Moving to Zimbabwe from Iraq
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Iraq to Zimbabwe — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Iraq to Zimbabwe, you would find that Zimbabwe is 26.2% more expensive than Iraq overall. A IQD98,000,000 salary in Iraq would need to be roughly ZWL30,400,000 in Zimbabwe to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zimbabwean Sign Language. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Harare averages 78°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 Zimbabwe.
What does your salary buy?
IQD98,000,000 → ZWL30,400,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Zimbabwe
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 23.6% more
Groceries
pay 71.7% more
Transportation
pay 80.5% more
Housing
pay 0.1% more
Childcare
pay 2.1 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 12.6% 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 Zimbabwe stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Iraq generally does better on safety, though Zimbabwe leads in homicide rate.
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 Zimbabwe 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
Zimbabwe 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
Iraq generally does better on infrastructure, though Zimbabwe leads in water stress level.
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
Iraq generally does better on employment & economy, though Zimbabwe leads in unemployment 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
Iraq generally does better on family life, though Zimbabwe leads in literacy rate.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2013–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2016–2021), Ministry of Finance (2016), Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Baghdad | Harare |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 66°/43°F (19°/6°C) | 79°/59°F (26°/15°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 97°/67°F (36°/20°C) | 75°/49°F (24°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 108°/74°F (43°/24°C) | 76°/48°F (25°/9°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 77°/50°F (25°/10°C) | 82°/59°F (28°/15°C) |
View all months
| Month | Baghdad | Harare |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60°/39°F (15.5°/3.8°C) | 79°/60°F (26.2°/15.8°C) |
| Feb | 65°/42°F (18.5°/5.5°C) | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.7°C) |
| Mar | 74°/49°F (23.6°/9.6°C) | 79°/58°F (26.2°/14.5°C) |
| Apr | 86°/59°F (29.9°/15.2°C) | 78°/54°F (25.6°/12.5°C) |
| May | 98°/68°F (36.5°/20.1°C) | 75°/49°F (23.8°/9.3°C) |
| Jun | 106°/74°F (41.3°/23.3°C) | 71°/44°F (21.8°/6.8°C) |
| Jul | 111°/78°F (44.0°/25.5°C) | 71°/44°F (21.6°/6.5°C) |
| Aug | 110°/76°F (43.5°/24.5°C) | 75°/47°F (24.1°/8.5°C) |
| Sep | 104°/69°F (40.2°/20.7°C) | 83°/53°F (28.4°/11.7°C) |
| Oct | 92°/61°F (33.4°/15.9°C) | 84°/58°F (28.8°/14.5°C) |
| Nov | 75°/49°F (23.7°/9.2°C) | 82°/60°F (27.6°/15.5°C) |
| Dec | 63°/41°F (17.2°/5.1°C) | 79°/60°F (26.3°/15.8°C) |
Data:
Iraqi Meteorological Organization and Seismology,
Meteorological Services Department
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Iraq and Zimbabwe. To live, work, or study long-term in Zimbabwe, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Zimbabwe's immigration authority.
Iraq passport holder visiting Zimbabwe
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Zimbabwe 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 Zimbabwe than Iraq?
Day-to-day costs in Zimbabwe run about 26% higher than Iraq on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Zimbabwe?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a IQD98,000,000 comparable salary, that's around ZWL7,600,000 in Zimbabwe for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Zimbabwe?
With 1.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Zimbabwe 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 Zimbabwe.
Is Zimbabwe safe for expats?
Iraq generally does better on safety, though Zimbabwe leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Zimbabwe is 6.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 9.4 in Iraq.
How is healthcare in Zimbabwe compared to Iraq?
Iraq generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Zimbabwe leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 1.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Zimbabwe, compared to 10.2 in Iraq. Zimbabwe scores 55 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Iraq: 59).
What's the weather like in Zimbabwe compared to Iraq?
The average high temperature in Harare is 78°F, compared to 87°F in Baghdad. Harare receives around 33.1 in of rainfall per year, while Baghdad gets 4.8 in.
What language do they speak in Zimbabwe?
The official languages in Zimbabwe are Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zimbabwean Sign Language. In Iraq, the official languages are Arabic, Aramaic and Sorani.
Compare further: Iraq vs. Zimbabwe
More relocation comparisons
At a Glance
IQ
|
ZW
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 47,020,774 | 16,950,795 |
| Currency | Iraqi Dinar (IQD) | Zimbabwean Dollar (ZWL) |
| Languages | Arabic, Aramaic, Sorani | Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zimbabwean Sign Language |
| Driving side | Right | Left |
| Calling code | +964 | +263 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 104 | 999 |