Moving to Saudi Arabia from Peru

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Peru to Saudi Arabia, you would find that Saudi Arabia is 42.5% more expensive than Peru overall. A PEN260,000 salary in Peru would need to be roughly SAR404,000 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 72°F in Lima, making it significantly warmer.

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Is Saudi Arabia cheaper than Peru?

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 27.9% more

Groceries

pay 19.5% more

Transportation

pay 5.3% more

Housing

pay 70.5% more

Childcare

pay 90.7% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 76.6% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 PEN = 1.09 SAR (October 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.

What salary do you need in Saudi Arabia?

What does your salary buy?

PEN260,000 → SAR404,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Saudi Arabia

Calculate with your salary →

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Key Indicator Comparison

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

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

PE
8.6
SA
0.9
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

PE
12.7
SA
18.5

Peru 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

PE
$956
SA
$3,475
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

PE
16.9
SA
34.1

Saudi Arabia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Peru leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

PE
26.0
SA
91.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

PE
2.0t
SA
18.5t

Peru performs better than Saudi Arabia across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

PE
11.7
SA
44.1
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

PE
4.8%
SA
974.2%

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

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

PE
5.1%
SA
3.0%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

PE
$9,684
SA
$34,537

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

PE
77.9 yrs
SA
79.0 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

PE
11.0
SA
4.7

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

Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Superintendencia Nacional de Aduanas y de Administración Tributaria (2016), Department of Zakat and Income Tax (2016). How we calculate this

Weather in Saudi Arabia vs Peru

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Lima Rain: 0.5 in/yr (13 mm)
72° / 62°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Lima Riyadh
Jan–Mar 79°/67°F (26°/19°C) 75°/50°F (24°/10°C)
Apr–Jun 71°/62°F (22°/16°C) 101°/72°F (38°/22°C)
Jul–Sep 66°/58°F (19°/15°C) 109°/77°F (43°/25°C)
Oct–Dec 71°/62°F (22°/16°C) 84°/56°F (29°/13°C)
View all months
Month Lima Riyadh
Jan 78°/66°F (25.8°/19.1°C) 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C)
Feb 80°/67°F (26.5°/19.4°C) 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C)
Mar 79°/67°F (26.0°/19.2°C) 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C)
Apr 76°/64°F (24.3°/17.6°C) 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C)
May 71°/61°F (21.7°/16.1°C) 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C)
Jun 67°/60°F (19.7°/15.3°C) 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C)
Jul 66°/59°F (18.7°/15.0°C) 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C)
Aug 65°/58°F (18.4°/14.6°C) 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C)
Sep 66°/58°F (18.7°/14.6°C) 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C)
Oct 68°/59°F (19.9°/15.2°C) 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C)
Nov 71°/62°F (21.9°/16.4°C) 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C)
Dec 75°/64°F (23.9°/17.7°C) 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C)

Data: Servicio Nacional de Meteorología e Hidrología del Perú Servicio Nacional de Meteorología e Hidrología del Perú, National Center for Meteorology National Center for Meteorology

Can you move from Peru to Saudi Arabia?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Peru 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.

Peru passport

Peru passport holder visiting Saudi Arabia

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

Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting Peru

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

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 Peru?

On average Saudi Arabia is around 43% pricier than Peru, with notable variation by city.

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

Budget about SAR101,000 for 3 months in Saudi Arabia (based on a PEN260,000 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: 44.1 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?

Peru 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 8.6 in Peru.

How is healthcare in Saudi Arabia compared to Peru?

Saudi Arabia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Peru leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 34.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Saudi Arabia, compared to 16.9 in Peru. Saudi Arabia scores 74 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Peru: 71).

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

The average high temperature in Riyadh is 92°F, compared to 72°F in Lima. Riyadh receives around 4.4 in of rainfall per year, while Lima gets 0.5 in.

What language do they speak in Saudi Arabia?

The official language in Saudi Arabia is Arabic. In Peru, the official languages are Aymara, Quechua and Spanish.

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At a Glance

PE SA
Population 34,576,665 36,973,555
Currency Peruvian Nuevo Sol (PEN) Saudi Riyal (SAR)
Languages Aymara, Quechua, Spanish Arabic
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +51 +966
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 105 911