Moving to Iraq from Zambia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Zambia to Iraq — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Zambia to Iraq, you would find that Iraq is 15.4% cheaper than Zambia overall. A ZMW1,500,000 salary in Zambia would need to be roughly IQD83,700,000 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 Zambia to Iraq.
What does your salary buy?
ZMW1,500,000 → IQD83,700,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Iraq
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 3.6% less
Groceries
pay 52.3% less
Transportation
pay 16.7% less
Housing
pay 11.7% more
Childcare
pay 55.5% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 13.3% 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
How Zambia 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
Zambia 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
Iraq generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Zambia 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
Zambia 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 Zambia leads in water stress level.
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 Zambia 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 performs significantly better than Zambia across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2013–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Zambia Revenue Authority (2016), Ministry of Finance (2016), The World Factbook (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 | Lusaka | Baghdad |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 80°/62°F (27°/17°C) | 66°/43°F (19°/6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 77°/55°F (25°/13°C) | 97°/67°F (36°/20°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 79°/55°F (26°/13°C) | 108°/74°F (43°/24°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 85°/64°F (29°/18°C) | 77°/50°F (25°/10°C) |
View all months
| Month | Lusaka | Baghdad |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 80°/63°F (26.6°/17.1°C) | 60°/39°F (15.5°/3.8°C) |
| Feb | 80°/62°F (26.5°/16.8°C) | 65°/42°F (18.5°/5.5°C) |
| Mar | 81°/62°F (27.0°/16.6°C) | 74°/49°F (23.6°/9.6°C) |
| Apr | 80°/59°F (26.5°/15.1°C) | 86°/59°F (29.9°/15.2°C) |
| May | 78°/55°F (25.3°/12.7°C) | 98°/68°F (36.5°/20.1°C) |
| Jun | 74°/51°F (23.4°/10.6°C) | 106°/74°F (41.3°/23.3°C) |
| Jul | 73°/50°F (23.0°/10.2°C) | 111°/78°F (44.0°/25.5°C) |
| Aug | 79°/54°F (25.9°/12.3°C) | 110°/76°F (43.5°/24.5°C) |
| Sep | 85°/60°F (29.4°/15.3°C) | 104°/69°F (40.2°/20.7°C) |
| Oct | 87°/64°F (30.8°/17.5°C) | 92°/61°F (33.4°/15.9°C) |
| Nov | 86°/64°F (29.9°/17.9°C) | 75°/49°F (23.7°/9.2°C) |
| Dec | 81°/63°F (27.2°/17.3°C) | 63°/41°F (17.2°/5.1°C) |
Data:
Zambia Meteorological Department (ZMD),
Iraqi Meteorological Organization and Seismology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Zambia 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.
Zambia passport holder visiting Iraq
Visa Required
Iraq passport holder visiting Zambia
Visa FreeData: 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 Zambia?
Generally yes: Iraq runs about 15% cheaper than Zambia 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 ZMW1,500,000 comparable salary, that's around IQD20,925,000 in Iraq for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Iraq?
With 17.6 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 Zambia and Iraq.
Is Iraq safe for expats?
Zambia performs better than Iraq across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Iraq is 9.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 5.2 in Zambia.
How is healthcare in Iraq compared to Zambia?
Iraq generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Zambia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 10.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Iraq, compared to 3.2 in Zambia. Iraq scores 59 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Zambia: 56).
What's the weather like in Iraq compared to Zambia?
The average high temperature in Baghdad is 87°F, compared to 80°F in Lusaka. Baghdad receives around 4.8 in of rainfall per year, while Lusaka gets 31.4 in.
What language do they speak in Iraq?
The official languages in Iraq are Arabic, Aramaic and Sorani. In Zambia, the official language is English.
