Moving to Pakistan from Saudi Arabia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Saudi Arabia to Pakistan — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Saudi Arabia to Pakistan, you would find that Pakistan is 56.4% cheaper than Saudi Arabia overall. A SAR282,923 salary in Saudi Arabia would need to be roughly PKR8,697,445 in Pakistan to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English and Urdu. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Saudi Arabia to Pakistan.
What does your salary buy?
SAR282,923 → PKR8,697,445
To maintain the same standard of living in Pakistan
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 45.3% less
Groceries
pay 57.1% less
Transportation
pay 31.6% less
Housing
pay 68.7% less
Childcare
pay 85.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 53.7% 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.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Saudi Arabia and Pakistan 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 Pakistan 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
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Saudi Arabia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Pakistan 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
Saudi Arabia generally does better on environment, though Pakistan leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
Saudi Arabia generally does better on infrastructure, though Pakistan 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 performs better than Pakistan 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
Saudi Arabia performs better than Pakistan across all family life metrics.
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 | Islamabad |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) | 69°/44°F (21°/7°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) | 95°/68°F (35°/20°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) | 94°/74°F (34°/23°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) | 78°/48°F (26°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | Riyadh | Islamabad |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) | 64°/38°F (17.9°/3.2°C) |
| Feb | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) | 68°/43°F (19.8°/6.0°C) |
| Mar | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) | 76°/51°F (24.5°/10.7°C) |
| Apr | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) | 87°/60°F (30.5°/15.8°C) |
| May | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) | 97°/69°F (36.0°/20.7°C) |
| Jun | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) | 101°/75°F (38.4°/23.8°C) |
| Jul | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) | 96°/76°F (35.3°/24.4°C) |
| Aug | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) | 93°/75°F (33.7°/23.8°C) |
| Sep | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) | 93°/70°F (33.7°/21.1°C) |
| Oct | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) | 88°/58°F (30.9°/14.5°C) |
| Nov | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) | 79°/47°F (25.9°/8.3°C) |
| Dec | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) | 68°/40°F (20.2°/4.3°C) |
National Center for MeteorologyVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. To live, work, or study long-term in Pakistan, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Pakistan's immigration authority.
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting Pakistan
Visa Free
Pakistan passport holder visiting Saudi Arabia
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Pakistan than Saudi Arabia?
Generally yes: Pakistan runs about 58% cheaper than Saudi Arabia on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Pakistan?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a SAR282,923 comparable salary, that's around PKR2,174,361 in Pakistan for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Pakistan?
With 1.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Pakistan 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 Pakistan.
Is Pakistan safe for expats?
Saudi Arabia generally does better on safety, though Pakistan leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Pakistan is 4.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Saudi Arabia.
How is healthcare in Pakistan compared to Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Pakistan leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 10.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Pakistan, compared to 30.8 in Saudi Arabia. Pakistan scores 45 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Saudi Arabia: 74).
What's the weather like in Pakistan compared to Saudi Arabia?
The average high temperature in Islamabad is 84°F, compared to 92°F in Riyadh. Islamabad receives around 49.1 in of rainfall per year, while Riyadh gets 4.4 in.
What language do they speak in Pakistan?
The official languages in Pakistan are English and Urdu. In Saudi Arabia, the official language is Arabic.
