Moving to Canada from Saudi Arabia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Saudi Arabia to Canada? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Saudi Arabia to Canada, you would find that Canada is 79.9% more expensive than Saudi Arabia overall. A SAR281,786 salary in Saudi Arabia would need to be roughly CA$147,010 in Canada to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English and French. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Ottawa averages 52°F vs 92°F in Riyadh, making it significantly cooler.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Saudi Arabia and Canada.
What does your salary buy?
SAR281,786 → CA$147,010
To maintain the same standard of living in Canada
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 3.2 times more
Groceries
pay 72.7% more
Transportation
pay 39.6% more
Housing
pay 96.7% more
Childcare
pay 95.7% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 33.2% 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 Canada cost about 25% more than cities in Saudi Arabia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Saudi Arabia to Canada.
people moved from Saudi Arabia to Canada · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to Canada?
Top countries of origin for Canada's foreign-born residents.
- 720,083
- 699,190
- 633,547
- 537,504
- 273,226
- 254,831
- · · ·
-
63.21,622
Saudi Arabia
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Canada compared to Saudi Arabia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Saudi Arabia generally does better on safety, though Canada leads in road traffic deaths.
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
Saudi Arabia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Canada leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Canada performs significantly 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
Canada generally does better on infrastructure, though Saudi Arabia leads in internet access.
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 Canada 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
Canada generally does better on family life, though Saudi Arabia leads in education spending.
Data: Department of Zakat and Income Tax, 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 | Riyadh | Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) | 27°/10°F (-3°/-12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) | 64°/45°F (18°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) | 41°/25°F (5°/-4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Riyadh | Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) | 21°/4°F (-6.1°/-15.3°C) |
| Feb | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) | 25°/8°F (-4.1°/-13.3°C) |
| Mar | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) | 36°/19°F (2.2°/-7.1°C) |
| Apr | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) | 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.6°C) |
| May | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) | 66°/46°F (19.1°/7.7°C) |
| Jun | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) | 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.7°C) |
| Jul | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) | 80°/60°F (26.5°/15.4°C) |
| Aug | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) | 77°/57°F (24.9°/14.1°C) |
| Sep | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) | 67°/48°F (19.5°/9.1°C) |
| Oct | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) | 54°/37°F (12.5°/3.0°C) |
| Nov | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) | 41°/27°F (4.8°/-2.8°C) |
| Dec | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.1°C) |
Data:
National Center for Meteorology,
Meteorological Service of Canada
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Saudi Arabia and Canada. To live, work, or study long-term in Canada, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Canada's immigration authority.
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting Canada
Visa Required
Canada passport holder visiting Saudi Arabia
Visa on ArrivalData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Canada than Saudi Arabia?
On average Canada is around 40% pricier than Saudi Arabia, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Canada?
Budget about CA$36,752 for 3 months in Canada (based on a SAR281,786 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Canada?
Connectivity is usually fine (Canada: 42.6 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Canada offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Canada safe for expats?
Saudi Arabia generally does better on safety, though Canada leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Canada is 2.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Saudi Arabia.
How is healthcare in Canada compared to Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Canada leads in health coverage index. There are 25.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Canada, compared to 30.8 in Saudi Arabia. Canada scores 91 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Saudi Arabia: 74).
What's the weather like in Canada compared to Saudi Arabia?
The average high temperature in Ottawa is 52°F, compared to 92°F in Riyadh. Ottawa receives around 37.1 in of rainfall per year, while Riyadh gets 4.4 in.
What language do they speak in Canada?
The official languages in Canada are English and French. In Saudi Arabia, the official language is Arabic.
