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Pros and Cons of Living in Iceland

Iceland is the home of many people. It is an isolated country near the Arctic Circle making the country a very cold place to live in. There are also plenty of beautiful sceneries you can view and have access to various recreational activities. Before moving to Iceland, you should evaluate the pros and cons of living in the country.

 

Pros:

1. Free electricity and energy: Iceland is the world’s leader in harnessing clean and cheap energy from geothermal power stations.

2. Safe place: Iceland is a very peaceful country. You don’t have to worry about any conflicts or feel in any danger. There is a low crime rate in the country.

3. Freedom: There is freedom of religion in the country although the country has a state church known as the national church of Iceland. The government keeps track of all religious affiliations for its citizens.

4. Outdoor Activities: The country has plenty of outdoor activities to offer. They are a lot of whale inhabitants in the ocean giving great opportunities for fishing and boating.

5. Beautiful landscape: Iceland is good-looking with various Islands, East fjords, erupting geyser, geothermal pools, and other natural attraction sites which attract people to the place.

6. Language: English and Danish languages are included in the education system thus making it easy for Icelanders to use both languages. Learning how to speak their national language, Icelandic can be difficult.

7. Booming economy: Although in past Iceland experienced economic challenges, the economy of the country is getting better with more tourism in the country and the influx of cash they bring

8. Equality: The country aims for gender equality and fair treatment of all although there may be some gender pay gap. As there are as many women in high positions as men, it shows that they value equality.

9. Climate: Although the country is known to be cold, some special features make the country to be warmer than it is expected to be compared to its distance from the equator. Gulf streams help in keeping the country warm.

10. High GDP: Compared to countries like Canada, Norway, and Australia, Iceland has the highest GDP. There is also a high human development index in terms of literacy levels and life expectancy.

 

Cons:

1. Earthquakes: There are frequent earthquakes and volcano eruptions that can lead to huge loss of life and property.

2. The high cost of living: Iceland relies mostly on imports increasing the prices of commodities. It is the world’s most expensive country to live in.

3. Dark in winter: During winter, there is a lot of darkness because the sun does not come out for the better part of the day.

4. Controlled alcohol consumption: Iceland has state-run liquor stores thus if you want to consume liquor you have to plan for early in advance.

5. Isolated in the global economy: The country faced challenges from the global economic crisis which forced the country to seek a bailout from the Internal Monetary Fund and they are slowly trying to recover.

6Cold Weather: The country is very cold with temperatures going up to 30.50 Celsius. During the year, the temperatures can go above 50 C.

7. Strict immigration rules: There are stiff rules on moving to Iceland especially if moving from America or any other content. The rules are much easier if moving from Europe to come and live in the country.

8. Cultural differences: Not only will you be met by difficult language, but you will also experience cultural barriers. Many Icelanders do not like small talks with strangers or even talk to neighbors.

9. Long working hours: Compared to other countries in Europe, Iceland has long working hours per week.

10. Isolated country: People stay on an isolated island with few people and cannot go away any time they wish to.

This Post Has 2 Comments

  1. Happy immigrant

    What means 30,5 degrees? Usually it is around +14 in the hottest summer time, sometimes once in a few years temperature could reach up to +20 C for few days. It is warmer in South and North of Iceland in summertime, but less job opportunities then in the capital region. Don’t rely on Your knowledge of English, yes, almost everybody here is speaking English, as far they need something from the ones, who do not speak Icelandic (for the most it is about highly qualified specialists which are not available in Iceland due to small market or the lowest range workers who are required a lot as construction workers, cleaners and other services). But to be here more then a slave, learn Icelandic before You buy tickets to the island of ice and fire. 🙂 There’s approximately the same amount of immigrants coming yearly as Icelanders leaving Iceland for better life and opportunities. People here are working for all their lives at the same position without any opportunity of personal or professional growth, for foreigners the chances are bigger as far they are starting from the lowest paid and hardest jobs. The range of groceries, food and drinks is not changing in a years, the same bread, the same milk, the same drawings on stores’ packaging in years and tenth of years. Import is one of the biggest field of economics which is feeding government budget, so it is too expensive to this small market to ship into the country new goods which are available all over the planet’s continents for a years. Yes, there are scientists, but most of them (I guess) are living from their income from universities and scientistic researches abroad. You have to decide, what is Your goal. If You wish to have the same job in a years and safe environment for living, Iceland is perfect. If You would like to grow as a professional or person, be ready this growth sooner or later will reach the highest point and for further growth You will have to leave this lovely island.

  2. might be an immigrant????

    i have for many years wanted to move to Iceland and i wanted to know if becoming a photographer is a good idea in Iceland due to its amazing landscape. I am from Ireland and the weather is i believe some what similar.

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