Moving to New Zealand from Saudi Arabia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Saudi Arabia to New Zealand — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Saudi Arabia to New Zealand, you would find that New Zealand is 84.4% more expensive than Saudi Arabia overall. A SAR281,865 salary in Saudi Arabia would need to be roughly NZ$164,949 in New Zealand to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Wellington averages 62°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 New Zealand.
What does your salary buy?
SAR281,865 → NZ$164,949
To maintain the same standard of living in New Zealand
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 3.4 times more
Groceries
pay 53.9% more
Transportation
pay 67.9% more
Housing
pay 53.9% more
Childcare
pay 94.3% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 64.7% 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 New Zealand cost about 6% 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 New Zealand, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to New Zealand?
Top countries of origin for New Zealand's foreign-born residents.
- 286,746
- 144,207
- 122,506
- 85,289
- 73,846
- 70,412
- · · ·
-
50.1,973
Saudi Arabia
Key Indicator Comparison
How Saudi Arabia and New Zealand 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 New Zealand 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
New Zealand 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
New Zealand 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 New Zealand 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 New Zealand 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
New Zealand 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 | Wellington |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) | 69°/58°F (21°/14°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) | 59°/49°F (15°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) | 56°/46°F (13°/8°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) | 64°/53°F (18°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Riyadh | Wellington |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) | 70°/58°F (21.2°/14.7°C) |
| Feb | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) | 70°/59°F (21.3°/14.8°C) |
| Mar | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) | 68°/56°F (19.8°/13.5°C) |
| Apr | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) | 63°/53°F (17.4°/11.5°C) |
| May | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) | 59°/49°F (15.2°/9.7°C) |
| Jun | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) | 56°/46°F (13.1°/7.9°C) |
| Jul | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) | 54°/44°F (12.3°/6.9°C) |
| Aug | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) | 55°/45°F (12.9°/7.4°C) |
| Sep | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) | 58°/48°F (14.5°/8.8°C) |
| Oct | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) | 60°/50°F (15.8°/10.0°C) |
| Nov | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) | 64°/53°F (17.5°/11.4°C) |
| Dec | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) | 67°/56°F (19.6°/13.5°C) |
Data:
National Center for Meteorology,
New Zealand National Meteorological Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Saudi Arabia and New Zealand. To live, work, or study long-term in New Zealand, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check New Zealand's immigration authority.
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting New Zealand
Electronic Travel Authorisation
New Zealand 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 New Zealand than Saudi Arabia?
Day-to-day costs in New Zealand run about 27% higher than Saudi Arabia on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to New Zealand?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a SAR281,865 comparable salary, that's around NZ$41,237 in New Zealand for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from New Zealand?
With 35.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, New Zealand 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 New Zealand.
Is New Zealand safe for expats?
Saudi Arabia generally does better on safety, though New Zealand leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in New Zealand is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Saudi Arabia.
How is healthcare in New Zealand compared to Saudi Arabia?
New Zealand generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 35.7 doctors per 10,000 people in New Zealand, compared to 30.8 in Saudi Arabia. New Zealand scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Saudi Arabia: 74).
What's the weather like in New Zealand compared to Saudi Arabia?
The average high temperature in Wellington is 62°F, compared to 92°F in Riyadh. Wellington receives around 37.7 in of rainfall per year, while Riyadh gets 4.4 in.
What language do they speak in New Zealand?
The official languages in New Zealand are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. In Saudi Arabia, the official language is Arabic.
