Moving to Kazakhstan from Iraq
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Iraq to Kazakhstan — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Iraq to Kazakhstan, you would find that Kazakhstan is 22.1% more expensive than Iraq overall. A IQD98,353,840 salary in Iraq would need to be roughly KZT42,623,986 in Kazakhstan to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Kazakh and Russian. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Astana averages 46°F vs 87°F in Baghdad, making it significantly cooler.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Iraq to Kazakhstan.
What does your salary buy?
IQD98,353,840 → KZT42,623,986
To maintain the same standard of living in Kazakhstan
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 64.9% more
Groceries
pay 20.6% more
Transportation
pay 26.2% less
Housing
pay 17.7% less
Childcare
pay 75.7% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 29.5% 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
How Iraq and Kazakhstan stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Kazakhstan 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
Kazakhstan 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
Iraq generally does better on environment, though Kazakhstan 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
Kazakhstan performs significantly 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
Kazakhstan 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
Iraq generally does better on family life, though Kazakhstan leads in infant mortality.
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.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Baghdad | Astana |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 66°/43°F (19°/6°C) | 15°/-4°F (-10°/-20°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 97°/67°F (36°/20°C) | 65°/41°F (18°/5°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 108°/74°F (43°/24°C) | 74°/50°F (23°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 77°/50°F (25°/10°C) | 30°/13°F (-1°/-11°C) |
View all months
| Month | Baghdad | Astana |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60°/39°F (15.5°/3.8°C) | 9°/-8°F (-12.6°/-22.0°C) |
| Feb | 65°/42°F (18.5°/5.5°C) | 12°/-7°F (-11.3°/-21.8°C) |
| Mar | 74°/49°F (23.6°/9.6°C) | 23°/4°F (-5.0°/-15.6°C) |
| Apr | 86°/59°F (29.9°/15.2°C) | 49°/28°F (9.3°/-2.4°C) |
| May | 98°/68°F (36.5°/20.1°C) | 67°/42°F (19.6°/5.8°C) |
| Jun | 106°/74°F (41.3°/23.3°C) | 78°/52°F (25.3°/11.2°C) |
| Jul | 111°/78°F (44.0°/25.5°C) | 81°/56°F (27.0°/13.4°C) |
| Aug | 110°/76°F (43.5°/24.5°C) | 76°/52°F (24.3°/10.9°C) |
| Sep | 104°/69°F (40.2°/20.7°C) | 65°/41°F (18.6°/5.1°C) |
| Oct | 92°/61°F (33.4°/15.9°C) | 47°/28°F (8.5°/-2.1°C) |
| Nov | 75°/49°F (23.7°/9.2°C) | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.2°C) |
| Dec | 63°/41°F (17.2°/5.1°C) | 15°/-2°F (-9.7°/-18.9°C) |
Data:
Iraqi Meteorological Organization and Seismology,
Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Iraq and Kazakhstan. To live, work, or study long-term in Kazakhstan, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Kazakhstan's immigration authority.
Iraq passport holder visiting Kazakhstan
Visa Required
Kazakhstan 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 Kazakhstan than Iraq?
Day-to-day costs in Kazakhstan run about 20% higher than Iraq on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Kazakhstan?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a IQD98,353,840 comparable salary, that's around KZT10,655,996 in Kazakhstan for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Kazakhstan?
With 14.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Kazakhstan 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 Kazakhstan.
Is Kazakhstan safe for expats?
Kazakhstan performs significantly better than Iraq across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Kazakhstan is 2.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 9.4 in Iraq.
How is healthcare in Kazakhstan compared to Iraq?
Kazakhstan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iraq leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 40.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Kazakhstan, compared to 10.1 in Iraq. Kazakhstan scores 80 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Iraq: 59).
What's the weather like in Kazakhstan compared to Iraq?
The average high temperature in Astana is 46°F, compared to 87°F in Baghdad. Astana receives around 12.5 in of rainfall per year, while Baghdad gets 4.8 in.
What language do they speak in Kazakhstan?
The official languages in Kazakhstan are Kazakh and Russian. In Iraq, the official languages are Arabic, Aramaic and Sorani.
