Here is a short and late answer on the general level.

We have experience from both Iceland and Norway.

While in general Iceland is quite isolated from the centres of Europe which are easy to reach from Norway, the people tend (in Reykjavik) to be more laid back and friendly than their Norwegian counterparts. It's also easier to ask for and get assistance through the "grapevine" if you're in trouble with jobs or a place to live in Iceland than it is in Norway.

That said, it cannot be stressed enough that living in a place like Iceland (or Greenland or even the Falklands) for a year or more produces for many expats a marked change in the psyche which often leads to a very strong turning inward of the person's thought process. One tends to live in one's own world much more in such an environment. This process is in all likelihood less marked now during the age of the Internet than it would have been for those who went to Iceland a decade or more ago.

In general, you can forget comfortable and good living and in particular a house of your own if you live in and work a normal job in Iceland. Many people need two jobs to be comfortable there and the housing situation is in Reyjavik very difficult. Coops have been common since the 1980's and are in essence the only realistic alternative to an expensive and ugly grey apartment in areas like Breidholt.

If you are very well-off you have the option of purchasing land an having materials imported in part to build your own dream house near a town or near Reyjavik and environs. For that, be prepared to shell out at least 700.000 euros. You can easily get a job in a fish factory, warehouse or some other menial job. Clerical jobs are reserved in practise for the locals with the odd superspecialist executive from the US or Britain. As many know, Iceland's attempt to fein being a wealthy nation has caught up with her with a resulting banking system crisis.

The situation in Norway, in particular for North American and Australian expats is more stable. However, I wouldn't brag about Norwegian hospitality which is not much to write home about. Housing is available and varied in cities like Oslo and Trondheim. However, good luck getting any type of decent paid employement in one of the most introverted and xenophobic cultures in northern Europe. And that includes Canadians and Americans. For more info on this, see our article "Norway-Problems and Solutions" in the Norway Section of the site.

Also beware of taking Icelandic citizenship or of claiming an Iceland citizenship you may be entitled to. Neither Norway nore Iceland tolerate dual citizenship and Iceland can even remove your citizenship retroactively if it is discovered that you have had another citizenship, even if you only discover the other citizenship later on.

On the other hand, our experience indicates that the yellow-paged Icelandic passport will get you easily through the work permit and visa process of most western countries and the service to citizens is personal and fast at most consulates and embassies.

You'll have a higher quality of living for less hours of work in Norway, including easier access to the rest of Europe.

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