Moving to Qatar from Saudi Arabia
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Saudi Arabia to Qatar — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Saudi Arabia to Qatar, you would find that Qatar is 43.8% more expensive than Saudi Arabia overall. A SAR281,866 salary in Saudi Arabia would need to be roughly QAR387,925 in Qatar to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Saudi Arabia to Qatar.
What does your salary buy?
SAR281,866 → QAR387,925
To maintain the same standard of living in Qatar
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 0.9% more
Groceries
pay 3.2% less
Transportation
pay 7.6% less
Housing
pay 2.3 times more
Childcare
pay 96.8% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 94.7% 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.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Saudi Arabia to Qatar, based on official data.
Who's moving to Qatar?
Top countries of origin for Qatar's foreign-born residents.
- 702,013
- 261,672
- 253,940
- 235,505
- 183,544
- 170,052
- · · ·
-
28.911
Saudi Arabia
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Saudi Arabia to Qatar.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Qatar 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
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Qatar 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
Saudi Arabia performs better than Qatar 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
Qatar generally does better on infrastructure, though Saudi Arabia 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
Qatar 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Saudi Arabia generally does better on family life, though Qatar leads in life expectancy.
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 | Doha |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) | 75°/58°F (24°/14°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) | 99°/76°F (37°/24°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) | 104°/83°F (40°/28°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) | 85°/67°F (30°/19°C) |
View all months
| Month | Riyadh | Doha |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) | 71°/55°F (21.7°/12.8°C) |
| Feb | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) | 73°/57°F (23.0°/13.7°C) |
| Mar | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) | 80°/62°F (26.8°/16.7°C) |
| Apr | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) | 89°/69°F (31.9°/20.6°C) |
| May | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) | 101°/77°F (38.2°/25.0°C) |
| Jun | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) | 106°/82°F (41.2°/27.7°C) |
| Jul | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) | 107°/84°F (41.5°/29.1°C) |
| Aug | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) | 105°/84°F (40.7°/28.9°C) |
| Sep | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) | 101°/80°F (38.6°/26.5°C) |
| Oct | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) | 95°/74°F (35.2°/23.4°C) |
| Nov | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) | 85°/67°F (29.5°/19.5°C) |
| Dec | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) | 75°/59°F (24.1°/15.0°C) |
Data:
National Center for Meteorology,
Qatar Meteorology Department
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Saudi Arabia and Qatar. To live, work, or study long-term in Qatar, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Qatar's immigration authority.
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting Qatar
Visa Free
Qatar passport holder visiting Saudi Arabia
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Qatar than Saudi Arabia?
No — Qatar is on average about 42% more expensive than Saudi Arabia. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Qatar?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly QAR96,981 in Qatar on a SAR281,866 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, deposits, visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Qatar?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Qatar has 13.6 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 Qatar safe for expats?
Qatar performs significantly better than Saudi Arabia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Qatar is 0.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Saudi Arabia.
How is healthcare in Qatar compared to Saudi Arabia?
Qatar generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 25.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Qatar, compared to 30.8 in Saudi Arabia. Qatar scores 76 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Saudi Arabia: 74).
What's the weather like in Qatar compared to Saudi Arabia?
The average high temperature in Doha is 91°F, compared to 92°F in Riyadh. Doha receives around 3.0 in of rainfall per year, while Riyadh gets 4.4 in.
What language do they speak in Qatar?
Both Saudi Arabia and Qatar share the same official language: Arabic.
