Moving to Iceland from Montenegro

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Montenegro to Iceland, you would find that Iceland is 2.4 times more expensive than Montenegro overall. A €67,000 salary in Montenegro would need to be roughly ISK22,300,000 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 69°F in Podgorica, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

€67,000 → ISK22,300,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Iceland

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 2.3 times more

Groceries

pay 2.3 times more

Transportation

pay 68.4% more

Housing

pay 3.0 times more

Childcare

pay 3.0 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.7 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 136.84 ISK (October 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 Montenegro to Iceland, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
4 ↓ 33% vs 2022

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

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

ME
0.8
IS
1.3
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

ME
9.1
IS
2.4

Montenegro generally does better on safety, though Iceland leads in road traffic deaths.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

ME
$2,908
IS
$6,927
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

ME
27.8
IS
43.7

Montenegro generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iceland leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

ME
60.0
IS
8.0

Iceland performs significantly better than Montenegro across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

ME
32.3
IS
37.5
Electricity per capita World Bank, 2024

annual consumption — reflects grid capacity

ME
4,564 kWh
IS
48,998 kWh

Iceland performs significantly better than Montenegro across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

ME
13.6%
IS
3.6%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

ME
$14,817
IS
$98,323

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

ME
77.9 yrs
IS
82.8 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

ME
1.9
IS
2.1

Montenegro generally does better on family life, though Iceland leads in life expectancy.

Sources: World Bank (2017–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Department of Public Revenues, Montenegro (2016), Directorate of Internal Revenue (2016). How we calculate this

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Podgorica Rain: 65.4 in/yr (1661 mm)
69° / 51°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Podgorica Reykjavik
Jan–Mar 53°/38°F (12°/3°C) 37°/28°F (3°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 75°/56°F (24°/13°C) 48°/38°F (9°/4°C)
Jul–Sep 86°/66°F (30°/19°C) 54°/45°F (12°/7°C)
Oct–Dec 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) 39°/31°F (4°/-1°C)
View all months
Month Podgorica Reykjavik
Jan 49°/35°F (9.5°/1.4°C) 35°/27°F (1.9°/-3.0°C)
Feb 52°/38°F (11.3°/3.1°C) 37°/28°F (2.8°/-2.1°C)
Mar 59°/42°F (15.1°/5.8°C) 38°/28°F (3.2°/-2.0°C)
Apr 66°/48°F (19.1°/9.1°C) 42°/33°F (5.7°/0.4°C)
May 76°/56°F (24.3°/13.5°C) 49°/38°F (9.4°/3.6°C)
Jun 83°/63°F (28.2°/17.3°C) 53°/44°F (11.7°/6.7°C)
Jul 89°/69°F (31.8°/20.3°C) 56°/47°F (13.3°/8.3°C)
Aug 89°/68°F (31.7°/20.2°C) 55°/46°F (13.0°/7.9°C)
Sep 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.5°C) 50°/41°F (10.1°/5.0°C)
Oct 71°/53°F (21.7°/11.6°C) 44°/36°F (6.8°/2.2°C)
Nov 60°/44°F (15.4°/6.8°C) 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.3°C)
Dec 52°/37°F (11.1°/2.9°C) 36°/27°F (2.2°/-2.8°C)

Data: Institute of Hydrometeorology and Seismology Institute of Hydrometeorology and Seismology, Icelandic Meteorological Office Icelandic Meteorological Office

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Montenegro 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.

Montenegro passport

Montenegro passport holder visiting Iceland

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

Iceland passport holder visiting Montenegro

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

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 Montenegro?

Day-to-day costs in Iceland run about 143% higher than Montenegro 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 €67,000 comparable salary, that's around ISK5,575,000 in Iceland for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Iceland?

With 37.5 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 Montenegro and Iceland.

Is Iceland safe for expats?

Montenegro generally does better on safety, though Iceland leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Iceland is 1.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Montenegro.

How is healthcare in Iceland compared to Montenegro?

Montenegro generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iceland leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 43.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Iceland, compared to 27.8 in Montenegro. Iceland scores 89 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Montenegro: 72).

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

The average high temperature in Reykjavik is 45°F, compared to 69°F in Podgorica. Reykjavik receives around 31.4 in of rainfall per year, while Podgorica gets 65.4 in.

What language do they speak in Iceland?

The official language in Iceland is Icelandic. In Montenegro, the official language is Montenegrin.

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At a Glance

ME IS
Population 623,129 392,404
Currency Euro (€) Icelandic Króna (ISK)
Languages Montenegrin Icelandic
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +382 +354
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112