Moving to Iceland from Kenya
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Kenya to Iceland — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Kenya to Iceland, you would find that Iceland is 4.7 times more expensive than Kenya overall. A KES9,693,750 salary in Kenya would need to be roughly ISK41,854,695 in Iceland to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Icelandic. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Reykjavik averages 45°F vs 74°F in Nairobi, making it significantly cooler.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Kenya to Iceland.
What does your salary buy?
KES9,693,750 → ISK41,854,695
To maintain the same standard of living in Iceland
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 5.6 times more
Groceries
pay 3.9 times more
Transportation
pay 2.3 times more
Housing
pay 7.7 times more
Childcare
pay 3.0 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 3.7 times more
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 Kenya to Iceland, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to Iceland?
Top countries of origin for Iceland's foreign-born residents.
- 21,102
- 3,918
- 3,171
- 2,604
- 2,357
- 2,284
- · · ·
-
60.103
Kenya
Key Indicator Comparison
How Kenya and Iceland 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 significantly better than Kenya 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
Kenya 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
Kenya generally does better on environment, though Iceland leads in air pollution deaths.
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 significantly better than Kenya 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 Kenya 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 significantly better than Kenya across all family life metrics.
Data: Revenue Authority, 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 | Nairobi | Reykjavik |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 77°/54°F (25°/12°C) | 37°/28°F (3°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/55°F (23°/13°C) | 48°/38°F (9°/4°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/50°F (22°/10°C) | 54°/45°F (12°/7°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 39°/31°F (4°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Nairobi | Reykjavik |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 76°/53°F (24.5°/11.5°C) | 35°/27°F (1.9°/-3.0°C) |
| Feb | 78°/53°F (25.6°/11.6°C) | 37°/28°F (2.8°/-2.1°C) |
| Mar | 78°/56°F (25.6°/13.1°C) | 38°/28°F (3.2°/-2.0°C) |
| Apr | 75°/57°F (24.1°/14.0°C) | 42°/33°F (5.7°/0.4°C) |
| May | 73°/56°F (22.6°/13.2°C) | 49°/38°F (9.4°/3.6°C) |
| Jun | 71°/52°F (21.5°/11.0°C) | 53°/44°F (11.7°/6.7°C) |
| Jul | 69°/50°F (20.6°/10.1°C) | 56°/47°F (13.3°/8.3°C) |
| Aug | 71°/50°F (21.4°/10.2°C) | 55°/46°F (13.0°/7.9°C) |
| Sep | 75°/51°F (23.7°/10.5°C) | 50°/41°F (10.1°/5.0°C) |
| Oct | 76°/54°F (24.7°/12.5°C) | 44°/36°F (6.8°/2.2°C) |
| Nov | 74°/56°F (23.1°/13.1°C) | 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.3°C) |
| Dec | 74°/55°F (23.4°/12.6°C) | 36°/27°F (2.2°/-2.8°C) |
Data:
Kenya Meteorological Department,
Icelandic Meteorological Office
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Kenya and Iceland. To live, work, or study long-term in Iceland, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Iceland's immigration authority.
Kenya passport holder visiting Iceland
Visa Required
Iceland passport holder visiting Kenya
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Iceland than Kenya?
Day-to-day costs in Iceland run about 345% higher than Kenya on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Iceland?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a KES9,693,750 comparable salary, that's around ISK10,463,674 in Iceland for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Iceland?
With 38.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Iceland can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Kenya and Iceland.
Is Iceland safe for expats?
Iceland performs significantly better than Kenya across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Iceland is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 4.9 in Kenya.
How is healthcare in Iceland compared to Kenya?
Kenya generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iceland leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 45.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Iceland, compared to 1.0 in Kenya. Iceland scores 89 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Kenya: 53).
What's the weather like in Iceland compared to Kenya?
The average high temperature in Reykjavik is 45°F, compared to 74°F in Nairobi. Reykjavik receives around 31.4 in of rainfall per year, while Nairobi gets 40.3 in.
What language do they speak in Iceland?
The official language in Iceland is Icelandic. In Kenya, the official languages are English and Swahili.
