Moving to France from Iraq

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Iraq to France, you would find that France is 3.4 times more expensive than Iraq overall. A IQD98,131,745 salary in Iraq would need to be roughly €167,703 in France to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in French. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Paris averages 60°F vs 87°F in Baghdad, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

IQD98,131,745 €167,703

To maintain the same standard of living in France

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 5.3 times more

Groceries

pay 3.0 times more

Transportation

pay 2.2 times more

Housing

pay 2.4 times more

Childcare

pay 5.3 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.7 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 IQD = 0.0007 EUR (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 Iraq to France, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
609

people moved from Iraq to France · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to France?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

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

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

IQ
9.4
FR
1.6
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

IQ
21.5
FR
4.7

France performs significantly better than Iraq across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

IQ
$843
FR
$6,868
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

IQ
10.1
FR
33.4

France generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iraq leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

IQ
87.0
FR
10.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

IQ
5.2t
FR
4.0t

France performs significantly 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

IQ
14.4
FR
49.4
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

IQ
59.6%
FR
21.6%

France performs significantly better than Iraq across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

IQ
15.5%
FR
7.3%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

IQ
$12,600
FR
$55,200

France generally does better on employment & economy, though Iraq leads in top income tax rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

IQ
73.2 yrs
FR
82.6 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

IQ
19.6
FR
3.1

France performs significantly better than Iraq across all family life metrics.

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

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Paris Rain: 25.6 in/yr (650 mm)
60° / 47°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Baghdad Paris
Jan–Mar 66°/43°F (19°/6°C) 48°/38°F (9°/3°C)
Apr–Jun 97°/67°F (36°/20°C) 65°/50°F (18°/10°C)
Jul–Sep 108°/74°F (43°/24°C) 74°/58°F (23°/14°C)
Oct–Dec 77°/50°F (25°/10°C) 52°/43°F (11°/6°C)
View all months
Month Baghdad Paris
Jan 60°/39°F (15.5°/3.8°C) 44°/36°F (6.9°/2.5°C)
Feb 65°/42°F (18.5°/5.5°C) 47°/37°F (8.2°/2.8°C)
Mar 74°/49°F (23.6°/9.6°C) 53°/41°F (11.8°/5.1°C)
Apr 86°/59°F (29.9°/15.2°C) 58°/44°F (14.7°/6.8°C)
May 98°/68°F (36.5°/20.1°C) 66°/51°F (19.0°/10.5°C)
Jun 106°/74°F (41.3°/23.3°C) 71°/56°F (21.8°/13.3°C)
Jul 111°/78°F (44.0°/25.5°C) 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.5°C)
Aug 110°/76°F (43.5°/24.5°C) 76°/60°F (24.6°/15.4°C)
Sep 104°/69°F (40.2°/20.7°C) 69°/54°F (20.8°/12.5°C)
Oct 92°/61°F (33.4°/15.9°C) 60°/49°F (15.8°/9.2°C)
Nov 75°/49°F (23.7°/9.2°C) 51°/42°F (10.4°/5.3°C)
Dec 63°/41°F (17.2°/5.1°C) 46°/38°F (7.8°/3.6°C)

Data: Iraqi Meteorological Organization and Seismology Iraqi Meteorological Organization and Seismology, Météo-France Météo-France

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Iraq and France. To live, work, or study long-term in France, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check France's immigration authority.

Iraq passport

Iraq passport holder visiting France

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

France passport holder visiting Iraq

Visa Online (e-Visa)
France passport holders need to apply for an e-Visa before travelling to Iraq.

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 France than Iraq?

Day-to-day costs in France run about 156% higher than Iraq on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to France?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a IQD98,131,745 comparable salary, that's around €41,926 in France for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from France?

With 49.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, France 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 France.

Is France safe for expats?

France performs significantly better than Iraq across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in France is 1.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 9.4 in Iraq.

How is healthcare in France compared to Iraq?

France generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iraq leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 33.4 doctors per 10,000 people in France, compared to 10.1 in Iraq. France scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Iraq: 59).

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

The average high temperature in Paris is 60°F, compared to 87°F in Baghdad. Paris receives around 25.6 in of rainfall per year, while Baghdad gets 4.8 in.

What language do they speak in France?

The official language in France is French. In Iraq, the official languages are Arabic, Aramaic and Sorani.

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At a Glance

IQ FR
Population 40,462,701 68,305,148
Currency Iraqi Dinar (IQD) Euro (€)
Languages Arabic, Aramaic, Sorani French
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +964 +33
Time zones 1 14
Emergency number 104 112