Moving to Saudi Arabia from Greece
What to Expect
Considering a move from Greece to Saudi Arabia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Greece to Saudi Arabia, you would find that Saudi Arabia is 9.8% cheaper than Greece overall. A €65,577 salary in Greece would need to be roughly SAR248,178 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 72°F in Athens, making it significantly warmer.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Greece and Saudi Arabia.
What does your salary buy?
€65,577 → SAR248,178
To maintain the same standard of living in Saudi Arabia
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 52.5% less
Groceries
pay 12.2% less
Transportation
pay 20.9% less
Housing
pay 6.6% more
Childcare
pay 11.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 30.3% 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 1% less than cities in Greece.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Saudi Arabia compared to Greece.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Greece 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
Greece performs better than Saudi Arabia across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Greece 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
Greece 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 Greece 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
Greece generally does better on family life, though Saudi Arabia leads in education spending.
Data: GSIS, Greece, 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 | Athens | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 57°/42°F (14°/6°C) | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/57°F (26°/14°C) | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/67°F (32°/20°C) | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 65°/50°F (18°/10°C) | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) |
View all months
| Month | Athens | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54°/41°F (12.5°/5.2°C) | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) |
| Feb | 56°/42°F (13.5°/5.4°C) | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) |
| Mar | 60°/44°F (15.7°/6.7°C) | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) |
| Apr | 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.6°C) | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) |
| May | 79°/57°F (26.0°/13.9°C) | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) |
| Jun | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.2°C) | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) |
| Jul | 92°/69°F (33.5°/20.8°C) | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) |
| Aug | 92°/69°F (33.2°/20.7°C) | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) |
| Sep | 85°/63°F (29.2°/17.3°C) | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) |
| Oct | 74°/56°F (23.3°/13.4°C) | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) |
| Nov | 65°/50°F (18.1°/9.8°C) | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) |
| Dec | 57°/44°F (14.1°/6.8°C) | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) |
Data:
Hellenic National Meteorological Service,
National Center for Meteorology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Greece 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.
Greece passport holder visiting Saudi Arabia
Visa on Arrival
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting Greece
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 Greece?
On average Saudi Arabia is about 12% less expensive than Greece, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Saudi Arabia?
Budget about SAR62,044 for 3 months in Saudi Arabia (based on a €65,577 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?
Greece 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 Greece.
How is healthcare in Saudi Arabia compared to Greece?
Greece performs better than Saudi Arabia across all health & wellbeing metrics. There are 30.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Saudi Arabia, compared to 63.7 in Greece. Saudi Arabia scores 74 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Greece: 77).
What's the weather like in Saudi Arabia compared to Greece?
The average high temperature in Riyadh is 92°F, compared to 72°F in Athens. Riyadh receives around 4.4 in of rainfall per year, while Athens gets 16.3 in.
What language do they speak in Saudi Arabia?
The official language in Saudi Arabia is Arabic. In Greece, the official language is Greek.
