Living in Hafnarfjörður
In Hafnarfjörður, average gross earnings are €5,827 a month (2026), tenants pay an average rent of €1,518 a month (2023) and unemployment is 5.9% (2021).
Annual PM2.5 levels for Hafnarfjörður stood at 4 µg/m³ at the end of 2024.
Which Iceland-wide rules apply when you move to Hafnarfjörður?
National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.
Housing and cost
Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fitness club membership, monthly | 56.34 EUR/month | 3 Aug 2026 | Numbeo17Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Grocery basket, monthly | 145.1 EUR/month | 3 Aug 2026 | Numbeo17Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited | 74.25 EUR/month | 3 Aug 2026 | Numbeo17Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Private kindergarten, monthly | 632 EUR/month | 3 Aug 2026 | Numbeo17Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Meal at an inexpensive restaurant | 24.65 eur | 3 Aug 2026 | Numbeo17Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Mobile plan, 10 GB | 27.14 EUR/month | 3 Aug 2026 | Numbeo17Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² home | 59.86 EUR/month | 3 Aug 2026 | Numbeo17Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Average monthly rent (whole dwelling) | 1,518 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2023 | Leiguskrá þinglýstra leigusamninga 2011–20233Official |
| Median monthly rent (whole dwelling) | 1,542 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2023 | Leiguskrá þinglýstra leigusamninga 2011–20233Official |
Is Hafnarfjörður 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 Hafnarfjörður?
The unemployment rate is about 5.9 % (2021 Census).
- Unemployment rate: 5.91 % · px.hagstofa.is7
Hafnarfjörður 5.9%
Unemployment rate (%)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average gross earnings | 5,827 EUR/month | 31 Jul 2026 | Statistics Iceland TEK02003 — Taxable wages by economic activity and residence11Official |
| Unemployment rate | 5.91 %country median 4.8% | 31 Dec 2021 | px.hagstofa.is7Official |
What does a salary buy in Hafnarfjörður?
Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.
RentUtilitiesInternetMobileLeft 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 | − €1,518 |
| Public transport passnot published for this city | — |
| Utilities, 85 m²€60 · market price · Numbeo · 2026-08-03 | − €60 |
| Internet€74 · market price · Numbeo · 2026-08-03 | − €74 |
| Mobile plan€27 · market price · Numbeo · 2026-08-03 | − €27 |
| Left overbefore the bill this city does not publish | €2,158 |
Public employment service
No exact public employment office is currently linked to Hafnarfjörður. 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 Hafnarfjörður. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.
Safety
How safe is Hafnarfjörður?
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
Hafnarfjörður's nearest airport was RKV, 7 km away and offered 5 direct destinations.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct destinations from the nearest major airport | 5 count | 3 Aug 2026 | OpenFlights5Official |
| Distance to the nearest major airport | 7 km | 3 Aug 2026 | OurAirports6Official |
| Nearest major airport (IATA code) | RKV | 3 Aug 2026 | OurAirports6Official |
| Public transport monthly pass | 73.24 EUR/month | 3 Aug 2026 | Numbeo17Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
Language courses and integration
No exact city-level course record is currently published for Hafnarfjörður. 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
Monthly mean temperature moved from 0.7°C in January to 11.6°C in July. Monthly precipitation was 87.1 mm in January and 49.9 mm in July. Hafnarfjörður's average monthly sunshine was 22.6 hours in January and 183.1 hours in July.
Is the air quality good in Hafnarfjörður?
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 · nearest-station reading |
| 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 NCEI12Official · nearest-station reading |
| 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 NCEI13Official · nearest-station reading |
| 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 NCEI14Official · nearest-station reading |
| 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 NCEI15Official · nearest-station reading |
| 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 NCEI16Official · nearest-station reading |
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 female population of Hafnarfjörður was 15,772. The male population of Hafnarfjörður was 16,606.
How many people live in Hafnarfjörður?
The published population was 32,398 people in January 2026. Source: Statistics Iceland9
By nationality
National passport83.6%Foreign residents16.4%
Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.
Alternatives for people set on Hafnarfjörður
Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.
Brno as a Hafnarfjörður alternative in another country
Better on 2 of 3 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.
- Basic utilities, 85 m²: €266 Brno vs €60 Hafnarfjörður+344%
- Transport pass: €23 Brno vs €73 Hafnarfjörður−69%
- A meal out: €8 Brno vs €25 Hafnarfjörður−66%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 2,262 Brno vs 3,760 Hafnarfjörðurno percentage
Alternative cities in Iceland
Other cities in Iceland to compare with Hafnarfjörður, nearest in population first.
How does Hafnarfjörður compare?
Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Hafnarfjörður's.
Hafnarfjörður in rankings
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Hafnarfjörður 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; Hafnarfjörður's school authority applies it locally.
Sources: eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · 2026.
Is Hafnarfjörður part of Reykjavík?
Hafnarfjörður is identified as a satellite of Reykjavík. It is about 25.5 km away by straight-line distance. Reykjavík city profile
Relationship type: Satellite Of. Source4
Common questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
How many people live in Hafnarfjörður?
The published population was 32,398 people in January 2026. Source: Statistics Iceland.
Is the air quality good in Hafnarfjörður?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 4 µg/m³ (2024) — within the WHO 2021 guideline. Source: European Environment Agency.
How safe is Hafnarfjörður?
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 Hafnarfjörður?
The unemployment rate is about 5.9 % (2021 Census). Source: px.hagstofa.is.
How many foreign residents live in Hafnarfjörður?
5,325 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Statistics Iceland.
Is Hafnarfjörður a good place to live?
Hafnarfjörður 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.
Is Hafnarfjörður part of Reykjavík?
Hafnarfjörður is identified as a satellite of Reykjavík. It is about 25.5 km away by straight-line distance.
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). Hafnarfjörður, Iceland: population, rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version a73bc7a88d20df664ae93390ce3afc2e]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/is/hafnarfjordur/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_hafnarfjor-ur-iceland-population-rent-salary-jobs_2198fc63a09c,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {Hafnarfjörður, Iceland: population, rent, salary, jobs},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-16},
version = {a73bc7a88d20df664ae93390ce3afc2e},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/is/hafnarfjordur/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[Hafnarfjörður, Iceland: population, rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/is/hafnarfjordur/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version a73bc7a88d20df664ae93390ce3afc2e; 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 2026-08-05
- Leiguskrá þinglýstra leigusamninga 2011–2023 frs3o1zldvgn.objectstorage.eu-frankfurt-1.oci.customer-oci.com · checked 2026-10-06
- oecd.org place coordinates oecd.org · checked 2026-08-28
- 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
- Statistics Iceland px.hagstofa.is · checked 2026-08-07
- Statistics Iceland px.hagstofa.is · checked 2026-08-05
- Statistics Iceland px.hagstofa.is · checked 2026-08-07
Show 7 more sources
- 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 2026-08-05
- World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
- World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
- World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
- World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
- Numbeo numbeo.com · checked 2026-08-03
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.