Moving to Spain from Iraq
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Iraq to Spain — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Iraq to Spain, you would find that Spain is 2.7 times more expensive than Iraq overall. A IQD98,353,840 salary in Iraq would need to be roughly €153,928 in Spain to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Madrid averages 68°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 Spain.
What does your salary buy?
IQD98,353,840 → €153,928
To maintain the same standard of living in Spain
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 4.7 times more
Groceries
pay 2.3 times more
Transportation
pay 89.2% more
Housing
pay 2.4 times more
Childcare
pay 3.7 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 56.7% 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.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Iraq to Spain, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Iraq and Spain stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Spain 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
Spain 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
Spain performs significantly better than Iraq across all environment metrics.
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
Spain 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
Spain 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Spain generally does better on family life, though Iraq leads in education spending.
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 | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 66°/43°F (19°/6°C) | 55°/40°F (13°/4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 97°/67°F (36°/20°C) | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 108°/74°F (43°/24°C) | 86°/64°F (30°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 77°/50°F (25°/10°C) | 58°/44°F (14°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Baghdad | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60°/39°F (15.5°/3.8°C) | 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C) |
| Feb | 65°/42°F (18.5°/5.5°C) | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C) |
| Mar | 74°/49°F (23.6°/9.6°C) | 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C) |
| Apr | 86°/59°F (29.9°/15.2°C) | 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C) |
| May | 98°/68°F (36.5°/20.1°C) | 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C) |
| Jun | 106°/74°F (41.3°/23.3°C) | 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C) |
| Jul | 111°/78°F (44.0°/25.5°C) | 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C) |
| Aug | 110°/76°F (43.5°/24.5°C) | 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C) |
| Sep | 104°/69°F (40.2°/20.7°C) | 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C) |
| Oct | 92°/61°F (33.4°/15.9°C) | 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C) |
| Nov | 75°/49°F (23.7°/9.2°C) | 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C) |
| Dec | 63°/41°F (17.2°/5.1°C) | 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C) |
Data:
Iraqi Meteorological Organization and Seismology,
Agencia Estatal de Meteorología
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Iraq and Spain. To live, work, or study long-term in Spain, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Spain's immigration authority.
Iraq passport holder visiting Spain
Visa Required
Spain passport holder visiting Iraq
Visa Online (e-Visa)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 Spain than Iraq?
Day-to-day costs in Spain run about 134% higher than Iraq on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Spain?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a IQD98,353,840 comparable salary, that's around €38,482 in Spain for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Spain?
With 36.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Spain 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 Spain.
Is Spain safe for expats?
Spain performs significantly better than Iraq across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Spain is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 9.4 in Iraq.
How is healthcare in Spain compared to Iraq?
Spain generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iraq leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 44.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Spain, compared to 10.1 in Iraq. Spain scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Iraq: 59).
What's the weather like in Spain compared to Iraq?
The average high temperature in Madrid is 68°F, compared to 87°F in Baghdad. Madrid receives around 16.6 in of rainfall per year, while Baghdad gets 4.8 in.
What language do they speak in Spain?
The official languages in Spain are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish. In Iraq, the official languages are Arabic, Aramaic and Sorani.
