Moving to Iceland from Lebanon

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Lebanon to Iceland — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Lebanon to Iceland, you would find that Iceland is 3.0 times more expensive than Lebanon overall. A LBP6,708,291,404 salary in Lebanon would need to be roughly ISK25,827,043 in Iceland to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Icelandic.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Lebanon to Iceland.

What does your salary buy?

LBP6,708,291,404 ISK25,827,043

To maintain the same standard of living in Iceland

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 2.9 times more

Groceries

pay 3.3 times more

Transportation

pay 80.3% more

Housing

pay 3.4 times more

Childcare

pay 4.4 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.8 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 LBP = 0.0014 ISK (July 2026)

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 Lebanon to Iceland, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
1 ↓ 75% vs 2022

people moved from Lebanon to Iceland · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to Iceland?

Top countries of origin for Iceland's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Lebanon and Iceland stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

LB
2.3
IS
1.1
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

LB
9.7
IS
2.4

Iceland performs significantly better than Lebanon across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

LB
$644
IS
$6,927
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

LB
26.2
IS
45.2

Iceland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Lebanon leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

LB
59.0
IS
8.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

LB
1.9t
IS
8.5t

Lebanon generally does better on environment, though Iceland leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

LB
7.6
IS
38.2
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

LB
58.8%
IS
0.4%

Iceland performs significantly better than Lebanon across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

LB
11.6%
IS
3.6%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

LB
$12,300
IS
$66,500

Iceland generally does better on employment & economy, though Lebanon leads in top income tax rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

LB
78.8 yrs
IS
83.6 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

LB
7.0
IS
1.6

Iceland performs significantly better than Lebanon across all family life metrics.

Data: Ministry of Finance, Lebanon, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Beirut Rain: 32.5 in/yr (826 mm)
None° / None°F

Avg. annual high / low

Reykjavik Rain: 31.4 in/yr (798 mm)
45° / 35°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Beirut Reykjavik
Jan–Mar 37°/28°F (3°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 48°/38°F (9°/4°C)
Jul–Sep 54°/45°F (12°/7°C)
Oct–Dec 39°/31°F (4°/-1°C)
View all months
Month Beirut Reykjavik
Jan 35°/27°F (1.9°/-3.0°C)
Feb 37°/28°F (2.8°/-2.1°C)
Mar 38°/28°F (3.2°/-2.0°C)
Apr 42°/33°F (5.7°/0.4°C)
May 49°/38°F (9.4°/3.6°C)
Jun 53°/44°F (11.7°/6.7°C)
Jul 56°/47°F (13.3°/8.3°C)
Aug 55°/46°F (13.0°/7.9°C)
Sep 50°/41°F (10.1°/5.0°C)
Oct 44°/36°F (6.8°/2.2°C)
Nov 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.3°C)
Dec 36°/27°F (2.2°/-2.8°C)

Data: Icelandic Meteorological Office Icelandic Meteorological Office

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Lebanon 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.

Lebanon passport

Lebanon passport holder visiting Iceland

Visa Required
Lebanon passport holders need a visa to enter Iceland.
Iceland passport

Iceland passport holder visiting Lebanon

Visa on Arrival
Iceland passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival in Lebanon.

Data: 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 Lebanon?

Day-to-day costs in Iceland run about 175% higher than Lebanon 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 LBP6,708,291,404 comparable salary, that's around ISK6,456,761 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 Lebanon and Iceland.

Is Iceland safe for expats?

Iceland performs significantly better than Lebanon across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Iceland is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.3 in Lebanon.

How is healthcare in Iceland compared to Lebanon?

Iceland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Lebanon leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 45.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Iceland, compared to 26.2 in Lebanon. Iceland scores 89 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Lebanon: 73).

What's the weather like in Iceland compared to Lebanon?

The average high temperature in Reykjavik is 45°F, compared to None°F in Beirut. Reykjavik receives around 31.4 in of rainfall per year, while Beirut gets 32.5 in.

What language do they speak in Iceland?

The official language in Iceland is Icelandic. In Lebanon, the official languages are Arabic and French.

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At a Glance

LB IS
Population 5,296,814 357,603
Currency Lebanese Pound (LBP) Icelandic Króna (ISK)
Languages Arabic, French Icelandic
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +961 +354
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112