Moving to Iraq from Bosnia and Herzegovina
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Iraq — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Iraq, you would find that Iraq is 20.4% cheaper than Bosnia and Herzegovina overall. A BAM128,429 salary in Bosnia and Herzegovina would need to be roughly IQD67,280,583 in Iraq to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Arabic, Aramaic and Sorani. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Baghdad averages 87°F vs 62°F in Sarajevo, making it significantly warmer.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Iraq.
What does your salary buy?
BAM128,429 → IQD67,280,583
To maintain the same standard of living in Iraq
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 49.0% less
Groceries
pay 40.2% less
Transportation
pay 3.8% less
Housing
pay 2.7% more
Childcare
pay 31.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 27.3% more
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
How Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iraq stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Bosnia and Herzegovina 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
Bosnia and Herzegovina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iraq leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Bosnia and Herzegovina 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
Bosnia and Herzegovina performs better than Iraq across all infrastructure metrics.
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
share of people below the poverty line
Bosnia and Herzegovina 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Bosnia and Herzegovina performs better than Iraq across all family life metrics.
Data: Indirect Taxation Authority of Bosnia and Herzegovina, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Sarajevo | Baghdad |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 45°/30°F (7°/-1°C) | 66°/43°F (19°/6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 70°/48°F (21°/9°C) | 97°/67°F (36°/20°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 79°/56°F (26°/13°C) | 108°/74°F (43°/24°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 51°/37°F (11°/3°C) | 77°/50°F (25°/10°C) |
View all months
| Month | Sarajevo | Baghdad |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39°/27°F (4.1°/-2.9°C) | 60°/39°F (15.5°/3.8°C) |
| Feb | 44°/29°F (6.6°/-1.9°C) | 65°/42°F (18.5°/5.5°C) |
| Mar | 53°/35°F (11.5°/1.4°C) | 74°/49°F (23.6°/9.6°C) |
| Apr | 62°/41°F (16.5°/5.1°C) | 86°/59°F (29.9°/15.2°C) |
| May | 71°/48°F (21.4°/9.0°C) | 98°/68°F (36.5°/20.1°C) |
| Jun | 78°/55°F (25.4°/12.6°C) | 106°/74°F (41.3°/23.3°C) |
| Jul | 82°/58°F (27.8°/14.2°C) | 111°/78°F (44.0°/25.5°C) |
| Aug | 83°/58°F (28.3°/14.3°C) | 110°/76°F (43.5°/24.5°C) |
| Sep | 72°/51°F (22.5°/10.4°C) | 104°/69°F (40.2°/20.7°C) |
| Oct | 63°/44°F (17.3°/6.5°C) | 92°/61°F (33.4°/15.9°C) |
| Nov | 51°/37°F (10.6°/2.8°C) | 75°/49°F (23.7°/9.2°C) |
| Dec | 40°/29°F (4.3°/-1.7°C) | 63°/41°F (17.2°/5.1°C) |
Data:
Federal Hydrometeorological Service of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Iraqi Meteorological Organization and Seismology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Bosnia and Herzegovina 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.
Bosnia and Herzegovina passport holder visiting Iraq
Visa Required
Iraq passport holder visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina
Visa RequiredData: 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 Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Generally yes: Iraq runs about 32% cheaper than Bosnia and Herzegovina on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Iraq?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a BAM128,429 comparable salary, that's around IQD16,820,146 in Iraq for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Iraq?
With 14.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Iraq can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iraq.
Is Iraq safe for expats?
Bosnia and Herzegovina performs better than Iraq across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Iraq is 9.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
How is healthcare in Iraq compared to Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Bosnia and Herzegovina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iraq leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 10.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Iraq, compared to 23.2 in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Iraq scores 59 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Bosnia and Herzegovina: 66).
What's the weather like in Iraq compared to Bosnia and Herzegovina?
The average high temperature in Baghdad is 87°F, compared to 62°F in Sarajevo. Baghdad receives around 4.8 in of rainfall per year, while Sarajevo gets 37.4 in.
What language do they speak in Iraq?
The official languages in Iraq are Arabic, Aramaic and Sorani. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the official languages are Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian.
