Moving to Switzerland from Saudi Arabia
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Saudi Arabia to Switzerland — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Saudi Arabia to Switzerland, you would find that Switzerland is 2.6 times more expensive than Saudi Arabia overall. A SAR280,000 salary in Saudi Arabia would need to be roughly CHF159,000 in Switzerland to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Zurich averages 55°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 Switzerland cheaper than Saudi Arabia?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 4.4 times more
Groceries
pay 2.1 times more
Transportation
pay 2.2 times more
Housing
pay 2.8 times more
Childcare
pay 4.9 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 72.8% 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.
What salary do you need in Switzerland?
What does your salary buy?
SAR280,000 → CHF159,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Switzerland
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 Switzerland cost about 78% more than cities in Saudi Arabia.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Switzerland
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Saudi Arabia to Switzerland, based on official data.
people moved from Saudi Arabia to Switzerland · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Saudi Arabia to Switzerland.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Switzerland 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
Switzerland 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
Switzerland 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 Switzerland 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
Saudi Arabia generally does better on employment & economy, though Switzerland 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
Switzerland performs significantly better than Saudi Arabia across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Department of Zakat and Income Tax (2016), Swiss Federal Tax Administration (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Switzerland vs Saudi Arabia
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Riyadh | Zurich |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) | 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) | 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) | 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Riyadh | Zurich |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) | 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) |
| Feb | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) |
| Mar | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) | 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) |
| Apr | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) | 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) |
| May | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) | 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) |
| Jun | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) |
| Jul | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) | 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) |
| Aug | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) | 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) |
| Sep | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) | 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) |
| Oct | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) | 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) |
| Nov | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) | 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) |
| Dec | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) |
Data:
National Center for Meteorology,
MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology
Can you move from Saudi Arabia to Switzerland?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Saudi Arabia and Switzerland. To live, work, or study long-term in Switzerland, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Switzerland's immigration authority.
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting Switzerland
Visa Required
Switzerland 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 Switzerland than Saudi Arabia?
No — Switzerland is on average about 159% more expensive than Saudi Arabia. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Switzerland?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly CHF39,750 in Switzerland on a SAR280,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Switzerland?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Switzerland has 47.0 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 Switzerland safe for expats?
Switzerland performs significantly better than Saudi Arabia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Switzerland is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.9 in Saudi Arabia.
How is healthcare in Switzerland compared to Saudi Arabia?
Switzerland 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 Switzerland, compared to 34.1 in Saudi Arabia. Switzerland scores 86 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Saudi Arabia: 74).
What's the weather like in Switzerland compared to Saudi Arabia?
The average high temperature in Zurich is 55°F, compared to 92°F in Riyadh. Zurich receives around 42.8 in of rainfall per year, while Riyadh gets 4.4 in.
What language do they speak in Switzerland?
The official languages in Switzerland are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German. In Saudi Arabia, the official language is Arabic.
