Moving to Saudi Arabia from New Zealand
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from New Zealand to Saudi Arabia — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from New Zealand to Saudi Arabia, you would find that Saudi Arabia is 31.5% cheaper than New Zealand overall. A NZ$130,000 salary in New Zealand would need to be roughly SAR189,000 in Saudi Arabia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Arabic. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Riyadh averages 92°F vs 66°F in Auckland, 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 New Zealand?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 49.4% less
Groceries
pay 29.6% less
Transportation
pay 29.9% less
Housing
pay 35.2% less
Childcare
pay 45.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 0.1% 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?
NZ$130,000 → SAR189,000
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 2% more than cities in New Zealand.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Saudi Arabia
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Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from New Zealand to Saudi Arabia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
New Zealand 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
New Zealand 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
New Zealand 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
Saudi Arabia generally does better on infrastructure, though New Zealand leads in water stress level.
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 New Zealand 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
New Zealand performs better than Saudi Arabia across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), New Zealand Inland Revenue Department (2016), Department of Zakat and Income Tax (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Saudi Arabia vs New Zealand
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Auckland | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 74°/61°F (23°/16°C) | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 63°/51°F (18°/11°C) | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 60°/47°F (15°/8°C) | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 67°/55°F (20°/13°C) | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) |
View all months
| Month | Auckland | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 74°/61°F (23.6°/16.0°C) | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) |
| Feb | 75°/62°F (24.1°/16.5°C) | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) |
| Mar | 73°/59°F (22.6°/14.9°C) | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) |
| Apr | 68°/55°F (20.0°/12.7°C) | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) |
| May | 63°/51°F (17.4°/10.6°C) | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) |
| Jun | 59°/47°F (15.2°/8.4°C) | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) |
| Jul | 58°/46°F (14.3°/7.5°C) | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) |
| Aug | 59°/47°F (14.9°/8.2°C) | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) |
| Sep | 62°/49°F (16.4°/9.7°C) | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) |
| Oct | 64°/52°F (17.7°/11.2°C) | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) |
| Nov | 67°/55°F (19.5°/12.8°C) | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) |
| Dec | 71°/59°F (21.8°/14.9°C) | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) |
Data:
New Zealand National Meteorological Service,
National Center for Meteorology
Can you move from New Zealand to Saudi Arabia?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between New Zealand 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.
New Zealand passport holder visiting Saudi Arabia
Visa on Arrival
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting New Zealand
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: 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 New Zealand?
Yes — Saudi Arabia is on average about 32% cheaper than New Zealand. 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 SAR47,250 in Saudi Arabia on a NZ$130,000 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?
New Zealand generally does better on safety, though Saudi Arabia leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Saudi Arabia is 0.9 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.5 in New Zealand.
How is healthcare in Saudi Arabia compared to New Zealand?
New Zealand generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 34.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Saudi Arabia, compared to 36.1 in New Zealand. Saudi Arabia scores 74 on the WHO universal health coverage index (New Zealand: 85).
What's the weather like in Saudi Arabia compared to New Zealand?
The average high temperature in Riyadh is 92°F, compared to 66°F in Auckland. Riyadh receives around 4.4 in of rainfall per year, while Auckland gets 43.3 in.
What language do they speak in Saudi Arabia?
The official language in Saudi Arabia is Arabic. In New Zealand, the official languages are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language.
