Moving to Iraq from Nigeria
What to Expect
Considering a move from Nigeria to Iraq? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Nigeria to Iraq, you would find that Iraq is 15.8% more expensive than Nigeria overall. A NGN103,430,048 salary in Nigeria would need to be roughly IQD68,970,958 in Iraq to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Arabic, Aramaic and Sorani.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Nigeria and Iraq.
What does your salary buy?
NGN103,430,048 → IQD68,970,958
To maintain the same standard of living in Iraq
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 20.8% more
Groceries
pay 40.8% less
Transportation
pay 0.9% more
Housing
pay 16.3% more
Childcare
pay 54.5% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 59.4% 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
The numbers behind daily life in Iraq compared to Nigeria.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Nigeria generally does better on safety, though Iraq 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
Nigeria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iraq leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Nigeria performs 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
Nigeria 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
Iraq generally does better on employment & economy, though Nigeria 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 Nigeria leads in literacy rate.
Data: Federal Inland Revenue Service, Nigeria, 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 | Abuja | Baghdad |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 97°/74°F (36°/23°C) | 66°/43°F (19°/6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 91°/69°F (33°/21°C) | 97°/67°F (36°/20°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/66°F (29°/19°C) | 108°/74°F (43°/24°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 93°/64°F (34°/18°C) | 77°/50°F (25°/10°C) |
View all months
| Month | Abuja | Baghdad |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 94°/69°F (34.7°/20.4°C) | 60°/39°F (15.5°/3.8°C) |
| Feb | 98°/78°F (36.8°/25.5°C) | 65°/42°F (18.5°/5.5°C) |
| Mar | 98°/76°F (36.9°/24.3°C) | 74°/49°F (23.6°/9.6°C) |
| Apr | 96°/76°F (35.6°/24.7°C) | 86°/59°F (29.9°/15.2°C) |
| May | 91°/67°F (32.7°/19.5°C) | 98°/68°F (36.5°/20.1°C) |
| Jun | 87°/65°F (30.6°/18.3°C) | 106°/74°F (41.3°/23.3°C) |
| Jul | 84°/71°F (29.1°/21.9°C) | 111°/78°F (44.0°/25.5°C) |
| Aug | 84°/64°F (28.9°/17.7°C) | 110°/76°F (43.5°/24.5°C) |
| Sep | 86°/64°F (30.0°/17.5°C) | 104°/69°F (40.2°/20.7°C) |
| Oct | 90°/71°F (32.0°/21.4°C) | 92°/61°F (33.4°/15.9°C) |
| Nov | 94°/60°F (34.4°/15.7°C) | 75°/49°F (23.7°/9.2°C) |
| Dec | 94°/60°F (34.6°/15.5°C) | 63°/41°F (17.2°/5.1°C) |
Data:
Nigerian Meteorological Agency,
Iraqi Meteorological Organization and Seismology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Nigeria 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.
Nigeria passport holder visiting Iraq
Visa Required
Iraq passport holder visiting Nigeria
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 Iraq than Nigeria?
On average Iraq is about 30% less expensive than Nigeria, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Iraq?
Budget about IQD17,242,740 for 3 months in Iraq (based on a NGN103,430,048 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Iraq?
Connectivity is usually fine (Iraq: 14.4 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Iraq offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Iraq safe for expats?
Nigeria generally does better on safety, though Iraq leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Iraq is 9.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 21.7 in Nigeria.
How is healthcare in Iraq compared to Nigeria?
Nigeria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iraq leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 10.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Iraq, compared to 3.9 in Nigeria. Iraq scores 59 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Nigeria: 38).
What's the weather like in Iraq compared to Nigeria?
The average high temperature in Baghdad is 87°F, compared to 91°F in Abuja. Baghdad receives around 4.8 in of rainfall per year, while Abuja gets 48.1 in.
What language do they speak in Iraq?
The official languages in Iraq are Arabic, Aramaic and Sorani. In Nigeria, the official language is English.
