Moving to Saudi Arabia from Bahrain
What to Expect
Considering a move from Bahrain to Saudi Arabia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Bahrain to Saudi Arabia, you would find that Saudi Arabia is 5.9% cheaper than Bahrain overall. A BHD28,308 salary in Bahrain would need to be roughly SAR236,218 in Saudi Arabia to maintain the same lifestyle.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
What does your salary buy?
BHD28,308 → SAR236,218
To maintain the same standard of living in Saudi Arabia
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 27.0% less
Groceries
pay 3.6% more
Transportation
pay 1.6% less
Housing
pay 0.5% more
Childcare
pay 11.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 3.8% less
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 Saudi Arabia compared to Bahrain.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Bahrain performs better than Saudi Arabia 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
Bahrain generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia 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
Bahrain generally does better on environment, though Saudi Arabia 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
Bahrain generally does better on infrastructure, though Saudi Arabia 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
Bahrain performs better than Saudi Arabia 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
Bahrain generally does better on family life, though Saudi Arabia leads in education spending.
Data: Ministry of Finance - Kingdom of Bahrain, 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 | Manama | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 71°/60°F (22°/16°C) | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 92°/78°F (33°/25°C) | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 99°/86°F (37°/30°C) | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 82°/70°F (28°/21°C) | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) |
View all months
| Month | Manama | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68°/57°F (20.0°/14.1°C) | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) |
| Feb | 70°/59°F (21.2°/14.9°C) | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) |
| Mar | 76°/64°F (24.7°/17.8°C) | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) |
| Apr | 85°/71°F (29.2°/21.5°C) | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) |
| May | 93°/79°F (34.1°/26.0°C) | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) |
| Jun | 98°/84°F (36.4°/28.8°C) | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) |
| Jul | 100°/87°F (37.9°/30.4°C) | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) |
| Aug | 100°/87°F (38.0°/30.5°C) | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) |
| Sep | 98°/83°F (36.5°/28.6°C) | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) |
| Oct | 92°/78°F (33.1°/25.5°C) | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) |
| Nov | 82°/70°F (27.8°/21.2°C) | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) |
| Dec | 72°/61°F (22.3°/16.2°C) | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) |
Data:
Bahrain Meteorological Services,
National Center for Meteorology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. To live, work, or study long-term in Saudi Arabia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Saudi Arabia's immigration authority.
Bahrain passport holder visiting Saudi Arabia
Visa Free
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting Bahrain
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 Saudi Arabia than Bahrain?
On average Saudi Arabia is about 16% less expensive than Bahrain, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Saudi Arabia?
Budget about SAR59,054 for 3 months in Saudi Arabia (based on a BHD28,308 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Saudi Arabia?
Connectivity is usually fine (Saudi Arabia: 37.0 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Saudi Arabia offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Saudi Arabia safe for expats?
Bahrain performs better than Saudi Arabia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Saudi Arabia is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.1 in Bahrain.
How is healthcare in Saudi Arabia compared to Bahrain?
Bahrain generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 30.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Saudi Arabia, compared to 8.4 in Bahrain. Saudi Arabia scores 74 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Bahrain: 76).
What's the weather like in Saudi Arabia compared to Bahrain?
The average high temperature in Riyadh is 92°F, compared to 86°F in Manama. Riyadh receives around 4.4 in of rainfall per year, while Manama gets 2.8 in.
What language do they speak in Saudi Arabia?
Both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia share the same official language: Arabic.
