Moving to Colombia from Saudi Arabia
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Saudi Arabia to Colombia — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Saudi Arabia to Colombia, you would find that Colombia is 14.2% cheaper than Saudi Arabia overall. A SAR281,786 salary in Saudi Arabia would need to be roughly COP164,278,918 in Colombia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Spanish. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Bogota averages 61°F vs 92°F in Riyadh, making it significantly cooler.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from Saudi Arabia to Colombia.
What does your salary buy?
SAR281,786 → COP164,278,918
To maintain the same standard of living in Colombia
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 28.8% more
Groceries
pay 14.4% less
Transportation
pay 6.5% more
Housing
pay 37.8% less
Childcare
pay 22.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 61.8% 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.
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Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Saudi Arabia to Colombia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Saudi Arabia generally does better on safety, though Colombia 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
Colombia 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
Colombia 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 Colombia 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 performs better than Colombia 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 Colombia leads in infant mortality.
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 | Bogota |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) | 62°/44°F (17°/7°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) | 61°/47°F (16°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) | 60°/45°F (15°/7°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) | 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Riyadh | Bogota |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) | 62°/42°F (16.4°/5.6°C) |
| Feb | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) | 62°/44°F (16.7°/6.5°C) |
| Mar | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) | 62°/46°F (16.7°/7.6°C) |
| Apr | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) | 61°/47°F (16.0°/8.6°C) |
| May | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) | 61°/48°F (16.2°/8.7°C) |
| Jun | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) | 60°/47°F (15.7°/8.3°C) |
| Jul | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) | 59°/46°F (14.9°/7.7°C) |
| Aug | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) | 60°/45°F (15.4°/7.3°C) |
| Sep | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) | 60°/45°F (15.8°/7.1°C) |
| Oct | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) | 61°/46°F (15.9°/7.7°C) |
| Nov | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) | 61°/46°F (16.0°/7.9°C) |
| Dec | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) | 61°/43°F (16.1°/6.3°C) |
Data:
National Center for Meteorology,
Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environment Studies
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Saudi Arabia and Colombia. To live, work, or study long-term in Colombia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Colombia's immigration authority.
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting Colombia
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Colombia passport holder visiting Saudi Arabia
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Colombia than Saudi Arabia?
Yes — Colombia is on average about 32% cheaper than Saudi Arabia. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Colombia?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly COP41,069,730 in Colombia on a SAR281,786 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Colombia?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Colombia has 17.0 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 Colombia safe for expats?
Saudi Arabia generally does better on safety, though Colombia leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Colombia is 25.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Saudi Arabia.
How is healthcare in Colombia compared to Saudi Arabia?
Colombia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 24.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Colombia, compared to 30.8 in Saudi Arabia. Colombia scores 80 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Saudi Arabia: 74).
What's the weather like in Colombia compared to Saudi Arabia?
The average high temperature in Bogota is 61°F, compared to 92°F in Riyadh. Bogota receives around 31.5 in of rainfall per year, while Riyadh gets 4.4 in.
What language do they speak in Colombia?
The official language in Colombia is Spanish. In Saudi Arabia, the official language is Arabic.
