Moving to South Africa from Saudi Arabia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Saudi Arabia to South Africa — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Saudi Arabia to South Africa, you would find that South Africa is 10.5% cheaper than Saudi Arabia overall. A SAR280,000 salary in Saudi Arabia would need to be roughly ZAR1,100,000 in South Africa to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Johannesburg averages 71°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 ↓Is South Africa cheaper than Saudi Arabia?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 31.5% more
Groceries
pay 6.7% less
Transportation
pay 28.2% more
Housing
pay 20.6% less
Childcare
pay 47.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 44.9% 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.
What salary do you need in South Africa?
What does your salary buy?
SAR280,000 → ZAR1,100,000
To maintain the same standard of living in South Africa
Calculate with your salary →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 South Africa cost about 20% less 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 South Africa, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to South Africa?
Top countries of origin for South Africa's foreign-born residents.
- 690,243
- 350,463
- 192,008
- 94,119
- 67,382
- 63,892
- · · ·
-
79.744
Saudi Arabia
Key Indicator Comparison
How Saudi Arabia and South Africa 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 performs better than South Africa 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
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Saudi Arabia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa 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
South Africa 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 South Africa 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 South Africa 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 South Africa leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Department of Zakat and Income Tax (2016), South African Revenue Service (2017). How we calculate this
Weather in South Africa vs Saudi Arabia
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Riyadh | Johannesburg |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) | 77°/57°F (25°/14°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) | 66°/45°F (19°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) | 67°/44°F (20°/7°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) |
View all months
| Month | Riyadh | Johannesburg |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) | 78°/58°F (25.6°/14.7°C) |
| Feb | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) | 77°/57°F (25.1°/14.1°C) |
| Mar | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) | 75°/56°F (24.0°/13.1°C) |
| Apr | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) | 70°/51°F (21.1°/10.3°C) |
| May | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) | 66°/45°F (18.9°/7.2°C) |
| Jun | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) | 61°/39°F (16.0°/4.1°C) |
| Jul | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) | 62°/39°F (16.7°/4.1°C) |
| Aug | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) | 67°/43°F (19.4°/6.2°C) |
| Sep | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) | 73°/49°F (22.8°/9.3°C) |
| Oct | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) | 75°/52°F (23.8°/11.2°C) |
| Nov | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) | 76°/55°F (24.2°/12.7°C) |
| Dec | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) | 77°/57°F (25.2°/13.9°C) |
Data:
National Center for Meteorology,
South African Weather Service
Can you move from Saudi Arabia to South Africa?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Saudi Arabia and South Africa. To live, work, or study long-term in South Africa, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check South Africa's immigration authority.
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting South Africa
Visa Free
South Africa 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 South Africa than Saudi Arabia?
Generally yes: South Africa runs about 11% cheaper than Saudi Arabia on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to South Africa?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a SAR280,000 comparable salary, that's around ZAR275,000 in South Africa for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from South Africa?
With 5.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, South Africa 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 South Africa.
Is South Africa safe for expats?
Saudi Arabia performs better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in South Africa is 43.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.9 in Saudi Arabia.
How is healthcare in South Africa compared to Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 7.9 doctors per 10,000 people in South Africa, compared to 34.1 in Saudi Arabia. South Africa scores 71 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Saudi Arabia: 74).
What's the weather like in South Africa compared to Saudi Arabia?
The average high temperature in Johannesburg is 71°F, compared to 92°F in Riyadh. Johannesburg receives around 28.1 in of rainfall per year, while Riyadh gets 4.4 in.
What language do they speak in South Africa?
The official languages in South Africa are Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu. In Saudi Arabia, the official language is Arabic.
Compare further: Saudi Arabia vs. South Africa
At a Glance
SA
|
ZA
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 36,973,555 | 64,747,319 |
| Currency | Saudi Riyal (SAR) | South African Rand (ZAR) |
| Languages | Arabic | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu |
| Driving side | Right | Left |
| Calling code | +966 | +27 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 911 | 10111 |