gets 31.4 in.
What language do they speak in West Virginia?
The official language in West Virginia is English. In Iceland, the official language is Icelandic.
