Moving to Ireland from Saudi Arabia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Saudi Arabia to Ireland — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Saudi Arabia to Ireland, you would find that Ireland is 2.2 times more expensive than Saudi Arabia overall. A SAR281,865 salary in Saudi Arabia would need to be roughly €110,714 in Ireland to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English and Irish. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Dublin averages 56°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 Ireland.
What does your salary buy?
SAR281,865 → €110,714
To maintain the same standard of living in Ireland
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 3.7 times more
Groceries
pay 53.5% more
Transportation
pay 2.4 times more
Housing
pay 2.4 times more
Childcare
pay 2.1 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 73.7% 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 Ireland cost about 52% 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 Ireland, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to Ireland?
Top countries of origin for Ireland's foreign-born residents.
- 305,197
- 146,211
- 44,229
- 35,190
- 25,371
- 25,104
- · · ·
-
63.490
Saudi Arabia
Key Indicator Comparison
How Saudi Arabia and Ireland 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 Ireland 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
Ireland 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
Ireland 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 Ireland 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
Ireland generally does better on employment & economy, though Saudi Arabia leads in top income tax rate.
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
Ireland 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 | Dublin |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) | 49°/37°F (10°/3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) | 59°/44°F (15°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) | 66°/52°F (19°/11°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) | 51°/41°F (11°/5°C) |
View all months
| Month | Riyadh | Dublin |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) | 47°/36°F (8.1°/2.4°C) |
| Feb | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) | 47°/36°F (8.3°/2.3°C) |
| Mar | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) | 54°/38°F (12.1°/3.4°C) |
| Apr | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) | 54°/40°F (12.1°/4.6°C) |
| May | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) | 59°/44°F (14.8°/6.9°C) |
| Jun | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) | 64°/49°F (17.6°/9.6°C) |
| Jul | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) | 67°/53°F (19.5°/11.7°C) |
| Aug | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) | 67°/53°F (19.2°/11.5°C) |
| Sep | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) | 63°/50°F (17.0°/9.8°C) |
| Oct | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) | 56°/45°F (13.6°/7.3°C) |
| Nov | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) | 51°/40°F (10.3°/4.5°C) |
| Dec | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) | 47°/37°F (8.3°/2.8°C) |
Data:
National Center for Meteorology,
Met Éireann, The Irish Meteorological Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Saudi Arabia and Ireland. To live, work, or study long-term in Ireland, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Ireland's immigration authority.
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting Ireland
Visa Required
Ireland 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 Ireland than Saudi Arabia?
Day-to-day costs in Ireland run about 69% higher than Saudi Arabia on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Ireland?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a SAR281,865 comparable salary, that's around €27,678 in Ireland for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Ireland?
With 32.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Ireland 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 Ireland.
Is Ireland safe for expats?
Saudi Arabia generally does better on safety, though Ireland leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Ireland is 0.9 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Saudi Arabia.
How is healthcare in Ireland compared to Saudi Arabia?
Ireland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 40.6 doctors per 10,000 people in Ireland, compared to 30.8 in Saudi Arabia. Ireland scores 83 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Saudi Arabia: 74).
What's the weather like in Ireland compared to Saudi Arabia?
The average high temperature in Dublin is 56°F, compared to 92°F in Riyadh. Dublin receives around 29.8 in of rainfall per year, while Riyadh gets 4.4 in.
What language do they speak in Ireland?
The official languages in Ireland are English and Irish. In Saudi Arabia, the official language is Arabic.
