Moving to Iraq from Jordan

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Jordan to Iraq, you would find that Iraq is 17.5% cheaper than Jordan overall. A JOD53,175 salary in Jordan would need to be roughly IQD77,042,530 in Iraq to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Baghdad averages 87°F vs 74°F in Amman, making it significantly warmer.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

JOD53,175 IQD77,042,530

To maintain the same standard of living in Iraq

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 9.6% less

Groceries

pay 13.4% less

Transportation

pay 9.1% less

Housing

pay 2.8% more

Childcare

pay 34.0% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 28.7% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 JOD = 1849.63 IQD (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 Jordan to Iraq, and how the trend has changed.

Living there in 2020
10,432 ↑ 1% vs 2015

people born in Jordan live in Iraq · UN DESA

Who's moving to Iraq?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

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

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

JO
1.0
IQ
9.4
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

JO
13.6
IQ
21.5

Jordan performs better than Iraq across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

JO
$798
IQ
$843
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

JO
25.1
IQ
10.1

Jordan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iraq leads in adult obesity rate.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

JO
38.0
IQ
87.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

JO
2.1t
IQ
5.2t

Jordan performs 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

JO
7.1
IQ
14.4
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

JO
102.5%
IQ
59.6%

Jordan generally does better on infrastructure, though Iraq leads in broadband per 100 people.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

JO
17.9%
IQ
15.5%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

JO
$9,400
IQ
$12,600

Iraq generally does better on employment & economy, though Jordan leads in poverty rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

JO
76.0 yrs
IQ
73.2 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

JO
13.9
IQ
19.6

Jordan generally does better on family life, though Iraq leads in education spending.

Data: Jordan Tax Service, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Amman Rain: 10.6 in/yr (269 mm)
74° / 52°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Amman Baghdad
Jan–Mar 58°/40°F (14°/5°C) 66°/43°F (19°/6°C)
Apr–Jun 81°/56°F (27°/13°C) 97°/67°F (36°/20°C)
Jul–Sep 89°/64°F (32°/18°C) 108°/74°F (43°/24°C)
Oct–Dec 69°/49°F (21°/9°C) 77°/50°F (25°/10°C)
View all months
Month Amman Baghdad
Jan 54°/38°F (12.3°/3.6°C) 60°/39°F (15.5°/3.8°C)
Feb 57°/40°F (13.7°/4.2°C) 65°/42°F (18.5°/5.5°C)
Mar 63°/43°F (17.2°/6.1°C) 74°/49°F (23.6°/9.6°C)
Apr 73°/49°F (22.6°/9.5°C) 86°/59°F (29.9°/15.2°C)
May 82°/56°F (27.8°/13.5°C) 98°/68°F (36.5°/20.1°C)
Jun 87°/62°F (30.8°/16.6°C) 106°/74°F (41.3°/23.3°C)
Jul 90°/65°F (32.0°/18.5°C) 111°/78°F (44.0°/25.5°C)
Aug 90°/65°F (32.4°/18.6°C) 110°/76°F (43.5°/24.5°C)
Sep 87°/62°F (30.7°/16.6°C) 104°/69°F (40.2°/20.7°C)
Oct 81°/57°F (27.1°/13.8°C) 92°/61°F (33.4°/15.9°C)
Nov 69°/49°F (20.4°/9.3°C) 75°/49°F (23.7°/9.2°C)
Dec 58°/41°F (14.4°/5.2°C) 63°/41°F (17.2°/5.1°C)

Data: Jordan Meteorological Department Jordan Meteorological Department, Iraqi Meteorological Organization and Seismology Iraqi Meteorological Organization and Seismology

Visitor Visa Requirements

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

Jordan passport

Jordan passport holder visiting Iraq

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

Iraq passport holder visiting Jordan

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

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 Iraq than Jordan?

Generally yes: Iraq runs about 22% cheaper than Jordan on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

How much money do I need to move to Iraq?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a JOD53,175 comparable salary, that's around IQD19,260,632 in Iraq for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Iraq?

With 14.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Iraq can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Jordan and Iraq.

Is Iraq safe for expats?

Jordan performs better than Iraq across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Iraq is 9.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.0 in Jordan.

How is healthcare in Iraq compared to Jordan?

Jordan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iraq leads in adult obesity rate. There are 10.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Iraq, compared to 25.1 in Jordan. Iraq scores 59 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Jordan: 65).

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

The average high temperature in Baghdad is 87°F, compared to 74°F in Amman. Baghdad receives around 4.8 in of rainfall per year, while Amman gets 10.6 in.

What language do they speak in Iraq?

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

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At a Glance

JO IQ
Population 10,998,531 40,462,701
Currency Jordanian Dinar (JOD) Iraqi Dinar (IQD)
Languages Arabic Arabic, Aramaic, Sorani
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +962 +964
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 911 104