Moving to Spain from Saudi Arabia
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Saudi Arabia to Spain — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Saudi Arabia to Spain, you would find that Spain is 57.1% more expensive than Saudi Arabia overall. A SAR281,865 salary in Saudi Arabia would need to be roughly €84,709 in Spain to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Madrid averages 68°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?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Saudi Arabia to Spain.
What does your salary buy?
SAR281,865 → €84,709
To maintain the same standard of living in Spain
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 3.4 times more
Groceries
pay 30.6% more
Transportation
pay 55.9% more
Housing
pay 43.8% more
Childcare
pay 29.6% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 14.7% 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 Spain cost about 18% more than cities in Saudi Arabia.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Spain
We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.
- ✅ Up to 5 quotes from screened movers
- ✅ Licensed and insured providers only
- ✅ 100% free — you choose who contacts you
Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Saudi Arabia to Spain, based on official data.
people moved from Saudi Arabia to Spain · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Saudi Arabia to Spain.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Spain 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
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Spain generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia 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
Spain 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 Spain 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 Spain 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
Spain generally does better on family life, though Saudi Arabia leads in education spending.
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 | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) | 55°/40°F (13°/4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) | 86°/64°F (30°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) | 58°/44°F (14°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Riyadh | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) | 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C) |
| Feb | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C) |
| Mar | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) | 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C) |
| Apr | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) | 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C) |
| May | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) | 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C) |
| Jun | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) | 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C) |
| Jul | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) | 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C) |
| Aug | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) | 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C) |
| Sep | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) | 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C) |
| Oct | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) | 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C) |
| Nov | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) | 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C) |
| Dec | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) | 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C) |
Data:
National Center for Meteorology,
Agencia Estatal de Meteorología
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Saudi Arabia and Spain. To live, work, or study long-term in Spain, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Spain's immigration authority.
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting Spain
Visa Required
Spain 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 Spain than Saudi Arabia?
No — Spain is on average about 29% more expensive than Saudi Arabia. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Spain?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly €21,177 in Spain on a SAR281,865 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Spain?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Spain has 36.0 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 Spain safe for expats?
Spain performs significantly better than Saudi Arabia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Spain is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Saudi Arabia.
How is healthcare in Spain compared to Saudi Arabia?
Spain generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 44.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Spain, compared to 30.8 in Saudi Arabia. Spain scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Saudi Arabia: 74).
What's the weather like in Spain compared to Saudi Arabia?
The average high temperature in Madrid is 68°F, compared to 92°F in Riyadh. Madrid receives around 16.6 in of rainfall per year, while Riyadh gets 4.4 in.
What language do they speak in Spain?
The official languages in Spain are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish. In Saudi Arabia, the official language is Arabic.
