Moving to Iraq from India

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from India to Iraq — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from India to Iraq, you would find that Iraq is 92.3% more expensive than India overall. A ₹7,247,970 salary in India would need to be roughly IQD146,843,035 in Iraq to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Arabic, Aramaic and Sorani. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from India to Iraq.

What does your salary buy?

₹7,247,970 IQD146,843,035

To maintain the same standard of living in Iraq

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 56.3% more

Groceries

pay 40.2% more

Transportation

pay 2.7 times more

Housing

pay 3.0 times more

Childcare

pay 92.0% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 69.9% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 INR = 13.54 IQD (July 2026)

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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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from India to Iraq, and how the trend has changed.

Living there in 2020
234 ↑ 1% vs 2015

people born in India live in Iraq · UN DESA

Who's moving to Iraq?

Top countries of origin for Iraq's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How India and Iraq stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

IN
2.8
IQ
9.4
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

IN
15.4
IQ
21.5

India performs better than Iraq across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

IN
$346
IQ
$843
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

IN
7.3
IQ
10.1

India generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iraq leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

IN
83.0
IQ
87.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

IN
2.2t
IQ
5.2t

India performs better than Iraq across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

IN
2.4
IQ
14.4
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

IN
66.5%
IQ
59.6%

Iraq performs significantly better than India across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

IN
4.2%
IQ
15.5%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

IN
$9,200
IQ
$12,600

India generally does better on employment & economy, though Iraq leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

IN
67.2 yrs
IQ
73.2 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

IN
30.3
IQ
19.6

Iraq generally does better on family life, though India leads in literacy rate.

Data: Ministry of Finance, Government of India, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Delhi Rain: 28.2 in/yr (716 mm)
88° / 66°F

Avg. annual high / low

Baghdad Rain: 4.8 in/yr (123 mm)
87° / 59°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Delhi Baghdad
Jan–Mar 76°/52°F (25°/11°C) 66°/43°F (19°/6°C)
Apr–Jun 101°/78°F (38°/25°C) 97°/67°F (36°/20°C)
Jul–Sep 93°/79°F (34°/26°C) 108°/74°F (43°/24°C)
Oct–Dec 82°/56°F (28°/14°C) 77°/50°F (25°/10°C)
View all months
Month Delhi Baghdad
Jan 69°/46°F (20.8°/7.8°C) 60°/39°F (15.5°/3.8°C)
Feb 75°/51°F (23.7°/10.3°C) 65°/42°F (18.5°/5.5°C)
Mar 85°/60°F (29.6°/15.4°C) 74°/49°F (23.6°/9.6°C)
Apr 97°/71°F (36.0°/21.5°C) 86°/59°F (29.9°/15.2°C)
May 104°/79°F (39.8°/26.2°C) 98°/68°F (36.5°/20.1°C)
Jun 103°/83°F (39.4°/28.3°C) 106°/74°F (41.3°/23.3°C)
Jul 95°/81°F (35.2°/27.0°C) 111°/78°F (44.0°/25.5°C)
Aug 92°/79°F (33.6°/26.2°C) 110°/76°F (43.5°/24.5°C)
Sep 93°/76°F (34.0°/24.7°C) 104°/69°F (40.2°/20.7°C)
Oct 91°/67°F (32.9°/19.4°C) 92°/61°F (33.4°/15.9°C)
Nov 82°/55°F (28.0°/12.8°C) 75°/49°F (23.7°/9.2°C)
Dec 73°/47°F (22.7°/8.4°C) 63°/41°F (17.2°/5.1°C)

Data: India Meteorological Department India Meteorological Department, Iraqi Meteorological Organization and Seismology Iraqi Meteorological Organization and Seismology

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between India 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.

India passport

India passport holder visiting Iraq

Visa Required
India passport holders need a visa to enter Iraq.
Iraq passport

Iraq passport holder visiting India

Visa Required
Iraq passport holders need a visa to enter India.

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 India?

Day-to-day costs in Iraq run about 50% higher than India on average; specific cities can swing further.

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 ₹7,247,970 comparable salary, that's around IQD36,710,759 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 India and Iraq.

Is Iraq safe for expats?

India performs better than Iraq across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Iraq is 9.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.8 in India.

How is healthcare in Iraq compared to India?

India generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iraq leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 10.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Iraq, compared to 7.3 in India. Iraq scores 59 on the WHO universal health coverage index (India: 63).

What's the weather like in Iraq compared to India?

The average high temperature in Baghdad is 87°F, compared to 88°F in Delhi. Baghdad receives around 4.8 in of rainfall per year, while Delhi gets 28.2 in.

What language do they speak in Iraq?

The official languages in Iraq are Arabic, Aramaic and Sorani. In India, the official languages are English, Hindi and Tamil.

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At a Glance

IN IQ
Population 1,389,637,446 40,462,701
Currency Indian Rupee (₹) Iraqi Dinar (IQD)
Languages English, Hindi, Tamil Arabic, Aramaic, Sorani
Driving side Left Right
Calling code +91 +964
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 104