Moving to China from Saudi Arabia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Saudi Arabia to China — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Saudi Arabia to China, you would find that China is 35.1% cheaper than Saudi Arabia overall. A SAR280,000 salary in Saudi Arabia would need to be roughly CN¥324,000 in China to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Chinese. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Beijing averages 64°F vs 92°F in Riyadh, making it significantly cooler.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Saudi Arabia to China.
What does your salary buy?
SAR280,000 → CN¥324,000
To maintain the same standard of living in China
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 39.5% less
Groceries
pay 18.1% less
Transportation
pay 26.3% less
Housing
pay 52.2% less
Childcare
pay 62.2% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 47.4% 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.
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 China cost about 40% less than cities in Saudi Arabia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Saudi Arabia and China stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
China performs significantly better than Saudi Arabia across all safety metrics.
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
China generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
China 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
Saudi Arabia generally does better on infrastructure, though China leads in broadband per 100 people.
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 performs better than China across all employment & economy metrics.
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
Saudi Arabia generally does better on family life, though China leads in infant mortality.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Department of Zakat and Income Tax (2016), State Administration of Taxation (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Riyadh | Beijing |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) | 42°/22°F (6°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) | 78°/55°F (26°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) | 83°/66°F (29°/19°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) | 51°/32°F (11°/0°C) |
View all months
| Month | Riyadh | Beijing |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) | 35°/15°F (1.6°/-9.4°C) |
| Feb | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) | 39°/20°F (4.0°/-6.9°C) |
| Mar | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) | 52°/31°F (11.3°/-0.6°C) |
| Apr | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) | 68°/45°F (19.9°/7.2°C) |
| May | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) | 80°/56°F (26.4°/13.2°C) |
| Jun | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) | 87°/65°F (30.3°/18.2°C) |
| Jul | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) | 87°/71°F (30.8°/21.6°C) |
| Aug | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) | 85°/69°F (29.5°/20.4°C) |
| Sep | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) | 78°/58°F (25.8°/14.2°C) |
| Oct | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) | 66°/45°F (19.0°/7.3°C) |
| Nov | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) | 50°/31°F (10.1°/-0.4°C) |
| Dec | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) | 38°/20°F (3.3°/-6.9°C) |
Data:
National Center for Meteorology,
China Meteorological Administration
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Saudi Arabia and China. To live, work, or study long-term in China, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check China's immigration authority.
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting China
Visa Free
China 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 China than Saudi Arabia?
Generally yes: China runs about 35% cheaper than Saudi Arabia on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to China?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a SAR280,000 comparable salary, that's around CN¥81,000 in China for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from China?
With 47.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, China can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Saudi Arabia and China.
Is China safe for expats?
China performs significantly better than Saudi Arabia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in China is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.9 in Saudi Arabia.
How is healthcare in China compared to Saudi Arabia?
China generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 31.1 doctors per 10,000 people in China, compared to 34.1 in Saudi Arabia. China scores 81 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Saudi Arabia: 74).
What's the weather like in China compared to Saudi Arabia?
The average high temperature in Beijing is 64°F, compared to 92°F in Riyadh. Beijing receives around 22.8 in of rainfall per year, while Riyadh gets 4.4 in.
What language do they speak in China?
The official language in China is Chinese. In Saudi Arabia, the official language is Arabic.
