Moving to Greece from Saudi Arabia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Saudi Arabia to Greece — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Saudi Arabia to Greece, you would find that Greece is 41.7% more expensive than Saudi Arabia overall. A SAR281,865 salary in Saudi Arabia would need to be roughly €74,598 in Greece to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Greek. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Athens averages 72°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 Greece.
What does your salary buy?
SAR281,865 → €74,598
To maintain the same standard of living in Greece
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 2.3 times more
Groceries
pay 23.4% more
Transportation
pay 69.6% more
Housing
pay 19.0% more
Childcare
pay 13.9% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 10.3% 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 Greece cost about 1% more than cities in Saudi Arabia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Saudi Arabia to Greece, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Saudi Arabia and Greece stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Saudi Arabia generally does better on safety, though Greece 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
Greece performs significantly better than Saudi Arabia across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Greece 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 Greece 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 Greece 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
Greece 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 | Athens |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) | 57°/42°F (14°/6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) | 78°/57°F (26°/14°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) | 90°/67°F (32°/20°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) | 65°/50°F (18°/10°C) |
View all months
| Month | Riyadh | Athens |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) | 54°/41°F (12.5°/5.2°C) |
| Feb | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) | 56°/42°F (13.5°/5.4°C) |
| Mar | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) | 60°/44°F (15.7°/6.7°C) |
| Apr | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) | 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.6°C) |
| May | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) | 79°/57°F (26.0°/13.9°C) |
| Jun | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.2°C) |
| Jul | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) | 92°/69°F (33.5°/20.8°C) |
| Aug | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) | 92°/69°F (33.2°/20.7°C) |
| Sep | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) | 85°/63°F (29.2°/17.3°C) |
| Oct | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) | 74°/56°F (23.3°/13.4°C) |
| Nov | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) | 65°/50°F (18.1°/9.8°C) |
| Dec | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) | 57°/44°F (14.1°/6.8°C) |
Data:
National Center for Meteorology,
Hellenic National Meteorological Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Saudi Arabia and Greece. To live, work, or study long-term in Greece, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Greece's immigration authority.
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting Greece
Visa Required
Greece 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 Greece than Saudi Arabia?
Day-to-day costs in Greece run about 14% higher than Saudi Arabia on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Greece?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a SAR281,865 comparable salary, that's around €18,650 in Greece for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Greece?
With 43.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Greece 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 Greece.
Is Greece safe for expats?
Saudi Arabia generally does better on safety, though Greece leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Greece is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Saudi Arabia.
How is healthcare in Greece compared to Saudi Arabia?
Greece performs significantly better than Saudi Arabia across all health & wellbeing metrics. There are 63.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Greece, compared to 30.8 in Saudi Arabia. Greece scores 77 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Saudi Arabia: 74).
What's the weather like in Greece compared to Saudi Arabia?
The average high temperature in Athens is 72°F, compared to 92°F in Riyadh. Athens receives around 16.3 in of rainfall per year, while Riyadh gets 4.4 in.
What language do they speak in Greece?
The official language in Greece is Greek. In Saudi Arabia, the official language is Arabic.
