Europe · Nuuk
Cost of living in Greenland
Greenland is 25% cheaper than the US, ranking #37 of 203 countries we cover for cost of living.
World Bank data through 2024 · last reviewed 2026-06.
What your money is worth here
A $100,000 US lifestyle would cost roughly $75,500 in Greenland.
Quality of life
Beyond cost — health, safety, and connectivity. The score is a transparent, equal-weight composite of the verified metrics below (see methodology).
About Greenland
Greenland, the world's largest island, is about 80% ice capped. The Inuit came to Greenland from North America in a series of migrations that stretched from 2500 BC to the11th century. Vikings reached the island in the 10th century from Iceland; Danish colonization began in the 18th century, and Greenland became part of the Kingdom of Denmark in 1953. It joined the European Community (now the EU) with Denmark in 1973 but withdrew in 1985 over a dispute centered on stringent fishing quotas.
Read the full background
Greenland remains a member of the EU's Overseas Countries and Territories Association. The Danish parliament granted Greenland home rule in 1979; the law went into effect the following year. Greenland voted in favor of self-government in 2008 and acquired greater responsibility for internal affairs when the Act on Greenland Self-Government was signed into law in 2009. The Kingdom of Denmark, however, continues to exercise control over several policy areas on behalf of Greenland, including foreign affairs, security, and financial policy, in consultation with Greenland's Self-Rule Government.
Background from the CIA World Factbook (public domain), archived 2026-06-03.
Frequently asked
Is Greenland expensive to live in?
Greenland is 25% cheaper than the US, ranking #37 of the 203 countries we track.
How much money do you need to live in Greenland?
A lifestyle that costs $100,000 in the United States would cost roughly $75,500 in Greenland, going by overall price levels. The salary translator turns your own figure into a local equivalent.
Is Greenland cheaper than the United States?
Yes. Its overall price level is 75.3, against 100 for the United States.
Every number, sourced.
We cite the exact source and year for each figure. Derived values are computed at build time, never hand-entered.
Explore more: compare countries · full ranking · Europe