Moving to Iceland from Norway
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Norway to Iceland — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Norway to Iceland, you would find that Iceland is 43.9% more expensive than Norway overall. A NOK733,695 salary in Norway would need to be roughly ISK14,658,419 in Iceland to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Icelandic.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Norway to Iceland.
What does your salary buy?
NOK733,695 → ISK14,658,419
To maintain the same standard of living in Iceland
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 16.8% more
Groceries
pay 26.2% more
Transportation
pay 18.9% more
Housing
pay 54.6% more
Childcare
pay 2.3 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 15.0% more
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?
How many people actually move from Norway to Iceland, based on official data.
Who's moving to Iceland?
Top countries of origin for Iceland's foreign-born residents.
- 21,102
- 3,918
- 3,171
- 2,604
- 2,357
- 2,284
- · · ·
-
12.1,390
Norway
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Norway to Iceland.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Norway performs better than Iceland across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Iceland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Norway leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Norway performs better than Iceland across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Iceland generally does better on infrastructure, though Norway leads in broadband per 100 people.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Norway generally does better on employment & economy, though Iceland leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Iceland performs significantly better than Norway across all family life metrics.
Data: Norwegian Tax Administration, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Oslo | Reykjavik |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 32°/22°F (0°/-6°C) | 37°/28°F (3°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 59°/43°F (15°/6°C) | 48°/38°F (9°/4°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 66°/51°F (19°/10°C) | 54°/45°F (12°/7°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C) | 39°/31°F (4°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Oslo | Reykjavik |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29°/20°F (-1.8°/-6.8°C) | 35°/27°F (1.9°/-3.0°C) |
| Feb | 30°/20°F (-0.9°/-6.8°C) | 37°/28°F (2.8°/-2.1°C) |
| Mar | 38°/26°F (3.5°/-3.3°C) | 38°/28°F (3.2°/-2.0°C) |
| Apr | 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.8°C) | 42°/33°F (5.7°/0.4°C) |
| May | 60°/44°F (15.8°/6.5°C) | 49°/38°F (9.4°/3.6°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.4°/10.6°C) | 53°/44°F (11.7°/6.7°C) |
| Jul | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.2°C) | 56°/47°F (13.3°/8.3°C) |
| Aug | 68°/52°F (20.1°/11.3°C) | 55°/46°F (13.0°/7.9°C) |
| Sep | 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.5°C) | 50°/41°F (10.1°/5.0°C) |
| Oct | 49°/39°F (9.3°/3.8°C) | 44°/36°F (6.8°/2.2°C) |
| Nov | 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.5°C) | 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.3°C) |
| Dec | 31°/22°F (-0.5°/-5.6°C) | 36°/27°F (2.2°/-2.8°C) |
Data:
Norwegian Meteorological Institute,
Icelandic Meteorological Office
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Norway 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.
Norway passport holder visiting Iceland
Visa Free
Iceland passport holder visiting Norway
Visa FreeData: 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 Norway?
No — Iceland is on average about 56% more expensive than Norway. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Iceland?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly ISK3,664,605 in Iceland on a NOK733,695 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Iceland?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Iceland has 38.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Iceland safe for expats?
Norway performs better than Iceland across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Iceland is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.6 in Norway.
How is healthcare in Iceland compared to Norway?
Iceland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Norway leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 45.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Iceland, compared to 51.7 in Norway. Iceland scores 89 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Norway: 87).
What's the weather like in Iceland compared to Norway?
The average high temperature in Reykjavik is 45°F, compared to 49°F in Oslo. Reykjavik receives around 31.4 in of rainfall per year, while Oslo gets 30.0 in.
What language do they speak in Iceland?
The official language in Iceland is Icelandic. In Norway, the official languages are Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami.
