Moving to Zimbabwe from Iceland
What to Expect
Considering a move from Iceland to Zimbabwe? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Iceland to Zimbabwe, you would find that Zimbabwe is 71.2% cheaper than Iceland overall. A ISK9,200,000 salary in Iceland would need to be roughly ZWL6,980,000 in Zimbabwe to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zimbabwean Sign Language. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Harare averages 78°F vs 45°F in Reykjavik, making it significantly warmer.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Iceland and Zimbabwe.
What does your salary buy?
ISK9,200,000 → ZWL6,980,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Zimbabwe
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 77.1% less
Groceries
pay 54.7% less
Transportation
pay 37.4% less
Housing
pay 82.6% less
Childcare
pay 70.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 67.7% 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
The numbers behind daily life in Zimbabwe compared to Iceland.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Iceland performs better than Zimbabwe 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 Zimbabwe 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 Zimbabwe 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 Zimbabwe 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 performs better than Zimbabwe 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 performs better than Zimbabwe across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2017–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Directorate of Internal Revenue (2016), Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (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 | Harare |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 37°/28°F (3°/-2°C) | 79°/59°F (26°/15°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 48°/38°F (9°/4°C) | 75°/49°F (24°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 54°/45°F (12°/7°C) | 76°/48°F (25°/9°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/31°F (4°/-1°C) | 82°/59°F (28°/15°C) |
View all months
| Month | Reykjavik | Harare |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/27°F (1.9°/-3.0°C) | 79°/60°F (26.2°/15.8°C) |
| Feb | 37°/28°F (2.8°/-2.1°C) | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.7°C) |
| Mar | 38°/28°F (3.2°/-2.0°C) | 79°/58°F (26.2°/14.5°C) |
| Apr | 42°/33°F (5.7°/0.4°C) | 78°/54°F (25.6°/12.5°C) |
| May | 49°/38°F (9.4°/3.6°C) | 75°/49°F (23.8°/9.3°C) |
| Jun | 53°/44°F (11.7°/6.7°C) | 71°/44°F (21.8°/6.8°C) |
| Jul | 56°/47°F (13.3°/8.3°C) | 71°/44°F (21.6°/6.5°C) |
| Aug | 55°/46°F (13.0°/7.9°C) | 75°/47°F (24.1°/8.5°C) |
| Sep | 50°/41°F (10.1°/5.0°C) | 83°/53°F (28.4°/11.7°C) |
| Oct | 44°/36°F (6.8°/2.2°C) | 84°/58°F (28.8°/14.5°C) |
| Nov | 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.3°C) | 82°/60°F (27.6°/15.5°C) |
| Dec | 36°/27°F (2.2°/-2.8°C) | 79°/60°F (26.3°/15.8°C) |
Data:
Icelandic Meteorological Office,
Meteorological Services Department
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Iceland and Zimbabwe. To live, work, or study long-term in Zimbabwe, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Zimbabwe's immigration authority.
Iceland passport holder visiting Zimbabwe
Visa on Arrival
Zimbabwe passport holder visiting Iceland
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Zimbabwe than Iceland?
On average Zimbabwe is about 71% less expensive than Iceland, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Zimbabwe?
Budget about ZWL1,745,000 for 3 months in Zimbabwe (based on a ISK9,200,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Zimbabwe?
Connectivity is usually fine (Zimbabwe: 1.9 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Zimbabwe offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Zimbabwe safe for expats?
Iceland performs better than Zimbabwe across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Zimbabwe is 6.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.3 in Iceland.
How is healthcare in Zimbabwe compared to Iceland?
Iceland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Zimbabwe leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 1.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Zimbabwe, compared to 43.7 in Iceland. Zimbabwe scores 55 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Iceland: 89).
What's the weather like in Zimbabwe compared to Iceland?
The average high temperature in Harare is 78°F, compared to 45°F in Reykjavik. Harare receives around 33.1 in of rainfall per year, while Reykjavik gets 31.4 in.
What language do they speak in Zimbabwe?
The official languages in Zimbabwe are Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zimbabwean Sign Language. In Iceland, the official language is Icelandic.
Compare further: Iceland vs. Zimbabwe
At a Glance
IS
|
ZW
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 392,404 | 16,950,795 |
| Currency | Icelandic Króna (ISK) | Zimbabwean Dollar (ZWL) |
| Languages | Icelandic | Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zimbabwean Sign Language |
| Driving side | Right | Left |
| Calling code | +354 | +263 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 112 | 999 |