Moving to Iceland from Mongolia

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Mongolia to Iceland, and you’d need to navigate life in Icelandic.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Mongolia to Iceland, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
5 ↓ 29% vs 2022

people moved from Mongolia 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 Mongolia 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

MN
5.9
IS
1.1
Feel safe walking at night United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

of residents who feel safe walking alone at night

MN
71%
IS
91%

Iceland performs significantly better than Mongolia across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

MN
$1,109
IS
$6,927
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

MN
38.7
IS
45.2

Iceland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Mongolia 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

MN
120.0
IS
8.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

MN
7.8t
IS
8.5t

Mongolia 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

MN
12.9
IS
38.2
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

MN
3.4%
IS
0.4%

Iceland performs significantly better than Mongolia across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

MN
6.1%
IS
3.6%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

MN
$16,300
IS
$66,500

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

MN
71.4 yrs
IS
83.6 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

MN
20.2
IS
1.6

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

Data: General Department of National Taxation, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Ulaanbaatar Rain: 10.6 in/yr (270 mm)
44° / 21°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Ulaanbaatar Reykjavik
Jan–Mar 17°/-5°F (-9°/-21°C) 37°/28°F (3°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 62°/37°F (17°/3°C) 48°/38°F (9°/4°C)
Jul–Sep 70°/48°F (21°/9°C) 54°/45°F (12°/7°C)
Oct–Dec 26°/6°F (-4°/-15°C) 39°/31°F (4°/-1°C)
View all months
Month Ulaanbaatar Reykjavik
Jan /-15°F (-15.5°/-26.1°C) 35°/27°F (1.9°/-3.0°C)
Feb 15°/-8°F (-9.6°/-22.3°C) 37°/28°F (2.8°/-2.1°C)
Mar 31°/8°F (-0.6°/-13.6°C) 38°/28°F (3.2°/-2.0°C)
Apr 49°/24°F (9.7°/-4.4°C) 42°/33°F (5.7°/0.4°C)
May 64°/38°F (17.9°/3.2°C) 49°/38°F (9.4°/3.6°C)
Jun 73°/49°F (22.7°/9.5°C) 53°/44°F (11.7°/6.7°C)
Jul 76°/55°F (24.6°/12.7°C) 56°/47°F (13.3°/8.3°C)
Aug 72°/51°F (22.4°/10.5°C) 55°/46°F (13.0°/7.9°C)
Sep 62°/38°F (16.8°/3.5°C) 50°/41°F (10.1°/5.0°C)
Oct 46°/23°F (7.7°/-4.8°C) 44°/36°F (6.8°/2.2°C)
Nov 23°/4°F (-4.8°/-15.7°C) 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.3°C)
Dec /-10°F (-13.5°/-23.1°C) 36°/27°F (2.2°/-2.8°C)

Data: National Agency for Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring of Mongolia National Agency for Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring of Mongolia, Icelandic Meteorological Office Icelandic Meteorological Office

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Mongolia 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.

Mongolia passport

Mongolia passport holder visiting Iceland

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

Iceland passport holder visiting Mongolia

Visa Free
Iceland passport holders can enter Mongolia without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

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 Mongolia and Iceland.

Is Iceland safe for expats?

Iceland performs significantly better than Mongolia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Iceland is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 5.9 in Mongolia. About 91% of people in Iceland feel safe walking alone at night.

How is healthcare in Iceland compared to Mongolia?

Iceland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Mongolia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 45.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Iceland, compared to 38.7 in Mongolia. Iceland scores 89 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Mongolia: 65).

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

The average high temperature in Reykjavik is 45°F, compared to 44°F in Ulaanbaatar. Reykjavik receives around 31.4 in of rainfall per year, while Ulaanbaatar gets 10.6 in.

What language do they speak in Iceland?

The official language in Iceland is Icelandic. In Mongolia, the official language is Mongolian.

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At a Glance

MN IS
Population 3,227,863 357,603
Currency Mongolian Tugrik (MNT) Icelandic Króna (ISK)
Languages Mongolian Icelandic
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +976 +354
Time zones 2 1
Emergency number 105 112