Hannah Hamar spent seven months in Iceland before moving home to Australia.
A woman who quit Australia for life in Iceland has revealed why she fled the Nordic country after just seven months.
Veterinarian Hannah Hamar decided to chase her Icelandic heritage a couple of years ago and made the move to Reykjavik.
Despite settling down in the world’s safest country, a title Iceland has held since 2008 on the Global Peace Index, Ms Hamar ended her life in the northern hemisphere in less than 12 months.
The 27-year-old Aussie detailed her life in Iceland on her YouTube channel and revealed why she decided to pack up and leave despite having a home, career and extended family.
COST OF LIVING
The YouTuber cited the “crazy” cost of living as a key negative of living in Iceland.
Due to its size and location, Iceland has to import most of its produce which adds to the cost of products once they finally reach the supermarket shelves.
Ms Hamar said it wasn’t uncommon to see groceries in Iceland priced at triple what people pay in Australia.
“I’ve never been so grateful to come back to Australia and go to the grocery store and just be like, ‘Wow I can buy fresh fruit, fresh vegetables’, it’s beautiful and it’s so affordable,” she said.
Finding somewhere to live in Iceland is not easy either, with property prices and rents being largely on par with that of the Sydney market.
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Ms Hamar struggled to eat properly due to the cost of living in Iceland.
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The average price of a home in Iceland’s capital region is about ISK 145,296,331 (AUD $1.63 million) compared to the Sydney median house price of $1.64 million. An apartment in Iceland would set you back an average ISK 75,977,558 (AUD $850,000) compared to the Sydney median apartment price of $888,000.
The rental market doesn’t yield a better result for Aussies looking to save – average monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Reykjavik sits at ISK 250,000 to 340,000 (AUD $2800-$3800), the same as a Sydney apartment at an average of about $3300.
Like Australia, Iceland’s property market value continues to rise as a result of limited supply and booming demand.
“Iceland, with a population of approximately 390,000 as of the beginning of 2025, has a relatively small yet expanding real estate market,” a Global Property Guide report stated.
“The country’s housing market is characterised by strong demand and limited supply, constrained by strict zoning regulations and a national commitment to preserving natural landscapes.”
LIFESTYLE
The cost of living in Iceland also seeped into Ms Hamar’s ability to enjoy the Icelandic social scene.
Dining out was only for the wealthy, she said, because even a single pizza from Dominos would set you back AUD $40.
Exorbitant restaurant costs coupled with grocery prices meant Ms Hamar was severely restricted in how she ate and she “survived on the cheapest meats and really unhealthy processed food”.
“I didn’t feel like I had the budget to buy fruit and vegetables. If you’re not a wealthy person, eating out is not really a possibility,” she said.
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Iceland is famed for its amazing natural wonders. Picture: Getty Images
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Ms Hamar said she also struggled with the apparent unfriendliness of locals.
“I think the biggest culture shock I experienced moving to Iceland was the friendliness of the people there, compared to Australia,” she said.
“People are not as outwardly warm as they are in Australia. I think once you crack open the hard shell (they) are some of the loveliest people you’ll ever meet, but damn is it hard to open that shell.
“A big part of this is that I don’t speak Icelandic, so that is another barrier between having friendly sociable interactions with strangers.”
WEATHER AND HEALTH
Ms Hamar said Iceland was beautiful but not without its dangers due to the severe weather conditions she experienced during her summer and winter in the country.
The population can be governed, at times, by weather warnings that pose serious threats.
“You do need to be so careful in Iceland to make sure that you’re safe at all times and to not drive when the weather is not allowing you to drive, because the weather in Iceland is a cruel mistress,” Ms Hamar said.
“I experienced several orange weather warnings,” she said, including a flight that was “the most terrifying experience” of her life.
Icelandic winters also mean perpetual darkness – some days in December only have about four hours of sunlight in an entire 24 hour period.
Ms Hamar struggled with the dar Icelandic winters that impacted her sleep and overall health.
Ms Hamar said the lack of sunlight disrupted her sleeping patterns so severely she ultimately booked a ticket back to Australia.
“I was not coping sleep-wise and I didn’t have that many people around me to help me to maintain a rhythm,” she said.
“It was very isolating and lonely to be in a country where you don’t have your friendship circle or you don’t have your immediate family. And on top of that with my sleep being really bad, I think I started to lose my marbles a little bit.
“I was so unslept I was just struggling to make it to work and also trying to find optimism and positivity in the dark when you haven’t slept is really hard.”
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