Moving to Iceland from Sweden
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Sweden to Iceland — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Sweden to Iceland, you would find that Iceland is 78.5% more expensive than Sweden overall. A SEK740,000 salary in Sweden would need to be roughly ISK16,200,000 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 ↓Is Iceland cheaper than Sweden?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 91.9% more
Groceries
pay 39.2% more
Transportation
pay 24.6% more
Housing
pay 2.2 times more
Childcare
pay 4.5 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 51.7% 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.
What salary do you need in Iceland?
What does your salary buy?
SEK740,000 → ISK16,200,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Iceland
Calculate with your salary →Get free moving quotes to Iceland
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Sweden to Iceland, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to Iceland?
Top countries of origin for Iceland's foreign-born residents.
- 21,102
- 3,918
- 3,171
- 2,604
-
5.2,357
Sweden
- 2,284
Key Indicator Comparison
How Sweden and Iceland stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Sweden generally does better on safety, though Iceland leads in feel safe walking at night.
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 Sweden 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
Sweden 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 Sweden 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
Iceland performs significantly better than Sweden 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
Sweden performs better than Iceland across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2017–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), Skatteverket (2016), Directorate of Internal Revenue (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Iceland vs Sweden
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Stockholm | Reykjavik |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 36°/28°F (2°/-2°C) | 37°/28°F (3°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) | 48°/38°F (9°/4°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 69°/56°F (21°/13°C) | 54°/45°F (12°/7°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 43°/36°F (6°/2°C) | 39°/31°F (4°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Stockholm | Reykjavik |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34°/27°F (1.0°/-2.9°C) | 35°/27°F (1.9°/-3.0°C) |
| Feb | 34°/26°F (1.2°/-3.2°C) | 37°/28°F (2.8°/-2.1°C) |
| Mar | 40°/30°F (4.7°/-1.1°C) | 38°/28°F (3.2°/-2.0°C) |
| Apr | 51°/37°F (10.7°/2.6°C) | 42°/33°F (5.7°/0.4°C) |
| May | 62°/45°F (16.5°/7.1°C) | 49°/38°F (9.4°/3.6°C) |
| Jun | 69°/53°F (20.8°/11.6°C) | 53°/44°F (11.7°/6.7°C) |
| Jul | 74°/59°F (23.6°/14.8°C) | 56°/47°F (13.3°/8.3°C) |
| Aug | 72°/58°F (22.1°/14.2°C) | 55°/46°F (13.0°/7.9°C) |
| Sep | 62°/50°F (16.6°/10.2°C) | 50°/41°F (10.1°/5.0°C) |
| Oct | 50°/42°F (10.1°/5.5°C) | 44°/36°F (6.8°/2.2°C) |
| Nov | 42°/35°F (5.4°/1.9°C) | 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.3°C) |
| Dec | 36°/30°F (2.5°/-1.2°C) | 36°/27°F (2.2°/-2.8°C) |
Data:
Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI),
Icelandic Meteorological Office
Can you move from Sweden to Iceland?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Sweden 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.
Sweden passport holder visiting Iceland
Visa Free
Iceland passport holder visiting Sweden
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 Sweden?
Day-to-day costs in Iceland run about 79% higher than Sweden 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 SEK740,000 comparable salary, that's around ISK4,050,000 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 Sweden and Iceland.
Is Iceland safe for expats?
Sweden generally does better on safety, though Iceland leads in feel safe walking at night. The homicide rate in Iceland is 1.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Sweden. About 91% of people in Iceland feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Iceland compared to Sweden?
Iceland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sweden leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 43.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Iceland, compared to 44.1 in Sweden. Iceland scores 89 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Sweden: 85).
What's the weather like in Iceland compared to Sweden?
The average high temperature in Reykjavik is 45°F, compared to 52°F in Stockholm. Reykjavik receives around 31.4 in of rainfall per year, while Stockholm gets 21.5 in.
What language do they speak in Iceland?
The official language in Iceland is Icelandic. In Sweden, the official language is Swedish.
