Moving to Iraq from Syria
What to Expect
Considering a move from Syria to Iraq? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Syria to Iraq, you would find that Iraq is 13.0% more expensive than Syria overall. A SYP980,000,000 salary in Syria would need to be roughly IQD129,000,000 in Iraq to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Baghdad averages 87°F vs 78°F in Damascus, making it significantly warmer.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Syria and Iraq.
What does your salary buy?
SYP980,000,000 → IQD129,000,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Iraq
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 21.9% less
Groceries
pay 11.5% less
Transportation
pay 3.1% less
Housing
pay 44.1% more
Childcare
pay 2.2 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 69.1% 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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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Syria to Iraq.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Iraq compared to Syria.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Syria generally does better on safety, though Iraq leads in road traffic deaths.
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
Syria performs better than Iraq across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Syria 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 performs significantly better than Syria across all infrastructure metrics.
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 Syria 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
Syria performs better than Iraq across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2010–2021), The World Factbook (2009–2022), World Health Organization (2024), Ministry of Finance, Syria (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 | Damascus | Baghdad |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 60°/35°F (15°/2°C) | 66°/43°F (19°/6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 85°/51°F (29°/11°C) | 97°/67°F (36°/20°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 96°/60°F (35°/15°C) | 108°/74°F (43°/24°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 70°/40°F (21°/5°C) | 77°/50°F (25°/10°C) |
View all months
| Month | Damascus | Baghdad |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55°/33°F (12.6°/0.4°C) | 60°/39°F (15.5°/3.8°C) |
| Feb | 59°/34°F (14.8°/1.3°C) | 65°/42°F (18.5°/5.5°C) |
| Mar | 66°/39°F (18.9°/3.7°C) | 74°/49°F (23.6°/9.6°C) |
| Apr | 76°/45°F (24.5°/7.0°C) | 86°/59°F (29.9°/15.2°C) |
| May | 85°/51°F (29.7°/10.5°C) | 98°/68°F (36.5°/20.1°C) |
| Jun | 94°/58°F (34.2°/14.2°C) | 106°/74°F (41.3°/23.3°C) |
| Jul | 98°/62°F (36.5°/16.9°C) | 111°/78°F (44.0°/25.5°C) |
| Aug | 97°/62°F (36.2°/16.5°C) | 110°/76°F (43.5°/24.5°C) |
| Sep | 92°/55°F (33.4°/13.0°C) | 104°/69°F (40.2°/20.7°C) |
| Oct | 82°/48°F (28.0°/8.9°C) | 92°/61°F (33.4°/15.9°C) |
| Nov | 69°/39°F (20.3°/4.0°C) | 75°/49°F (23.7°/9.2°C) |
| Dec | 58°/34°F (14.2°/1.3°C) | 63°/41°F (17.2°/5.1°C) |
Data:
Ministry of Defence Meteorological Department,
Iraqi Meteorological Organization and Seismology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Syria 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.
Syria passport holder visiting Iraq
Visa Required
Iraq passport holder visiting Syria
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 Syria?
On average Iraq is around 13% pricier than Syria, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Iraq?
Budget about IQD32,250,000 for 3 months in Iraq (based on a SYP980,000,000 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: 17.6 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?
Syria generally does better on safety, though Iraq leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Iraq is 9.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.1 in Syria.
How is healthcare in Iraq compared to Syria?
Syria performs better than Iraq across all health & wellbeing metrics. There are 10.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Iraq, compared to 15.2 in Syria. Iraq scores 59 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Syria: 64).
What's the weather like in Iraq compared to Syria?
The average high temperature in Baghdad is 87°F, compared to 78°F in Damascus. Baghdad receives around 4.8 in of rainfall per year, while Damascus gets 5.3 in.
What language do they speak in Iraq?
The official languages in Iraq are Arabic, Aramaic and Sorani. In Syria, the official language is Arabic.
