Moving to Iraq from Kazakhstan
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Kazakhstan to Iraq — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Kazakhstan to Iraq, you would find that Iraq is 21.3% cheaper than Kazakhstan overall. A KZT34,000,000 salary in Kazakhstan would need to be roughly IQD77,200,000 in Iraq to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Arabic, Aramaic and Sorani. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Baghdad averages 87°F vs 46°F in Astana, making it significantly warmer.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from Kazakhstan to Iraq.
What does your salary buy?
KZT34,000,000 → IQD77,200,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Iraq
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 40.7% less
Groceries
pay 30.0% less
Transportation
pay 3.1% more
Housing
pay 16.0% less
Childcare
pay 42.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 30.3% 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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Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Kazakhstan to Iraq.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Kazakhstan performs 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
Kazakhstan generally does better on environment, though Iraq leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
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 generally does better on infrastructure, though Iraq leads in broadband per 100 people.
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 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
Kazakhstan performs better than Iraq across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2013–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2016–2018), Tax Committee of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2016), Ministry of Finance (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 | Astana | Baghdad |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 15°/-4°F (-10°/-20°C) | 66°/43°F (19°/6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 65°/41°F (18°/5°C) | 97°/67°F (36°/20°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 74°/50°F (23°/10°C) | 108°/74°F (43°/24°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 30°/13°F (-1°/-11°C) | 77°/50°F (25°/10°C) |
View all months
| Month | Astana | Baghdad |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9°/-8°F (-12.6°/-22.0°C) | 60°/39°F (15.5°/3.8°C) |
| Feb | 12°/-7°F (-11.3°/-21.8°C) | 65°/42°F (18.5°/5.5°C) |
| Mar | 23°/4°F (-5.0°/-15.6°C) | 74°/49°F (23.6°/9.6°C) |
| Apr | 49°/28°F (9.3°/-2.4°C) | 86°/59°F (29.9°/15.2°C) |
| May | 67°/42°F (19.6°/5.8°C) | 98°/68°F (36.5°/20.1°C) |
| Jun | 78°/52°F (25.3°/11.2°C) | 106°/74°F (41.3°/23.3°C) |
| Jul | 81°/56°F (27.0°/13.4°C) | 111°/78°F (44.0°/25.5°C) |
| Aug | 76°/52°F (24.3°/10.9°C) | 110°/76°F (43.5°/24.5°C) |
| Sep | 65°/41°F (18.6°/5.1°C) | 104°/69°F (40.2°/20.7°C) |
| Oct | 47°/28°F (8.5°/-2.1°C) | 92°/61°F (33.4°/15.9°C) |
| Nov | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.2°C) | 75°/49°F (23.7°/9.2°C) |
| Dec | 15°/-2°F (-9.7°/-18.9°C) | 63°/41°F (17.2°/5.1°C) |
Data:
Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan,
Iraqi Meteorological Organization and Seismology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Kazakhstan 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.
Kazakhstan passport holder visiting Iraq
Visa Required
Iraq passport holder visiting Kazakhstan
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 Iraq than Kazakhstan?
Yes — Iraq is on average about 21% cheaper than Kazakhstan. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Iraq?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly IQD19,300,000 in Iraq on a KZT34,000,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Iraq?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Iraq has 17.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Iraq safe for expats?
Kazakhstan performs better than Iraq across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Iraq is 9.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.5 in Kazakhstan.
How is healthcare in Iraq compared to Kazakhstan?
Kazakhstan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iraq leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 10.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Iraq, compared to 37.5 in Kazakhstan. Iraq scores 59 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Kazakhstan: 80).
What's the weather like in Iraq compared to Kazakhstan?
The average high temperature in Baghdad is 87°F, compared to 46°F in Astana. Baghdad receives around 4.8 in of rainfall per year, while Astana gets 12.5 in.
What language do they speak in Iraq?
The official languages in Iraq are Arabic, Aramaic and Sorani. In Kazakhstan, the official languages are Kazakh and Russian.
