Moving to Iraq from Sri Lanka
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Sri Lanka to Iraq — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Sri Lanka to Iraq, you would find that Iraq is 80.7% more expensive than Sri Lanka overall. A LKR25,173,710 salary in Sri Lanka would need to be roughly IQD81,134,018 in Iraq to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Arabic, Aramaic and Sorani. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Sri Lanka to Iraq.
What does your salary buy?
LKR25,173,710 → IQD81,134,018
To maintain the same standard of living in Iraq
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 16.4% less
Groceries
pay 28.4% less
Transportation
pay 2.4 times more
Housing
pay 75.5% more
Childcare
pay 4.3 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 50.9% 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
How Sri Lanka and Iraq stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Sri Lanka 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
Sri Lanka generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iraq leads in suicide rate.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Sri Lanka 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
Iraq generally does better on infrastructure, though Sri Lanka leads in internet access.
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
Sri Lanka 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
Sri Lanka generally does better on family life, though Iraq leads in education spending.
Data: Sri Lanka Inland Revenue Department, 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 | Colombo | Baghdad |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 88°/73°F (31°/23°C) | 66°/43°F (19°/6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 88°/77°F (31°/25°C) | 97°/67°F (36°/20°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/77°F (30°/25°C) | 108°/74°F (43°/24°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 86°/74°F (30°/23°C) | 77°/50°F (25°/10°C) |
View all months
| Month | Colombo | Baghdad |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 88°/72°F (30.9°/22.3°C) | 60°/39°F (15.5°/3.8°C) |
| Feb | 88°/73°F (31.2°/22.6°C) | 65°/42°F (18.5°/5.5°C) |
| Mar | 89°/75°F (31.7°/23.7°C) | 74°/49°F (23.6°/9.6°C) |
| Apr | 89°/76°F (31.8°/24.6°C) | 86°/59°F (29.9°/15.2°C) |
| May | 88°/78°F (31.1°/25.5°C) | 98°/68°F (36.5°/20.1°C) |
| Jun | 87°/78°F (30.4°/25.5°C) | 106°/74°F (41.3°/23.3°C) |
| Jul | 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.2°C) | 111°/78°F (44.0°/25.5°C) |
| Aug | 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.1°C) | 110°/76°F (43.5°/24.5°C) |
| Sep | 86°/77°F (30.2°/24.8°C) | 104°/69°F (40.2°/20.7°C) |
| Oct | 86°/75°F (30.0°/24.0°C) | 92°/61°F (33.4°/15.9°C) |
| Nov | 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.2°C) | 75°/49°F (23.7°/9.2°C) |
| Dec | 87°/73°F (30.3°/22.8°C) | 63°/41°F (17.2°/5.1°C) |
Data:
National Meteorological Centre,
Iraqi Meteorological Organization and Seismology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Sri Lanka 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.
Sri Lanka passport holder visiting Iraq
Visa Required
Iraq passport holder visiting Sri Lanka
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: 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 Sri Lanka?
Generally yes: Iraq runs about 17% cheaper than Sri Lanka 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 LKR25,173,710 comparable salary, that's around IQD20,283,504 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 Sri Lanka and Iraq.
Is Iraq safe for expats?
Sri Lanka performs better than Iraq across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Iraq is 9.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 3.4 in Sri Lanka.
How is healthcare in Iraq compared to Sri Lanka?
Sri Lanka generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iraq leads in suicide rate. There are 10.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Iraq, compared to 11.9 in Sri Lanka. Iraq scores 59 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Sri Lanka: 67).
What's the weather like in Iraq compared to Sri Lanka?
The average high temperature in Baghdad is 87°F, compared to 87°F in Colombo. Baghdad receives around 4.8 in of rainfall per year, while Colombo gets 99.4 in.
What language do they speak in Iraq?
The official languages in Iraq are Arabic, Aramaic and Sorani. In Sri Lanka, the official languages are Sinhala and Tamil.
