Moving to Iceland from Singapore
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Singapore to Iceland — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Singapore to Iceland, you would find that Iceland is 38.5% more expensive than Singapore overall. A SGD96,960 salary in Singapore would need to be roughly ISK7,578,228 in Iceland to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Icelandic. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Reykjavik averages 45°F vs 89°F in Singapore, making it significantly cooler.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Singapore to Iceland.
What does your salary buy?
SGD96,960 → ISK7,578,228
To maintain the same standard of living in Iceland
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 2.5 times more
Groceries
pay 31.3% more
Transportation
pay 25.0% more
Housing
pay 20.6% more
Childcare
pay 33.9% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 16.9% 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?
Real numbers on people moving from Singapore to Iceland, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Singapore to Iceland · OECD (latest data available)
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
- · · ·
-
100.21
Singapore
Key Indicator Comparison
How Singapore and Iceland stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Singapore 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
Singapore generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iceland 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
Iceland performs significantly better than Singapore 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 performs significantly better than Singapore across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Singapore performs better than Iceland across all employment & economy metrics.
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
Singapore generally does better on family life, though Iceland leads in education spending.
Data: Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore, 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 | Singapore | Reykjavik |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 89°/76°F (31°/25°C) | 37°/28°F (3°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 90°/78°F (32°/26°C) | 48°/38°F (9°/4°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 89°/78°F (31°/25°C) | 54°/45°F (12°/7°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 88°/76°F (31°/25°C) | 39°/31°F (4°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Singapore | Reykjavik |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 87°/76°F (30.6°/24.3°C) | 35°/27°F (1.9°/-3.0°C) |
| Feb | 89°/76°F (31.5°/24.6°C) | 37°/28°F (2.8°/-2.1°C) |
| Mar | 90°/77°F (32.2°/24.9°C) | 38°/28°F (3.2°/-2.0°C) |
| Apr | 90°/78°F (32.4°/25.3°C) | 42°/33°F (5.7°/0.4°C) |
| May | 90°/78°F (32.3°/25.7°C) | 49°/38°F (9.4°/3.6°C) |
| Jun | 89°/78°F (31.9°/25.7°C) | 53°/44°F (11.7°/6.7°C) |
| Jul | 89°/78°F (31.4°/25.4°C) | 56°/47°F (13.3°/8.3°C) |
| Aug | 89°/78°F (31.4°/25.3°C) | 55°/46°F (13.0°/7.9°C) |
| Sep | 89°/77°F (31.6°/25.2°C) | 50°/41°F (10.1°/5.0°C) |
| Oct | 89°/77°F (31.8°/25.0°C) | 44°/36°F (6.8°/2.2°C) |
| Nov | 88°/76°F (31.2°/24.6°C) | 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.3°C) |
| Dec | 87°/76°F (30.5°/24.3°C) | 36°/27°F (2.2°/-2.8°C) |
Data:
Meteorological Service Singapore,
Icelandic Meteorological Office
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Singapore 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.
Singapore passport holder visiting Iceland
Visa Free
Iceland passport holder visiting Singapore
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 Singapore?
Generally yes: Iceland runs about 20% cheaper than Singapore on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
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 SGD96,960 comparable salary, that's around ISK1,894,557 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 Singapore and Iceland.
Is Iceland safe for expats?
Singapore performs better than Iceland across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Iceland is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.1 in Singapore.
How is healthcare in Iceland compared to Singapore?
Singapore generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iceland leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 45.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Iceland, compared to 26.0 in Singapore. Iceland scores 89 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Singapore: 89).
What's the weather like in Iceland compared to Singapore?
The average high temperature in Reykjavik is 45°F, compared to 89°F in Singapore. Reykjavik receives around 31.4 in of rainfall per year, while Singapore gets 83.2 in.
What language do they speak in Iceland?
The official language in Iceland is Icelandic. In Singapore, the official languages are Chinese, English, Malay and Tamil.
