Moving to Iceland from Morocco

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Morocco to Iceland, you would find that Iceland is 4.1 times more expensive than Morocco overall. A MAD698,912 salary in Morocco would need to be roughly ISK30,319,695 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 73°F in Rabat, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

MAD698,912 ISK30,319,695

To maintain the same standard of living in Iceland

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 5.5 times more

Groceries

pay 3.8 times more

Transportation

pay 2.8 times more

Housing

pay 5.6 times more

Childcare

pay 5.3 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 3.0 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 MAD = 13.45 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 Morocco to Iceland, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
25 ↑ 92% vs 2022

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

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

MA
1.7
IS
1.1
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

MA
18.6
IS
2.4

Iceland performs significantly better than Morocco across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

MA
$606
IS
$6,927
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

MA
7.3
IS
45.2

Iceland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Morocco 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

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

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

MA
1.8t
IS
8.5t

Morocco 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

MA
6.4
IS
38.2
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

MA
50.8%
IS
0.4%

Iceland performs significantly better than Morocco across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

MA
9.1%
IS
3.6%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

MA
$8,800
IS
$66,500

Morocco generally does better on employment & economy, though Iceland leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

MA
73.7 yrs
IS
83.6 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

MA
19.2
IS
1.6

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

Data: Direction Générale des Impôts, Morocco, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Rabat Rain: 20.6 in/yr (522 mm)
73° / 55°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Rabat Reykjavik
Jan–Mar 65°/47°F (19°/8°C) 37°/28°F (3°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 74°/56°F (23°/13°C) 48°/38°F (9°/4°C)
Jul–Sep 81°/64°F (27°/18°C) 54°/45°F (12°/7°C)
Oct–Dec 71°/52°F (22°/11°C) 39°/31°F (4°/-1°C)
View all months
Month Rabat Reykjavik
Jan 63°/45°F (17.4°/7.2°C) 35°/27°F (1.9°/-3.0°C)
Feb 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.8°C) 37°/28°F (2.8°/-2.1°C)
Mar 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.5°C) 38°/28°F (3.2°/-2.0°C)
Apr 70°/52°F (21.2°/10.9°C) 42°/33°F (5.7°/0.4°C)
May 74°/56°F (23.6°/13.3°C) 49°/38°F (9.4°/3.6°C)
Jun 78°/61°F (25.6°/15.9°C) 53°/44°F (11.7°/6.7°C)
Jul 81°/64°F (27.2°/17.9°C) 56°/47°F (13.3°/8.3°C)
Aug 82°/65°F (27.8°/18.3°C) 55°/46°F (13.0°/7.9°C)
Sep 80°/62°F (26.6°/16.8°C) 50°/41°F (10.1°/5.0°C)
Oct 77°/58°F (24.8°/14.4°C) 44°/36°F (6.8°/2.2°C)
Nov 70°/51°F (21.1°/10.8°C) 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.3°C)
Dec 65°/48°F (18.6°/8.8°C) 36°/27°F (2.2°/-2.8°C)

Data: Direction de la Météorologie Nationale Direction de la Météorologie Nationale, Icelandic Meteorological Office Icelandic Meteorological Office

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Morocco 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.

Morocco passport

Morocco passport holder visiting Iceland

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

Iceland passport holder visiting Morocco

Visa Free
Iceland passport holders can enter Morocco 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 Morocco?

Day-to-day costs in Iceland run about 222% higher than Morocco 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 MAD698,912 comparable salary, that's around ISK7,579,924 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 Morocco and Iceland.

Is Iceland safe for expats?

Iceland performs significantly better than Morocco across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Iceland is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.7 in Morocco.

How is healthcare in Iceland compared to Morocco?

Iceland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Morocco leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 45.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Iceland, compared to 7.3 in Morocco. Iceland scores 89 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Morocco: 69).

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

The average high temperature in Reykjavik is 45°F, compared to 73°F in Rabat. Reykjavik receives around 31.4 in of rainfall per year, while Rabat gets 20.6 in.

What language do they speak in Iceland?

The official language in Iceland is Icelandic. In Morocco, the official languages are Arabic and Berber.

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At a Glance

MA IS
Population 36,738,229 357,603
Currency Moroccan Dirham (MAD) Icelandic Króna (ISK)
Languages Arabic, Berber Icelandic
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +212 +354
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 15 112