Moving to Denmark from Saudi Arabia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Saudi Arabia to Denmark? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Saudi Arabia to Denmark, you would find that Denmark is 79.7% more expensive than Saudi Arabia overall. A SAR280,000 salary in Saudi Arabia would need to be roughly DKK895,000 in Denmark to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Danish. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Copenhagen 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 Denmark.
What does your salary buy?
SAR280,000 → DKK895,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Denmark
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 3.1 times more
Groceries
pay 80.0% more
Transportation
pay 2.1 times more
Housing
pay 72.1% more
Childcare
pay 1.0% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 32.1% 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 Denmark cost about 34% 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 Denmark.
people moved from Saudi Arabia to Denmark · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Denmark compared to Saudi Arabia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Denmark 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
Denmark generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Denmark 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 Denmark 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 Denmark 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
Denmark performs significantly better than Saudi Arabia across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Department of Zakat and Income Tax (2016), Danish Central Tax Administration (2017). 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 | Copenhagen |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) | 38°/29°F (3°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) | 58°/44°F (15°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) | 66°/53°F (19°/12°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) | 46°/37°F (8°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Riyadh | Copenhagen |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) | 36°/28°F (2.0°/-2.0°C) |
| Feb | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) | 36°/28°F (2.0°/-2.0°C) |
| Mar | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) | 41°/30°F (5.0°/-1.0°C) |
| Apr | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) | 50°/36°F (10.0°/2.0°C) |
| May | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) | 59°/45°F (15.0°/7.0°C) |
| Jun | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) | 66°/52°F (19.0°/11.0°C) |
| Jul | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) | 68°/55°F (20.0°/13.0°C) |
| Aug | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) | 68°/55°F (20.0°/13.0°C) |
| Sep | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) | 63°/50°F (17.0°/10.0°C) |
| Oct | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) | 54°/45°F (12.0°/7.0°C) |
| Nov | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) | 45°/37°F (7.0°/3.0°C) |
| Dec | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) | 39°/30°F (4.0°/-1.0°C) |
Data:
National Center for Meteorology,
Danish Meteorological Institute
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Saudi Arabia and Denmark. To live, work, or study long-term in Denmark, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Denmark's immigration authority.
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting Denmark
Visa Required
Denmark 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 Denmark than Saudi Arabia?
On average Denmark is around 80% pricier than Saudi Arabia, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Denmark?
Budget about DKK223,750 for 3 months in Denmark (based on a SAR280,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Denmark?
Connectivity is usually fine (Denmark: 43.4 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Denmark offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Denmark safe for expats?
Denmark performs significantly better than Saudi Arabia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Denmark is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.9 in Saudi Arabia.
How is healthcare in Denmark compared to Saudi Arabia?
Denmark generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 45.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Denmark, compared to 34.1 in Saudi Arabia. Denmark scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Saudi Arabia: 74).
What's the weather like in Denmark compared to Saudi Arabia?
The average high temperature in Copenhagen is 52°F, compared to 92°F in Riyadh. Copenhagen receives around 20.7 in of rainfall per year, while Riyadh gets 4.4 in.
What language do they speak in Denmark?
The official language in Denmark is Danish. In Saudi Arabia, the official language is Arabic.
