Moving to Saudi Arabia from Canada
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Canada to Saudi Arabia — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Canada to Saudi Arabia, you would find that Saudi Arabia is 24.7% cheaper than Canada overall. A CA$106,294 salary in Canada would need to be roughly SAR201,714 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 52°F in Ottawa, making it significantly warmer.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from Canada to Saudi Arabia.
What does your salary buy?
CA$106,294 → SAR201,714
To maintain the same standard of living in Saudi Arabia
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 58.3% less
Groceries
pay 36.4% less
Transportation
pay 18.2% less
Housing
pay 30.8% less
Childcare
pay 48.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 17.5% 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.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Saudi Arabia cost about 20% less than cities in Canada.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Canada to Saudi Arabia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Canada 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
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Saudi Arabia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Canada leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Canada 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
share of households with internet
Canada generally does better on infrastructure, though Saudi Arabia 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
Saudi Arabia generally does better on employment & economy, though Canada leads in gdp per capita.
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
Canada generally does better on family life, though Saudi Arabia leads in education spending.
Data: Canada Revenue Agency, 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 | Ottawa | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 27°/10°F (-3°/-12°C) | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 64°/45°F (18°/7°C) | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 41°/25°F (5°/-4°C) | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) |
View all months
| Month | Ottawa | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21°/4°F (-6.1°/-15.3°C) | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) |
| Feb | 25°/8°F (-4.1°/-13.3°C) | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) |
| Mar | 36°/19°F (2.2°/-7.1°C) | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) |
| Apr | 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.6°C) | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) |
| May | 66°/46°F (19.1°/7.7°C) | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) |
| Jun | 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.7°C) | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) |
| Jul | 80°/60°F (26.5°/15.4°C) | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) |
| Aug | 77°/57°F (24.9°/14.1°C) | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) |
| Sep | 67°/48°F (19.5°/9.1°C) | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) |
| Oct | 54°/37°F (12.5°/3.0°C) | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) |
| Nov | 41°/27°F (4.8°/-2.8°C) | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) |
| Dec | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.1°C) | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) |
Data:
Meteorological Service of Canada,
National Center for Meteorology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Canada 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.
Canada passport holder visiting Saudi Arabia
Visa on Arrival
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting Canada
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 Canada?
Yes — Saudi Arabia is on average about 28% cheaper than Canada. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Saudi Arabia?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly SAR50,428 in Saudi Arabia on a CA$106,294 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Saudi Arabia?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Saudi Arabia has 37.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Saudi Arabia safe for expats?
Canada 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 2.3 in Canada.
How is healthcare in Saudi Arabia compared to Canada?
Saudi Arabia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Canada leads in health coverage index. There are 30.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Saudi Arabia, compared to 25.0 in Canada. Saudi Arabia scores 74 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Canada: 91).
What's the weather like in Saudi Arabia compared to Canada?
The average high temperature in Riyadh is 92°F, compared to 52°F in Ottawa. Riyadh receives around 4.4 in of rainfall per year, while Ottawa gets 37.1 in.
What language do they speak in Saudi Arabia?
The official language in Saudi Arabia is Arabic. In Canada, the official languages are English and French.
