Moving to Sweden from Saudi Arabia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Saudi Arabia to Sweden — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Saudi Arabia to Sweden, you would find that Sweden is 79.2% more expensive than Saudi Arabia overall. A SAR281,786 salary in Saudi Arabia would need to be roughly SEK975,214 in Sweden to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Swedish. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Stockholm averages 52°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 Sweden.
What does your salary buy?
SAR281,786 → SEK975,214
To maintain the same standard of living in Sweden
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 3.8 times more
Groceries
pay 72.5% more
Transportation
pay 2.0 times more
Housing
pay 41.6% more
Childcare
pay 46.1% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 56.0% 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.
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 Sweden cost about 23% 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 Sweden, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Saudi Arabia to Sweden · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
How Saudi Arabia and Sweden 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 Sweden 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
Sweden 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
Sweden 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
Sweden generally does better on infrastructure, though Saudi Arabia leads in internet access.
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 Sweden leads in gdp per capita.
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
Sweden 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 | Stockholm |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) | 36°/28°F (2°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) | 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) | 69°/56°F (21°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) | 43°/36°F (6°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Riyadh | Stockholm |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) | 34°/27°F (1.0°/-2.9°C) |
| Feb | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) | 34°/26°F (1.2°/-3.2°C) |
| Mar | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) | 40°/30°F (4.7°/-1.1°C) |
| Apr | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) | 51°/37°F (10.7°/2.6°C) |
| May | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) | 62°/45°F (16.5°/7.1°C) |
| Jun | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) | 69°/53°F (20.8°/11.6°C) |
| Jul | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) | 74°/59°F (23.6°/14.8°C) |
| Aug | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) | 72°/58°F (22.1°/14.2°C) |
| Sep | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) | 62°/50°F (16.6°/10.2°C) |
| Oct | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) | 50°/42°F (10.1°/5.5°C) |
| Nov | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) | 42°/35°F (5.4°/1.9°C) |
| Dec | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) | 36°/30°F (2.5°/-1.2°C) |
Data:
National Center for Meteorology,
Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI)
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Saudi Arabia and Sweden. To live, work, or study long-term in Sweden, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Sweden's immigration authority.
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting Sweden
Visa Required
Sweden 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 Sweden than Saudi Arabia?
Day-to-day costs in Sweden run about 35% higher than Saudi Arabia on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Sweden?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a SAR281,786 comparable salary, that's around SEK243,804 in Sweden for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Sweden?
With 40.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Sweden 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 Sweden.
Is Sweden safe for expats?
Saudi Arabia generally does better on safety, though Sweden leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Sweden is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Saudi Arabia.
How is healthcare in Sweden compared to Saudi Arabia?
Sweden generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 71.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Sweden, compared to 30.8 in Saudi Arabia. Sweden scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Saudi Arabia: 74).
What's the weather like in Sweden compared to Saudi Arabia?
The average high temperature in Stockholm is 52°F, compared to 92°F in Riyadh. Stockholm receives around 21.5 in of rainfall per year, while Riyadh gets 4.4 in.
What language do they speak in Sweden?
The official language in Sweden is Swedish. In Saudi Arabia, the official language is Arabic.
