Moving to Saudi Arabia from Russia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Russia to Saudi Arabia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Russia to Saudi Arabia, you would find that Saudi Arabia is 75.0% more expensive than Russia overall. A RUB5,776,862 salary in Russia would need to be roughly SAR319,910 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 48°F in Moscow, making it significantly warmer.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Russia and Saudi Arabia.
What does your salary buy?
RUB5,776,862 → SAR319,910
To maintain the same standard of living in Saudi Arabia
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 17.8% less
Groceries
pay 30.6% more
Transportation
pay 77.0% more
Housing
pay 3.3 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.4 times 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 2% less than cities in Russia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Saudi Arabia compared to Russia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Russia 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
Russia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia leads in suicide rate.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Russia 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 Russia 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 Russia leads in unemployment 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Russia generally does better on family life, though Saudi Arabia leads in life expectancy.
Data: Federal Tax Service of Russia, 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 | Moscow | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 27°/15°F (-3°/-10°C) | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 68°/52°F (20°/11°C) | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 36°/26°F (2°/-3°C) | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) |
View all months
| Month | Moscow | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21°/10°F (-6.3°/-12.3°C) | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) |
| Feb | 24°/12°F (-4.2°/-11.1°C) | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) |
| Mar | 35°/22°F (1.5°/-5.6°C) | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) |
| Apr | 51°/35°F (10.4°/1.7°C) | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) |
| May | 65°/46°F (18.4°/7.6°C) | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) |
| Jun | 71°/53°F (21.7°/11.5°C) | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) |
| Jul | 74°/56°F (23.1°/13.5°C) | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) |
| Aug | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.0°C) | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) |
| Sep | 60°/45°F (15.4°/7.1°C) | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) |
| Oct | 47°/36°F (8.2°/2.1°C) | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) |
| Nov | 34°/26°F (1.1°/-3.3°C) | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) |
| Dec | 26°/17°F (-3.5°/-8.6°C) | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) |
Data:
Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring,
National Center for Meteorology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Russia 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.
Russia passport holder visiting Saudi Arabia
Visa on Arrival
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting Russia
Visa Online (e-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 Russia?
On average Saudi Arabia is around 13% pricier than Russia, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Saudi Arabia?
Budget about SAR79,978 for 3 months in Saudi Arabia (based on a RUB5,776,862 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?
Russia 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 6.8 in Russia.
How is healthcare in Saudi Arabia compared to Russia?
Russia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia leads in suicide rate. There are 30.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Saudi Arabia, compared to 38.3 in Russia. Saudi Arabia scores 74 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Russia: 79).
What's the weather like in Saudi Arabia compared to Russia?
The average high temperature in Riyadh is 92°F, compared to 48°F in Moscow. Riyadh receives around 4.4 in of rainfall per year, while Moscow gets 27.2 in.
What language do they speak in Saudi Arabia?
The official language in Saudi Arabia is Arabic. In Russia, the official language is Russian.
