Moving to Iceland from Libya

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Libya to Iceland, you would find that Iceland is 11.9 times more expensive than Libya overall. A LYD478,235 salary in Libya would need to be roughly ISK52,038,440 in Iceland to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Icelandic. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Reykjavik averages 45°F vs 78°F in Tripoli, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

LYD478,235 ISK52,038,440

To maintain the same standard of living in Iceland

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 11.0 times more

Groceries

pay 5.3 times more

Transportation

pay 25.1 times more

Housing

pay 9.0 times more

Childcare

pay 20.9 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 8.5 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 LYD = 19.66 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 Libya to Iceland, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
5 ↑ 400% vs 2022

people moved from Libya 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 Libya and Iceland stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

LY
34.0
IS
2.4

Iceland performs significantly better than Libya across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

LY
$1,055
IS
$6,927
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

LY
21.6
IS
45.2

Iceland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Libya 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

LY
54.0
IS
8.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

LY
8.7t
IS
8.5t

Iceland performs significantly better than Libya across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

LY
4.8
IS
38.2
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

LY
817.1%
IS
0.4%

Iceland performs significantly better than Libya across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

LY
18.7%
IS
3.6%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

LY
$17,700
IS
$66,500

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

LY
77.2 yrs
IS
83.6 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

LY
11.2
IS
1.6

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

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

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Tripoli Rain: 13.1 in/yr (334 mm)
78° / 60°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Tripoli Reykjavik
Jan–Mar 66°/50°F (19°/10°C) 37°/28°F (3°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 81°/62°F (27°/17°C) 48°/38°F (9°/4°C)
Jul–Sep 89°/72°F (32°/22°C) 54°/45°F (12°/7°C)
Oct–Dec 74°/57°F (23°/14°C) 39°/31°F (4°/-1°C)
View all months
Month Tripoli Reykjavik
Jan 64°/48°F (17.9°/8.9°C) 35°/27°F (1.9°/-3.0°C)
Feb 66°/49°F (19.1°/9.5°C) 37°/28°F (2.8°/-2.1°C)
Mar 69°/52°F (20.7°/11.2°C) 38°/28°F (3.2°/-2.0°C)
Apr 75°/57°F (23.7°/13.7°C) 42°/33°F (5.7°/0.4°C)
May 81°/62°F (27.1°/16.7°C) 49°/38°F (9.4°/3.6°C)
Jun 87°/68°F (30.4°/20.1°C) 53°/44°F (11.7°/6.7°C)
Jul 89°/71°F (31.7°/21.7°C) 56°/47°F (13.3°/8.3°C)
Aug 91°/73°F (32.6°/22.7°C) 55°/46°F (13.0°/7.9°C)
Sep 88°/71°F (31.0°/21.4°C) 50°/41°F (10.1°/5.0°C)
Oct 82°/64°F (27.7°/18.0°C) 44°/36°F (6.8°/2.2°C)
Nov 74°/56°F (23.3°/13.4°C) 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.3°C)
Dec 67°/50°F (19.3°/9.9°C) 36°/27°F (2.2°/-2.8°C)

Data: National Meteorological Centre National Meteorological Centre, Icelandic Meteorological Office Icelandic Meteorological Office

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Libya 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.

Libya passport

Libya passport holder visiting Iceland

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

Iceland passport holder visiting Libya

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

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 Libya?

Day-to-day costs in Iceland run about 453% higher than Libya 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 LYD478,235 comparable salary, that's around ISK13,009,610 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 Libya and Iceland.

Is Iceland safe for expats?

Iceland performs significantly better than Libya across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Iceland compared to Libya?

Iceland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Libya leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 45.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Iceland, compared to 21.6 in Libya. Iceland scores 89 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Libya: 62).

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

The average high temperature in Reykjavik is 45°F, compared to 78°F in Tripoli. Reykjavik receives around 31.4 in of rainfall per year, while Tripoli gets 13.1 in.

What language do they speak in Iceland?

The official language in Iceland is Icelandic. In Libya, the official language is Arabic.

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At a Glance

LY IS
Population 7,137,931 357,603
Currency Libyan Dinar (LYD) Icelandic Króna (ISK)
Languages Arabic Icelandic
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +218 +354
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112