Moving to Saudi Arabia from Bosnia and Herzegovina
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Saudi Arabia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Saudi Arabia, you would find that Saudi Arabia is 44.0% more expensive than Bosnia and Herzegovina overall. A BAM125,999 salary in Bosnia and Herzegovina would need to be roughly SAR351,684 in Saudi Arabia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Arabic. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Riyadh averages 92°F vs 62°F in Sarajevo, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Saudi Arabia.
What does your salary buy?
BAM125,999 → SAR351,684
To maintain the same standard of living in Saudi Arabia
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 33.9% less
Groceries
pay 5.0% more
Transportation
pay 14.2% more
Housing
pay 81.5% more
Childcare
pay 92.0% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.5 times 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.
Get free moving quotes to Saudi Arabia
We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.
- ✅ Up to 5 quotes from screened movers
- ✅ Licensed and insured providers only
- ✅ 100% free — you choose who contacts you
Key Indicator Comparison
How Bosnia and Herzegovina and Saudi Arabia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Bosnia and Herzegovina generally does better on safety, though Saudi Arabia 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
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Saudi Arabia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Bosnia and Herzegovina 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
Bosnia and Herzegovina performs better than Saudi Arabia 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
Saudi Arabia generally does better on infrastructure, though Bosnia and Herzegovina 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
Saudi Arabia performs significantly better than Bosnia and Herzegovina 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Bosnia and Herzegovina performs better than Saudi Arabia across all family life metrics.
Data: Indirect Taxation Authority of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 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 | Sarajevo | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 45°/30°F (7°/-1°C) | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 70°/48°F (21°/9°C) | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 79°/56°F (26°/13°C) | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 51°/37°F (11°/3°C) | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) |
View all months
| Month | Sarajevo | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39°/27°F (4.1°/-2.9°C) | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) |
| Feb | 44°/29°F (6.6°/-1.9°C) | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) |
| Mar | 53°/35°F (11.5°/1.4°C) | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) |
| Apr | 62°/41°F (16.5°/5.1°C) | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) |
| May | 71°/48°F (21.4°/9.0°C) | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) |
| Jun | 78°/55°F (25.4°/12.6°C) | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) |
| Jul | 82°/58°F (27.8°/14.2°C) | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) |
| Aug | 83°/58°F (28.3°/14.3°C) | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) |
| Sep | 72°/51°F (22.5°/10.4°C) | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) |
| Oct | 63°/44°F (17.3°/6.5°C) | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) |
| Nov | 51°/37°F (10.6°/2.8°C) | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) |
| Dec | 40°/29°F (4.3°/-1.7°C) | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) |
Data:
Federal Hydrometeorological Service of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina,
National Center for Meteorology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Bosnia and Herzegovina 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.
Bosnia and Herzegovina passport holder visiting Saudi Arabia
Visa Required
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina
Visa RequiredData: 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 Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Day-to-day costs in Saudi Arabia run about 24% higher than Bosnia and Herzegovina on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Saudi Arabia?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a BAM125,999 comparable salary, that's around SAR87,921 in Saudi Arabia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Saudi Arabia?
With 37.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Saudi Arabia can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Saudi Arabia.
Is Saudi Arabia safe for expats?
Bosnia and Herzegovina generally does better on safety, though Saudi Arabia leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Saudi Arabia is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
How is healthcare in Saudi Arabia compared to Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Saudi Arabia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Bosnia and Herzegovina leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 30.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Saudi Arabia, compared to 23.2 in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Saudi Arabia scores 74 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Bosnia and Herzegovina: 66).
What's the weather like in Saudi Arabia compared to Bosnia and Herzegovina?
The average high temperature in Riyadh is 92°F, compared to 62°F in Sarajevo. Riyadh receives around 4.4 in of rainfall per year, while Sarajevo gets 37.4 in.
What language do they speak in Saudi Arabia?
The official language in Saudi Arabia is Arabic. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the official languages are Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian.
