Moving to Iraq from Bahrain
What to Expect
Considering a move from Bahrain to Iraq? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Bahrain to Iraq, you would find that Iraq is 50.2% cheaper than Bahrain overall. A BHD28,000 salary in Bahrain would need to be roughly IQD48,400,000 in Iraq to maintain the same lifestyle.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Bahrain and Iraq.
What does your salary buy?
BHD28,000 → IQD48,400,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Iraq
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 30.2% less
Groceries
pay 42.8% less
Transportation
pay 27.6% less
Housing
pay 62.6% less
Childcare
pay 67.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 48.1% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
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Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Iraq compared to Bahrain.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Bahrain performs better than Iraq across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Iraq generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Bahrain leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Bahrain generally does better on environment, though Iraq leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Bahrain generally does better on infrastructure, though Iraq leads in broadband per 100 people.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
Bahrain performs better than Iraq across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Bahrain generally does better on family life, though Iraq leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2013–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Ministry of Finance - Kingdom of Bahrain (2016), Ministry of Finance (2016), The World Factbook (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Manama | Baghdad |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 71°/60°F (22°/16°C) | 66°/43°F (19°/6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 92°/78°F (33°/25°C) | 97°/67°F (36°/20°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 99°/86°F (37°/30°C) | 108°/74°F (43°/24°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 82°/70°F (28°/21°C) | 77°/50°F (25°/10°C) |
View all months
| Month | Manama | Baghdad |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68°/57°F (20.0°/14.1°C) | 60°/39°F (15.5°/3.8°C) |
| Feb | 70°/59°F (21.2°/14.9°C) | 65°/42°F (18.5°/5.5°C) |
| Mar | 76°/64°F (24.7°/17.8°C) | 74°/49°F (23.6°/9.6°C) |
| Apr | 85°/71°F (29.2°/21.5°C) | 86°/59°F (29.9°/15.2°C) |
| May | 93°/79°F (34.1°/26.0°C) | 98°/68°F (36.5°/20.1°C) |
| Jun | 98°/84°F (36.4°/28.8°C) | 106°/74°F (41.3°/23.3°C) |
| Jul | 100°/87°F (37.9°/30.4°C) | 111°/78°F (44.0°/25.5°C) |
| Aug | 100°/87°F (38.0°/30.5°C) | 110°/76°F (43.5°/24.5°C) |
| Sep | 98°/83°F (36.5°/28.6°C) | 104°/69°F (40.2°/20.7°C) |
| Oct | 92°/78°F (33.1°/25.5°C) | 92°/61°F (33.4°/15.9°C) |
| Nov | 82°/70°F (27.8°/21.2°C) | 75°/49°F (23.7°/9.2°C) |
| Dec | 72°/61°F (22.3°/16.2°C) | 63°/41°F (17.2°/5.1°C) |
Data:
Bahrain Meteorological Services,
Iraqi Meteorological Organization and Seismology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Bahrain and Iraq. To live, work, or study long-term in Iraq, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Iraq's immigration authority.
Bahrain passport holder visiting Iraq
Visa Required
Iraq passport holder visiting Bahrain
Visa Online (e-Visa)Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Iraq than Bahrain?
On average Iraq is about 50% less expensive than Bahrain, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Iraq?
Budget about IQD12,100,000 for 3 months in Iraq (based on a BHD28,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Iraq?
Connectivity is usually fine (Iraq: 17.6 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Iraq offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Iraq safe for expats?
Bahrain performs better than Iraq across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Iraq is 9.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.2 in Bahrain.
How is healthcare in Iraq compared to Bahrain?
Iraq generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Bahrain leads in health coverage index. There are 10.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Iraq, compared to 7.4 in Bahrain. Iraq scores 59 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Bahrain: 76).
What's the weather like in Iraq compared to Bahrain?
The average high temperature in Baghdad is 87°F, compared to 86°F in Manama. Baghdad receives around 4.8 in of rainfall per year, while Manama gets 2.8 in.
What language do they speak in Iraq?
The official languages in Iraq are Arabic, Aramaic and Sorani. In Bahrain, the official language is Arabic.
