Moving to Panama from Saudi Arabia
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Saudi Arabia to Panama — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Saudi Arabia to Panama, you would find that Panama is 15.9% more expensive than Saudi Arabia overall. A SAR280,000 salary in Saudi Arabia would need to be roughly PAB86,500 in Panama to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Spanish.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Saudi Arabia to Panama.
What does your salary buy?
SAR280,000 → PAB86,500
To maintain the same standard of living in Panama
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 47.6% more
Groceries
pay 50.7% more
Transportation
pay 10.0% less
Housing
pay 25.1% more
Childcare
pay 4.4% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 31.1% 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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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Saudi Arabia to Panama, based on official data.
Who's moving to Panama?
Top countries of origin for Panama's foreign-born residents.
- 119,553
- 50,702
- 22,427
- 16,867
- 15,517
- 9,711
- · · ·
-
71.59
Saudi Arabia
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Saudi Arabia to Panama.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Saudi Arabia generally does better on safety, though Panama 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
Panama generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Panama 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 Panama 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 Panama 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 generally does better on family life, though Panama leads in life expectancy.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Department of Zakat and Income Tax (2016), General Directorate of Revenues, Panama (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Riyadh | Panama City |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) | 94°/65°F (34°/18°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) | 94°/69°F (35°/21°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) | 92°/70°F (34°/21°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) | 91°/68°F (33°/20°C) |
View all months
| Month | Riyadh | Panama City |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) | 92°/65°F (33.4°/18.5°C) |
| Feb | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) | 94°/65°F (34.2°/18.4°C) |
| Mar | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) | 95°/65°F (34.8°/18.4°C) |
| Apr | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) | 96°/67°F (35.4°/19.5°C) |
| May | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) | 94°/70°F (34.5°/21.1°C) |
| Jun | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) | 93°/70°F (33.8°/21.3°C) |
| Jul | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) | 93°/70°F (33.9°/21.0°C) |
| Aug | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) | 93°/70°F (33.9°/20.9°C) |
| Sep | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) | 91°/70°F (32.9°/21.0°C) |
| Oct | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) | 91°/69°F (32.6°/20.8°C) |
| Nov | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) | 91°/69°F (32.9°/20.3°C) |
| Dec | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) | 92°/67°F (33.3°/19.2°C) |
Data:
National Center for Meteorology,
IMHPA - Instituto de Meteorología e Hidrología de Panamá
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Saudi Arabia and Panama. To live, work, or study long-term in Panama, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Panama's immigration authority.
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting Panama
Visa Free
Panama 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 Panama than Saudi Arabia?
No — Panama is on average about 16% more expensive than Saudi Arabia. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Panama?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly PAB21,625 in Panama on a SAR280,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Panama?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Panama has 18.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Panama safe for expats?
Saudi Arabia generally does better on safety, though Panama leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Panama is 11.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.9 in Saudi Arabia.
How is healthcare in Panama compared to Saudi Arabia?
Panama generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 16.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Panama, compared to 34.1 in Saudi Arabia. Panama scores 78 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Saudi Arabia: 74).
What's the weather like in Panama compared to Saudi Arabia?
The average high temperature in Panama City is 93°F, compared to 92°F in Riyadh. Panama City receives around 75.1 in of rainfall per year, while Riyadh gets 4.4 in.
What language do they speak in Panama?
The official language in Panama is Spanish. In Saudi Arabia, the official language is Arabic.
