Moving to Saudi Arabia from Egypt

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What to Expect

Considering a move from Egypt to Saudi Arabia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Egypt to Saudi Arabia, you would find that Saudi Arabia is 3.2 times more expensive than Egypt overall. A EGP3,791,250 salary in Egypt would need to be roughly SAR465,634 in Saudi Arabia to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Riyadh averages 92°F vs 82°F in Cairo, making it significantly warmer.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

What does your salary buy?

EGP3,791,250 SAR465,634

To maintain the same standard of living in Saudi Arabia

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 72.3% more

Groceries

pay 2.7 times more

Transportation

pay 3.3 times more

Housing

pay 5.1 times more

Childcare

pay 4.5 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 3.5 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 EGP = 0.0743 SAR (July 2026)

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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Who Else Is Making This Move?

What the data shows about people moving from Egypt to Saudi Arabia.

Living there in 2020
962,432 ↑ 25% vs 2015

people born in Egypt live in Saudi Arabia · UN DESA

Who's moving to Saudi Arabia?

Top countries of origin for Saudi Arabia's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Saudi Arabia compared to Egypt.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

per 100,000 people per year

EG
1.3
SA
0.8
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

EG
9.4
SA
18.5

Egypt generally does better on safety, though Saudi Arabia leads in homicide rate.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

EG
$905
SA
$3,475
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

EG
6.8
SA
30.8

Egypt generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

EG
105.0
SA
91.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

EG
2.5t
SA
18.5t

Egypt generally does better on environment, though Saudi Arabia leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

EG
10.8
SA
37.0
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

EG
141.2%
SA
974.2%

Saudi Arabia generally does better on infrastructure, though Egypt leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

EG
7.3%
SA
4.9%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

EG
$17,000
SA
$49,600

Saudi Arabia performs significantly better than Egypt across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

EG
74.5 yrs
SA
76.7 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

EG
17.7
SA
12.3

Saudi Arabia performs significantly better than Egypt across all family life metrics.

Data: Egyptian Tax Authority, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Cairo Rain: 1.0 in/yr (25 mm)
82° / 62°F

Avg. annual high / low

Riyadh Rain: 4.4 in/yr (111 mm)
92° / 64°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Cairo Riyadh
Jan–Mar 70°/51°F (21°/11°C) 75°/50°F (24°/10°C)
Apr–Jun 89°/65°F (32°/18°C) 101°/72°F (38°/22°C)
Jul–Sep 94°/73°F (34°/23°C) 109°/77°F (43°/25°C)
Oct–Dec 77°/59°F (25°/15°C) 84°/56°F (29°/13°C)
View all months
Month Cairo Riyadh
Jan 66°/49°F (19.0°/9.7°C) 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C)
Feb 69°/51°F (20.3°/10.3°C) 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C)
Mar 74°/54°F (23.4°/12.3°C) 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C)
Apr 83°/60°F (28.2°/15.4°C) 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C)
May 89°/65°F (31.9°/18.4°C) 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C)
Jun 94°/71°F (34.6°/21.4°C) 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C)
Jul 95°/73°F (34.8°/22.9°C) 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C)
Aug 94°/74°F (34.5°/23.3°C) 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C)
Sep 92°/71°F (33.1°/21.7°C) 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C)
Oct 85°/66°F (29.7°/19.0°C) 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C)
Nov 76°/58°F (24.7°/14.6°C) 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C)
Dec 69°/52°F (20.4°/11.0°C) 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C)

Data: The Egyptian Meteorological Authority (EMA) The Egyptian Meteorological Authority (EMA), National Center for Meteorology National Center for Meteorology

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Egypt 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.

Egypt passport

Egypt passport holder visiting Saudi Arabia

Visa Required
Egypt passport holders need a visa to enter Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia passport

Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting Egypt

Visa Free
Saudi Arabia passport holders can enter Egypt without a visa.

Data: 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 Egypt?

On average Saudi Arabia is around 65% pricier than Egypt, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to Saudi Arabia?

Budget about SAR116,408 for 3 months in Saudi Arabia (based on a EGP3,791,250 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?

Egypt 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 1.3 in Egypt.

How is healthcare in Saudi Arabia compared to Egypt?

Egypt 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 6.8 in Egypt. Saudi Arabia scores 74 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Egypt: 70).

What's the weather like in Saudi Arabia compared to Egypt?

The average high temperature in Riyadh is 92°F, compared to 82°F in Cairo. Riyadh receives around 4.4 in of rainfall per year, while Cairo gets 1.0 in.

What language do they speak in Saudi Arabia?

Both Egypt and Saudi Arabia share the same official language: Arabic.

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At a Glance

EG SA
Population 107,770,524 35,354,380
Currency Egyptian Pound (EGP) Saudi Riyal (SAR)
Languages Arabic Arabic
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +20 +966
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 122 911