Moving to Iraq from Iceland
What to Expect
Considering a move from Iceland to Iraq? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Iceland to Iraq, you would find that Iraq is 69.4% cheaper than Iceland overall. A ISK9,402,000 salary in Iceland would need to be roughly IQD21,842,818 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 45°F in Reykjavik, making it significantly warmer.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Iceland and Iraq.
What does your salary buy?
ISK9,402,000 → IQD21,842,818
To maintain the same standard of living in Iraq
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 82.3% less
Groceries
pay 71.9% less
Transportation
pay 59.8% less
Housing
pay 59.1% less
Childcare
pay 76.0% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 64.6% 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 Iceland.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Iceland 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
Iceland 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
Iceland 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
Iceland 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
Iceland generally does better on employment & economy, though Iraq leads in top income tax rate.
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
Iceland performs better than Iraq across all family life metrics.
Data: Directorate of Internal Revenue, 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 | Reykjavik | Baghdad |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 37°/28°F (3°/-2°C) | 66°/43°F (19°/6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 48°/38°F (9°/4°C) | 97°/67°F (36°/20°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 54°/45°F (12°/7°C) | 108°/74°F (43°/24°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/31°F (4°/-1°C) | 77°/50°F (25°/10°C) |
View all months
| Month | Reykjavik | Baghdad |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/27°F (1.9°/-3.0°C) | 60°/39°F (15.5°/3.8°C) |
| Feb | 37°/28°F (2.8°/-2.1°C) | 65°/42°F (18.5°/5.5°C) |
| Mar | 38°/28°F (3.2°/-2.0°C) | 74°/49°F (23.6°/9.6°C) |
| Apr | 42°/33°F (5.7°/0.4°C) | 86°/59°F (29.9°/15.2°C) |
| May | 49°/38°F (9.4°/3.6°C) | 98°/68°F (36.5°/20.1°C) |
| Jun | 53°/44°F (11.7°/6.7°C) | 106°/74°F (41.3°/23.3°C) |
| Jul | 56°/47°F (13.3°/8.3°C) | 111°/78°F (44.0°/25.5°C) |
| Aug | 55°/46°F (13.0°/7.9°C) | 110°/76°F (43.5°/24.5°C) |
| Sep | 50°/41°F (10.1°/5.0°C) | 104°/69°F (40.2°/20.7°C) |
| Oct | 44°/36°F (6.8°/2.2°C) | 92°/61°F (33.4°/15.9°C) |
| Nov | 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.3°C) | 75°/49°F (23.7°/9.2°C) |
| Dec | 36°/27°F (2.2°/-2.8°C) | 63°/41°F (17.2°/5.1°C) |
Data:
Icelandic Meteorological Office,
Iraqi Meteorological Organization and Seismology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Iceland 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.
Iceland passport holder visiting Iraq
Visa Required
Iraq passport holder visiting Iceland
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 Iceland?
On average Iraq is about 78% less expensive than Iceland, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Iraq?
Budget about IQD5,460,704 for 3 months in Iraq (based on a ISK9,402,000 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: 14.4 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?
Iceland 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 Iceland.
How is healthcare in Iraq compared to Iceland?
Iceland 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 45.2 in Iceland. Iraq scores 59 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Iceland: 89).
What's the weather like in Iraq compared to Iceland?
The average high temperature in Baghdad is 87°F, compared to 45°F in Reykjavik. Baghdad receives around 4.8 in of rainfall per year, while Reykjavik gets 31.4 in.
What language do they speak in Iraq?
The official languages in Iraq are Arabic, Aramaic and Sorani. In Iceland, the official language is Icelandic.
