Moving to Bahrain from Iraq
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Iraq to Bahrain — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Iraq to Bahrain, you would find that Bahrain is 2.0 times more expensive than Iraq overall. A IQD110,000,000 salary in Iraq would need to be roughly BHD55,100 in Bahrain to maintain the same lifestyle.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Bahrain cheaper than Iraq?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 43.2% more
Groceries
pay 74.8% more
Transportation
pay 38.2% more
Housing
pay 2.7 times more
Childcare
pay 3.1 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 92.8% 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.
What salary do you need in Bahrain?
What does your salary buy?
IQD110,000,000 → BHD55,100
To maintain the same standard of living in Bahrain
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Iraq and Bahrain stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Bahrain performs significantly 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
Iraq generally does better on environment, though Bahrain leads in air pollution deaths.
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
Iraq generally does better on infrastructure, though Bahrain leads in electricity per capita.
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 significantly 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 (2016), Ministry of Finance - Kingdom of Bahrain (2016), The World Factbook (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Bahrain vs Iraq
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Baghdad | Manama |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 66°/43°F (19°/6°C) | 71°/60°F (22°/16°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 97°/67°F (36°/20°C) | 92°/78°F (33°/25°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 108°/74°F (43°/24°C) | 99°/86°F (37°/30°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 77°/50°F (25°/10°C) | 82°/70°F (28°/21°C) |
View all months
| Month | Baghdad | Manama |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60°/39°F (15.5°/3.8°C) | 68°/57°F (20.0°/14.1°C) |
| Feb | 65°/42°F (18.5°/5.5°C) | 70°/59°F (21.2°/14.9°C) |
| Mar | 74°/49°F (23.6°/9.6°C) | 76°/64°F (24.7°/17.8°C) |
| Apr | 86°/59°F (29.9°/15.2°C) | 85°/71°F (29.2°/21.5°C) |
| May | 98°/68°F (36.5°/20.1°C) | 93°/79°F (34.1°/26.0°C) |
| Jun | 106°/74°F (41.3°/23.3°C) | 98°/84°F (36.4°/28.8°C) |
| Jul | 111°/78°F (44.0°/25.5°C) | 100°/87°F (37.9°/30.4°C) |
| Aug | 110°/76°F (43.5°/24.5°C) | 100°/87°F (38.0°/30.5°C) |
| Sep | 104°/69°F (40.2°/20.7°C) | 98°/83°F (36.5°/28.6°C) |
| Oct | 92°/61°F (33.4°/15.9°C) | 92°/78°F (33.1°/25.5°C) |
| Nov | 75°/49°F (23.7°/9.2°C) | 82°/70°F (27.8°/21.2°C) |
| Dec | 63°/41°F (17.2°/5.1°C) | 72°/61°F (22.3°/16.2°C) |
Data:
Iraqi Meteorological Organization and Seismology,
Bahrain Meteorological Services
Can you move from Iraq to Bahrain?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Iraq and Bahrain. To live, work, or study long-term in Bahrain, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Bahrain's immigration authority.
Iraq passport holder visiting Bahrain
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Bahrain passport holder visiting Iraq
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 Bahrain than Iraq?
Day-to-day costs in Bahrain run about 101% higher than Iraq on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Bahrain?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a IQD110,000,000 comparable salary, that's around BHD13,775 in Bahrain for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Bahrain?
With 17.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Bahrain can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Iraq and Bahrain.
Is Bahrain safe for expats?
Bahrain performs significantly better than Iraq across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Bahrain is 0.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 9.4 in Iraq.
How is healthcare in Bahrain compared to Iraq?
Iraq generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Bahrain leads in health coverage index. There are 7.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Bahrain, compared to 10.2 in Iraq. Bahrain scores 76 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Iraq: 59).
What's the weather like in Bahrain compared to Iraq?
The average high temperature in Manama is 86°F, compared to 87°F in Baghdad. Manama receives around 2.8 in of rainfall per year, while Baghdad gets 4.8 in.
What language do they speak in Bahrain?
The official language in Bahrain is Arabic. In Iraq, the official languages are Arabic, Aramaic and Sorani.
