Moving to Saudi Arabia from Iceland
What to Expect
Considering a move from Iceland to Saudi Arabia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Iceland to Saudi Arabia, you would find that Saudi Arabia is 45.9% cheaper than Iceland overall. A ISK9,423,000 salary in Iceland would need to be roughly SAR114,005 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 45°F in Reykjavik, making it significantly warmer.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Iceland and Saudi Arabia.
What does your salary buy?
ISK9,423,000 → SAR114,005
To maintain the same standard of living in Saudi Arabia
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 76.5% less
Groceries
pay 51.3% less
Transportation
pay 51.7% less
Housing
pay 33.6% less
Childcare
pay 37.1% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 25.7% less
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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Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Saudi Arabia compared to Iceland.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Iceland 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
Iceland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia 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
Iceland 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
Iceland performs better than Saudi Arabia across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Iceland generally does better on employment & economy, though Saudi Arabia leads in top income tax rate.
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
Iceland generally does better on family life, though Saudi Arabia leads in education spending.
Data: Directorate of Internal Revenue, 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 | Reykjavik | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 37°/28°F (3°/-2°C) | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 48°/38°F (9°/4°C) | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 54°/45°F (12°/7°C) | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/31°F (4°/-1°C) | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) |
View all months
| Month | Reykjavik | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/27°F (1.9°/-3.0°C) | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) |
| Feb | 37°/28°F (2.8°/-2.1°C) | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) |
| Mar | 38°/28°F (3.2°/-2.0°C) | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) |
| Apr | 42°/33°F (5.7°/0.4°C) | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) |
| May | 49°/38°F (9.4°/3.6°C) | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) |
| Jun | 53°/44°F (11.7°/6.7°C) | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) |
| Jul | 56°/47°F (13.3°/8.3°C) | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) |
| Aug | 55°/46°F (13.0°/7.9°C) | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) |
| Sep | 50°/41°F (10.1°/5.0°C) | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) |
| Oct | 44°/36°F (6.8°/2.2°C) | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) |
| Nov | 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.3°C) | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) |
| Dec | 36°/27°F (2.2°/-2.8°C) | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) |
Data:
Icelandic Meteorological Office,
National Center for Meteorology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Iceland 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.
Iceland passport holder visiting Saudi Arabia
Visa on Arrival
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting Iceland
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 Iceland?
On average Saudi Arabia is about 60% less expensive than Iceland, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Saudi Arabia?
Budget about SAR28,501 for 3 months in Saudi Arabia (based on a ISK9,423,000 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?
Iceland 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 Iceland.
How is healthcare in Saudi Arabia compared to Iceland?
Iceland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 30.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Saudi Arabia, compared to 45.2 in Iceland. Saudi Arabia scores 74 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Iceland: 89).
What's the weather like in Saudi Arabia compared to Iceland?
The average high temperature in Riyadh is 92°F, compared to 45°F in Reykjavik. Riyadh receives around 4.4 in of rainfall per year, while Reykjavik gets 31.4 in.
What language do they speak in Saudi Arabia?
The official language in Saudi Arabia is Arabic. In Iceland, the official language is Icelandic.
