Moving to Saudi Arabia from China
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from China to Saudi Arabia — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from China to Saudi Arabia, you would find that Saudi Arabia is 54.0% more expensive than China overall. A CN¥500,000 salary in China would need to be roughly SAR432,000 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 68°F in Shanghai, making it significantly warmer.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Saudi Arabia cheaper than China?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 65.3% more
Groceries
pay 22.1% more
Transportation
pay 35.7% more
Housing
pay 2.1 times more
Childcare
pay 38.4% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 90.1% 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.
What salary do you need in Saudi Arabia?
What does your salary buy?
CN¥500,000 → SAR432,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Saudi Arabia
Calculate with your salary →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 65% more than cities in China.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from China to Saudi Arabia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
China 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
China 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
China 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
China generally does better on infrastructure, though Saudi Arabia leads in electricity per capita.
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 China 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
Saudi Arabia generally does better on family life, though China leads in infant mortality.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), State Administration of Taxation (2016), Department of Zakat and Income Tax (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Saudi Arabia vs China
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Shanghai | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 49°/36°F (10°/2°C) | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/60°F (23°/16°C) | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/74°F (30°/23°C) | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 62°/47°F (17°/9°C) | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) |
View all months
| Month | Shanghai | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46°/33°F (7.7°/0.5°C) | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) |
| Feb | 47°/35°F (8.6°/1.5°C) | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) |
| Mar | 55°/41°F (12.7°/5.1°C) | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) |
| Apr | 65°/51°F (18.6°/10.6°C) | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) |
| May | 74°/60°F (23.5°/15.7°C) | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) |
| Jun | 81°/69°F (27.2°/20.3°C) | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) |
| Jul | 89°/77°F (31.6°/24.8°C) | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) |
| Aug | 89°/76°F (31.5°/24.7°C) | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) |
| Sep | 81°/69°F (27.2°/20.5°C) | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) |
| Oct | 72°/58°F (22.3°/14.7°C) | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) |
| Nov | 62°/47°F (16.7°/8.6°C) | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) |
| Dec | 51°/36°F (10.6°/2.4°C) | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) |
Data:
China Meteorological Administration,
National Center for Meteorology
Can you move from China to Saudi Arabia?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between China 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.
China passport holder visiting Saudi Arabia
Visa on Arrival
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting China
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 China?
No — Saudi Arabia is on average about 54% more expensive than China. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Saudi Arabia?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly SAR108,000 in Saudi Arabia on a CN¥500,000 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 44.1 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?
China performs better than Saudi Arabia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Saudi Arabia is 0.9 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.5 in China.
How is healthcare in Saudi Arabia compared to China?
China generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 34.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Saudi Arabia, compared to 31.1 in China. Saudi Arabia scores 74 on the WHO universal health coverage index (China: 81).
What's the weather like in Saudi Arabia compared to China?
The average high temperature in Riyadh is 92°F, compared to 68°F in Shanghai. Riyadh receives around 4.4 in of rainfall per year, while Shanghai gets 43.8 in.
What language do they speak in Saudi Arabia?
The official language in Saudi Arabia is Arabic. In China, the official language is Chinese.
