Moving to Japan from Saudi Arabia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Saudi Arabia to Japan? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Saudi Arabia to Japan, you would find that Japan is 22.8% more expensive than Saudi Arabia overall. A SAR281,865 salary in Saudi Arabia would need to be roughly ¥11,809,628 in Japan to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Japanese. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Tokyo averages 69°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 Japan.
What does your salary buy?
SAR281,865 → ¥11,809,628
To maintain the same standard of living in Japan
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 48.2% more
Groceries
pay 62.3% more
Transportation
pay 46.2% more
Housing
pay 2.3% less
Childcare
pay 43.8% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 19.0% 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 Japan cost about 9% less 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 Japan.
people moved from Saudi Arabia to Japan · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to Japan?
Top countries of origin for Japan's foreign-born residents.
- 775,893
- 456,203
- 335,668
- 275,252
- 204,814
- 58,340
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Japan compared to Saudi Arabia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Japan 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
Saudi Arabia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Japan leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Japan 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 Japan 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 generally does better on employment & economy, though Japan leads in unemployment 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
Japan 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 | Tokyo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) | 53°/37°F (12°/3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) | 73°/58°F (23°/14°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) | 85°/72°F (30°/22°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) | 63°/49°F (17°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | Riyadh | Tokyo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) | 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.2°C) |
| Feb | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) | 52°/36°F (10.9°/2.1°C) |
| Mar | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) | 58°/41°F (14.2°/5.0°C) |
| Apr | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) | 67°/50°F (19.4°/9.8°C) |
| May | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) | 74°/58°F (23.6°/14.6°C) |
| Jun | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) | 79°/65°F (26.1°/18.5°C) |
| Jul | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) | 86°/72°F (29.9°/22.4°C) |
| Aug | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) | 88°/74°F (31.3°/23.5°C) |
| Sep | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) | 82°/69°F (27.5°/20.3°C) |
| Oct | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) | 72°/59°F (22.0°/14.8°C) |
| Nov | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) | 62°/48°F (16.7°/8.8°C) |
| Dec | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.8°C) |
Data:
National Center for Meteorology,
Japan Meteorological Agency
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Saudi Arabia and Japan. To live, work, or study long-term in Japan, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Japan's immigration authority.
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting Japan
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Japan 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 Japan than Saudi Arabia?
On average Japan is about 3% less expensive than Saudi Arabia, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Japan?
Budget about ¥2,952,407 for 3 months in Japan (based on a SAR281,865 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Japan?
Connectivity is usually fine (Japan: 37.2 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Japan offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Japan safe for expats?
Japan performs significantly better than Saudi Arabia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Japan is 0.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Saudi Arabia.
How is healthcare in Japan compared to Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Japan leads in health coverage index. There are 26.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Japan, compared to 30.8 in Saudi Arabia. Japan scores 83 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Saudi Arabia: 74).
What's the weather like in Japan compared to Saudi Arabia?
The average high temperature in Tokyo is 69°F, compared to 92°F in Riyadh. Tokyo receives around 62.9 in of rainfall per year, while Riyadh gets 4.4 in.
What language do they speak in Japan?
The official language in Japan is Japanese. In Saudi Arabia, the official language is Arabic.
