Living in Gardabaer
In Gardabaer, average gross earnings are €6,871 a month (2026), tenants pay an average rent of €1,749 a month (2023) and unemployment is 4.9% (2021).
For Gardabaer, the foreign population count was 1,583 at the start of 2026. Gardabaer had a population of 20,724 at the start of 2026.
Which Iceland-wide rules apply when you move to Gardabaer?
National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.
Housing and cost
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited | 57.23 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | SÍMINN fixed internet10Official · national market |
| Mobile plan, 10 GB | 35.74 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | Síminn mobile plan11Official · national market |
| Average monthly rent (whole dwelling) | 1,749 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2023 | Leiguskrá þinglýstra leigusamninga 2011–20234Official |
| Median monthly rent (whole dwelling) | 1,676 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2023 | Leiguskrá þinglýstra leigusamninga 2011–20234Official |
Is Gardabaer a good place to live?
There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.
Work and income
What is the unemployment rate in Gardabaer?
The unemployment rate is about 4.9 % (2021 Census).
- Unemployment rate: 4.92 % · px.hagstofa.is9
Gardabaer 4.9%
Unemployment rate (%)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average gross earnings | 6,871 EUR/month | 31 Jul 2026 | Statistics Iceland TEK02003 — Taxable wages by economic activity and residence14Official |
| Unemployment rate | 4.92 %country median 4.8% | 31 Dec 2021 | px.hagstofa.is9Official |
What does a salary buy in Gardabaer?
Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.
RentInternetMobileLeft over
Line-by-line breakdown and sources
| Each month | € |
|---|---|
| Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08. | €3,838 |
| Rentaverage rent of a whole dwelling · official · Leiguskrá þinglýstra leigusamninga 2011–2023 · 2023-12-31 | − €1,749 |
| Internet€57 · official · SÍMINN fixed internet · 2026-09-30 | − €57 |
| Mobile plan€36 · official · Síminn mobile plan · 2026-09-30 | − €36 |
| Other everyday billsnot published for this city: public transport pass, utilities | — |
| Left overbefore the bills this city does not publish | €1,996 |
Public employment service
No exact public employment office is currently linked to Gardabaer. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.
Directorate of Labour — Public employment service
Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Gardabaer. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.
Safety
How safe is Gardabaer?
Police recorded 3,760 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Bráðabirgðatölur lögreglu 2025 — Flest hegningarlagabrot á íbúa á höfuðborgarsvæðinu1
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents | 3,760 incidents per 100,000 | 31 Dec 2025 | Bráðabirgðatölur lögreglu 2025 — Flest hegningarlagabrot á íbúa á höfuðborgarsvæðinu1Official · county |
Mobility and administration
Language courses and integration
No exact city-level course record is currently published for Gardabaer. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.
Directorate of Labour Icelandic courses for registered foreign jobseekers — State Language Course
Directorate of Labour
For foreign jobseekers registered for unemployment benefits.
Recognised Icelandic teaching provider grant route — Other
Rannís and the Icelandic authorities
For recognised providers teaching Icelandic to foreigners.
Climate and air quality
Is the air quality good in Gardabaer?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 4 µg/m³ (2024) — within the WHO 2021 guideline. Source: European Environment Agency2
Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.
Night-time low to daytime high
mm
hours
Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³
City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 — annual mean | 4 µg/m³ | 31 Dec 2024 | European Environment Agency2Official |
| Average daytime high by month | Jan 3.2 · Feb 3.3 · Mar 4.2 · Apr 6.9 · May 10.1 · Jun 13 · Jul 14.9 · Aug 14.1 · Sep 11.4 · Oct 7.6 · Nov 4.7 · Dec 3.3 °C | 31 Dec 1991 | World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI15Official |
| Average night-time low by month | Jan -1.7 · Feb -1.9 · Mar -1.3 · Apr 1 · May 4 · Jun 7.2 · Jul 9.1 · Aug 8.6 · Sep 6.2 · Oct 2.7 · Nov -0.1 · Dec -1.6 °C | 31 Dec 1991 | World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI16Official |
| Average temperature by month | Jan 0.7 · Feb 0.5 · Mar 1.2 · Apr 3.7 · May 6.7 · Jun 9.8 · Jul 11.6 · Aug 11 · Sep 8.5 · Oct 4.9 · Nov 2.2 · Dec 0.8 °C | 31 Dec 1991 | World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI17Official |
| Average precipitation by month | Jan 87.1 · Feb 90.6 · Mar 80.7 · Apr 59 · May 52.6 · Jun 43.3 · Jul 49.9 · Aug 64.5 · Sep 87 · Oct 79.8 · Nov 86.5 · Dec 94.9 mm | 31 Dec 1991 | World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI18Official |
| Average sunshine by month | Jan 22.6 · Feb 61.6 · Mar 110.3 · Apr 165.1 · May 209 · Jun 189.5 · Jul 183.1 · Aug 164.8 · Sep 118.3 · Oct 91.6 · Nov 39.7 · Dec 12.6 hours | 31 Dec 1991 | World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI19Official |
Annual PM2.5 fell 20.0% between 2016 and 2024, from 5.0 to 4.0.
Similar climate. Elsewhere: Jönköping (Sweden) ±2.4 °C, Bad Camberg (Germany) ±2.4 °C, Bad Soden am Taunus (Germany) ±2.4 °C, Eppstein (Germany) ±2.4 °C, Eschborn (Germany) ±2.4 °C. Twenty closest, compared month by month
Monthly highs and lows against the 1991–2020 station normals of the nearest station; ± is the average monthly difference.
Population and city profile
The city covered 70 km² in 2010.
How many people live in Gardabaer?
The published population was 20,724 people in January 2026. Source: Iceland official denominator source3
By nationality
National passport92.4%
Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| City area | 70 km² | 1 Jan 2010 | Official statistics: city area5Official |
| Foreign residents | 1,583 people | 1 Jan 2026 | Official statistics: foreign residents6Official |
| Female residents | 10,456 people | 7 Aug 2026 | Statistics Iceland3Official |
| Male residents | 10,265 people | 7 Aug 2026 | Statistics Iceland3Official |
| Population | 20,724 people | 1 Jan 2026 | Iceland official denominator source3Official |
International community in Gardabaer
Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.
Country of birth
Population resident at 1 January 2026; total sex; Statistics Iceland population table · 2026-01-01
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 20,724 | 100.0% |
| Iceland | 17,940 | 86.6% |
| Poland | 328 | 1.6% |
| Denmark | 256 | 1.2% |
| Sweden | 187 | 0.9% |
| United States | 182 | 0.9% |
| Lithuania | 134 | 0.6% |
| United Kingdom | 123 | 0.6% |
| Venezuela | 108 | 0.5% |
| Ukraine | 103 | 0.5% |
| Norway | 87 | 0.4% |
Show 112 more groups
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | 85 | 0.4% |
| Latvia | 77 | 0.4% |
| Philippines | 75 | 0.4% |
| Spain | 53 | 0.3% |
| Romania | 51 | 0.2% |
| Thailand | 45 | 0.2% |
| China | 39 | 0.2% |
| Portugal | 34 | 0.2% |
| Syria | 32 | 0.2% |
| Luxembourg | 27 | 0.1% |
| Netherlands | 27 | 0.1% |
| Czechia | 26 | 0.1% |
| Russia | 22 | 0.1% |
| Faroe Islands | 21 | 0.1% |
| India | 21 | 0.1% |
| Foreign country not specified | 21 | 0.1% |
| Croatia | 20 | 0.1% |
| Italy | 20 | 0.1% |
| Austria | 18 | 0.1% |
| Canada | 18 | 0.1% |
| Hungary | 18 | 0.1% |
| Serbia | 18 | 0.1% |
| Iraq | 17 | 0.1% |
| Morocco | 17 | 0.1% |
| Somalia | 16 | 0.1% |
| Albania | 15 | 0.1% |
| France | 15 | 0.1% |
| Iran | 15 | 0.1% |
| Moldova | 15 | 0.1% |
| Colombia | 14 | 0.1% |
| Sri Lanka | 14 | 0.1% |
| Finland | 13 | 0.1% |
| Indonesia | 13 | 0.1% |
| Palestine | 13 | 0.1% |
| Bulgaria | 12 | 0.1% |
| Brazil | 12 | 0.1% |
| Kenya | 12 | 0.1% |
| Nigeria | 12 | 0.1% |
| Peru | 12 | 0.1% |
| Viet Nam | 12 | 0.1% |
| Australia | 11 | 0.1% |
| Switzerland | 11 | 0.1% |
| Korea, South- | 11 | 0.1% |
| Mexico | 10 | 0.0% |
| Argentina | 9 | 0.0% |
| Malaysia | 9 | 0.0% |
| Turkey | 9 | 0.0% |
| Belgium | 8 | 0.0% |
| South Africa | 8 | 0.0% |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 7 | 0.0% |
| Hong Kong | 7 | 0.0% |
| Estonia | 6 | 0.0% |
| Egypt | 6 | 0.0% |
| Libya | 6 | 0.0% |
| Slovakia | 6 | 0.0% |
| Former Soviet Union | 6 | 0.0% |
| Uganda | 6 | 0.0% |
| Kosovo | 6 | 0.0% |
| United Arab Emirates | 5 | 0.0% |
| Honduras | 5 | 0.0% |
| Nepal | 5 | 0.0% |
| Chile | 4 | 0.0% |
| Cuba | 4 | 0.0% |
| Ecuador | 4 | 0.0% |
| Ghana | 4 | 0.0% |
| Japan | 4 | 0.0% |
| Lebanon | 4 | 0.0% |
| Namibia | 4 | 0.0% |
| Countries in former Yugoslavia, unspecified | 4 | 0.0% |
| Afghanistan | 3 | 0.0% |
| Georgia | 3 | 0.0% |
| Greece | 3 | 0.0% |
| Ireland | 3 | 0.0% |
| Jordan | 3 | 0.0% |
| North Macedonia | 3 | 0.0% |
| El Salvador | 3 | 0.0% |
| Congo, Republic of | 2 | 0.0% |
| Dominican Republic | 2 | 0.0% |
| Ethiopia | 2 | 0.0% |
| Greenland | 2 | 0.0% |
| Israel | 2 | 0.0% |
| Kazakhstan | 2 | 0.0% |
| Nicaragua | 2 | 0.0% |
| New Zealand | 2 | 0.0% |
| Pakistan | 2 | 0.0% |
| Rwanda | 2 | 0.0% |
| Saudi Arabia | 2 | 0.0% |
| Sierra Leone | 2 | 0.0% |
| Taiwan | 2 | 0.0% |
| Bangladesh | 1 | 0.0% |
| Bolivia | 1 | 0.0% |
| Belarus | 1 | 0.0% |
| Côte d'Ivoire | 1 | 0.0% |
| Cabo Verde | 1 | 0.0% |
| Gambia | 1 | 0.0% |
| Guinea | 1 | 0.0% |
| Guyana | 1 | 0.0% |
| Haiti | 1 | 0.0% |
| Cambodia | 1 | 0.0% |
| Montenegro | 1 | 0.0% |
| Mauritius | 1 | 0.0% |
| Mozambique | 1 | 0.0% |
| Oman | 1 | 0.0% |
| Panama | 1 | 0.0% |
| Singapore | 1 | 0.0% |
| South Sudan | 1 | 0.0% |
| Togo | 1 | 0.0% |
| Tajikistan | 1 | 0.0% |
| Tonga | 1 | 0.0% |
| Tanzania | 1 | 0.0% |
| Uzbekistan | 1 | 0.0% |
| Yemen | 1 | 0.0% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source12
Citizenship
Population resident at 1 January 2026; total sex; Statistics Iceland population table · 2026-01-01
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 20,724 | 100.0% |
| Iceland | 19,141 | 92.4% |
| Poland | 309 | 1.5% |
| Lithuania | 164 | 0.8% |
| Venezuela | 111 | 0.5% |
| Ukraine | 97 | 0.5% |
| Latvia | 81 | 0.4% |
| Romania | 66 | 0.3% |
| Denmark | 49 | 0.2% |
| United Kingdom | 46 | 0.2% |
| Portugal | 39 | 0.2% |
Show 83 more groups
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Spain | 37 | 0.2% |
| Philippines | 36 | 0.2% |
| Syria | 31 | 0.1% |
| United States | 30 | 0.1% |
| Germany | 28 | 0.1% |
| Italy | 27 | 0.1% |
| Croatia | 25 | 0.1% |
| Czechia | 21 | 0.1% |
| Somalia | 19 | 0.1% |
| Hungary | 17 | 0.1% |
| Sweden | 17 | 0.1% |
| China | 15 | 0.1% |
| Palestine | 15 | 0.1% |
| Iraq | 14 | 0.1% |
| Thailand | 14 | 0.1% |
| Albania | 13 | 0.1% |
| Nigeria | 13 | 0.1% |
| France | 12 | 0.1% |
| Norway | 12 | 0.1% |
| India | 9 | 0.0% |
| Iran | 9 | 0.0% |
| Bulgaria | 8 | 0.0% |
| Finland | 8 | 0.0% |
| Austria | 7 | 0.0% |
| Kenya | 7 | 0.0% |
| Malaysia | 7 | 0.0% |
| Netherlands | 7 | 0.0% |
| Peru | 7 | 0.0% |
| Turkey | 7 | 0.0% |
| Australia | 6 | 0.0% |
| Belgium | 6 | 0.0% |
| Brazil | 6 | 0.0% |
| Egypt | 6 | 0.0% |
| Libya | 6 | 0.0% |
| Russia | 6 | 0.0% |
| Canada | 5 | 0.0% |
| Estonia | 5 | 0.0% |
| Honduras | 5 | 0.0% |
| Japan | 5 | 0.0% |
| Korea, South- | 5 | 0.0% |
| Colombia | 4 | 0.0% |
| Lebanon | 4 | 0.0% |
| Mexico | 4 | 0.0% |
| Slovakia | 4 | 0.0% |
| Kosovo | 4 | 0.0% |
| South Africa | 4 | 0.0% |
| Afghanistan | 3 | 0.0% |
| Argentina | 3 | 0.0% |
| Greece | 3 | 0.0% |
| Ireland | 3 | 0.0% |
| Morocco | 3 | 0.0% |
| Namibia | 3 | 0.0% |
| Uganda | 3 | 0.0% |
| Stateless | 3 | 0.0% |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 2 | 0.0% |
| Congo, Republic of | 2 | 0.0% |
| Switzerland | 2 | 0.0% |
| Chile | 2 | 0.0% |
| Georgia | 2 | 0.0% |
| Indonesia | 2 | 0.0% |
| Sri Lanka | 2 | 0.0% |
| Pakistan | 2 | 0.0% |
| Serbia | 2 | 0.0% |
| Sierra Leone | 2 | 0.0% |
| Viet Nam | 2 | 0.0% |
| Bangladesh | 1 | 0.0% |
| Cuba | 1 | 0.0% |
| Cabo Verde | 1 | 0.0% |
| Dominican Republic | 1 | 0.0% |
| Ghana | 1 | 0.0% |
| Gambia | 1 | 0.0% |
| Cambodia | 1 | 0.0% |
| North Macedonia | 1 | 0.0% |
| Mauritius | 1 | 0.0% |
| Nicaragua | 1 | 0.0% |
| Nepal | 1 | 0.0% |
| Oman | 1 | 0.0% |
| Singapore | 1 | 0.0% |
| South Sudan | 1 | 0.0% |
| El Salvador | 1 | 0.0% |
| Uruguay | 1 | 0.0% |
| Countries in former Yugoslavia, unspecified | 1 | 0.0% |
| Yemen | 1 | 0.0% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source13
Alternatives for people set on Gardabaer
Nothing here reaches an argued comparison yet: no other published city shares enough metrics with Gardabaer from the same source, period and grain. What is collected is below.
Cities near Gardabaer
Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.
Alternative cities in Iceland
Other cities in Iceland to compare with Gardabaer, nearest in population first.
How does Gardabaer compare?
Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Gardabaer's.
Gardabaer in rankings
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Gardabaer when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.
Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.
Open the official coverage guideSchool for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 6 to 16. Newly arrived pupils get support in the school language: íslenska sem annað tungumál (Icelandic as a second language instruction). How to enrol a child (menntamalaraduneyti.is).
A country-wide rule for Iceland; Gardabaer's school authority applies it locally.
Sources: eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · 2026.
Common questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
How many people live in Gardabaer?
The published population was 20,724 people in January 2026. Source: Iceland official denominator source.
Is the air quality good in Gardabaer?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 4 µg/m³ (2024) — within the WHO 2021 guideline. Source: European Environment Agency.
How safe is Gardabaer?
Police recorded 3,760 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Bráðabirgðatölur lögreglu 2025 — Flest hegningarlagabrot á íbúa á höfuðborgarsvæðinu.
What is the unemployment rate in Gardabaer?
The unemployment rate is about 4.9 % (2021 Census). Source: px.hagstofa.is.
How many foreign residents live in Gardabaer?
1,583 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Official statistics: foreign residents.
Is Gardabaer a good place to live?
Gardabaer may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.
Which cities are near Gardabaer?
Mosfellsbaer is near Gardabaer. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.
How many people born in Iceland live in Gardabaer?
The official country of birth distribution records 17,940 people (86.6%) in the source-defined population for 2026-01-01. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.
Cite this page
Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.
APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Gardabaer, Iceland: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 117378e6cdefeb6398bded7bcd2b727d]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/is/gardabaer/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_gardabaer-iceland-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_5bf364b65011,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {Gardabaer, Iceland: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-16},
version = {117378e6cdefeb6398bded7bcd2b727d},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/is/gardabaer/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[Gardabaer, Iceland: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/is/gardabaer/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 117378e6cdefeb6398bded7bcd2b727d; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.
Sources
- Bráðabirgðatölur lögreglu 2025 — Flest hegningarlagabrot á íbúa á höfuðborgarsvæðinu Bráðabirgðatölur lögreglu 2025 · assets.ctfassets.net · checked 2026-10-05
- European Environment Agency air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-03
- Iceland official denominator source px.hagstofa.is · checked 2026-07-14
- Leiguskrá þinglýstra leigusamninga 2011–2023 frs3o1zldvgn.objectstorage.eu-frankfurt-1.oci.customer-oci.com · checked 2026-10-06
- Official statistics: city area hagstofas3bucket.hagstofa.is · checked 2026-07-18
- Official statistics: foreign residents px.hagstofa.is · checked 2026-07-18
- OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
- OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
- px.hagstofa.is px.hagstofa.is · checked 2026-08-26
- SÍMINN fixed internet sidan.is · checked 2026-09-15
Show 11 more sources
- Síminn mobile plan siminn.is · checked 2026-09-15
- Statistics Iceland (Hagstofa Íslands) px.hagstofa.is · checked 2026-08-30
- Statistics Iceland (Hagstofa Íslands) px.hagstofa.is · checked 2026-08-30
- Statistics Iceland TEK02003 — Taxable wages by economic activity and residence Statistics Iceland TEK02003 · px.hagstofa.is · checked 2026-09-23
- World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
- World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
- World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
- World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
- World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q186142 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q829859 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.