To make sure you have enough money to support yourself throughout your studies, you should plan your budget in advance. Keep in mind that your living costs can vary depending on your lifestyle.

We provide here rough estimates of living costs for a single person per month (As of Feb 2024, 1000 ISK = € 6.70 = $ 7.25).

  • Housing, including utilities: ISK 130,000 in the student house – NB: all students can also apply for
    housing benefits from the municipality, which reduces their monthly payment.
  • Groceries and toiletries: ISK 40,000
  • Eating out/ socializing: ISK 15,000
  • Mobile phone (monthly plan): 3500 ISK
  • Recreation / leisure activities: ISK 10,000/month and up (ski pass, swim card, gym membership, etc)

In total you should plan with expenses of approximately 200,000 ISK per month (not including the housing benefits). 

 

Working with school

Many UW students have a job in town, but you should still budget for the amount you would need without getting a job. Whether you can work during your studies, will depend on the demands of your studies as well as your citizenship. Non-EU or EEA citizens are limited in the number of hours they may work on a student visa.

There are quite a few job opportunities in Ísafjörður that suit for working alongside your studies. Below is an example of places where students have worked in Ísafjörður or surrounding area, both over winter and summer. Please note that job opportunities depend on availability each time.

  • Coffee house
  • Restaurant
  • Tour guide for cruise ship passengers
  • Tour guide at the Hornstrandir nature reserve
  • Kayak guide
  • Skii-resort
  • Skii or snowboard coach
  • Swimming instructor
  • Bakery
  • Life guard at a swimming pool
  • After-school program for children
  • Sports hall
  • Climbing course
  • Hotel

 

Study costs
At the University Centre of the Westfjords, there is no tuition, just an annual registration fee. You are not required to purchase any books and can borrow books from our library. We recommend you bring your own laptop and make sure it is in a healthy condition when you start your studies.