Moving to Russia from Saudi Arabia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Saudi Arabia to Russia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Saudi Arabia to Russia, you would find that Russia is 8.1% cheaper than Saudi Arabia overall. A SAR281,786 salary in Saudi Arabia would need to be roughly RUB5,162,543 in Russia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Russian. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Moscow averages 48°F vs 92°F in Riyadh, making it significantly cooler.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Saudi Arabia to Russia.
What does your salary buy?
SAR281,786 → RUB5,162,543
To maintain the same standard of living in Russia
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 38.6% more
Groceries
pay 11.3% less
Transportation
pay 17.8% less
Housing
pay 30.4% less
Childcare
pay 2.8% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 49.7% 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.
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 Russia cost about 2% 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 Russia, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to Russia?
Top countries of origin for Russia's foreign-born residents.
- 3,268,263
- 2,558,907
- 1,146,175
- 766,918
- 763,879
- 591,025
- · · ·
-
90.217
Saudi Arabia
Key Indicator Comparison
How Saudi Arabia and Russia 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 Russia 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
Russia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia leads in suicide rate.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Russia 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 Russia 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 Russia 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Saudi Arabia generally does better on family life, though Russia leads in infant mortality.
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 | Moscow |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) | 27°/15°F (-3°/-10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) | 68°/52°F (20°/11°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) | 36°/26°F (2°/-3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Riyadh | Moscow |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) | 21°/10°F (-6.3°/-12.3°C) |
| Feb | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) | 24°/12°F (-4.2°/-11.1°C) |
| Mar | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) | 35°/22°F (1.5°/-5.6°C) |
| Apr | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) | 51°/35°F (10.4°/1.7°C) |
| May | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) | 65°/46°F (18.4°/7.6°C) |
| Jun | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) | 71°/53°F (21.7°/11.5°C) |
| Jul | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) | 74°/56°F (23.1°/13.5°C) |
| Aug | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.0°C) |
| Sep | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) | 60°/45°F (15.4°/7.1°C) |
| Oct | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) | 47°/36°F (8.2°/2.1°C) |
| Nov | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) | 34°/26°F (1.1°/-3.3°C) |
| Dec | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) | 26°/17°F (-3.5°/-8.6°C) |
Data:
National Center for Meteorology,
Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Saudi Arabia and Russia. To live, work, or study long-term in Russia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Russia's immigration authority.
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting Russia
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Russia 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 Russia than Saudi Arabia?
Generally yes: Russia runs about 12% cheaper than Saudi Arabia on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Russia?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a SAR281,786 comparable salary, that's around RUB1,290,636 in Russia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Russia?
With 24.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Russia 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 Russia.
Is Russia safe for expats?
Saudi Arabia generally does better on safety, though Russia leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Russia is 6.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Saudi Arabia.
How is healthcare in Russia compared to Saudi Arabia?
Russia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia leads in suicide rate. There are 38.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Russia, compared to 30.8 in Saudi Arabia. Russia scores 79 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Saudi Arabia: 74).
What's the weather like in Russia compared to Saudi Arabia?
The average high temperature in Moscow is 48°F, compared to 92°F in Riyadh. Moscow receives around 27.2 in of rainfall per year, while Riyadh gets 4.4 in.
What language do they speak in Russia?
The official language in Russia is Russian. In Saudi Arabia, the official language is Arabic.
