Moving to United Kingdom from Saudi Arabia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Saudi Arabia to United Kingdom — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Saudi Arabia to United Kingdom, you would find that United Kingdom is 82.7% more expensive than Saudi Arabia overall. A SAR280,000 salary in Saudi Arabia would need to be roughly £102,000 in United Kingdom to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — London averages 60°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 United Kingdom cheaper than Saudi Arabia?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 2.6 times more
Groceries
pay 30.0% more
Transportation
pay 87.1% more
Housing
pay 2.2 times more
Childcare
pay 3.2 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 26.3% 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 United Kingdom?
What does your salary buy?
SAR280,000 → £102,000
To maintain the same standard of living in United Kingdom
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 United Kingdom cost about 38% 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 United Kingdom, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Saudi Arabia and United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom 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
Saudi Arabia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United Kingdom leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom 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
United Kingdom 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), HM Revenue & Customs (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in United Kingdom vs Saudi Arabia
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Riyadh | London |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) | 49°/38°F (9°/3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) | 64°/48°F (18°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) | 72°/56°F (22°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) | 53°/43°F (12°/6°C) |
View all months
| Month | Riyadh | London |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) | 47°/38°F (8.1°/3.1°C) |
| Feb | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) | 47°/37°F (8.6°/2.7°C) |
| Mar | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) | 53°/40°F (11.6°/4.6°C) |
| Apr | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) | 58°/43°F (14.6°/5.9°C) |
| May | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) | 65°/48°F (18.1°/8.9°C) |
| Jun | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) | 70°/53°F (21.0°/11.8°C) |
| Jul | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) | 74°/57°F (23.4°/13.7°C) |
| Aug | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) | 74°/57°F (23.1°/13.8°C) |
| Sep | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) | 68°/53°F (20.0°/11.4°C) |
| Oct | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) | 60°/48°F (15.5°/8.8°C) |
| Nov | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) | 52°/42°F (11.3°/5.8°C) |
| Dec | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) | 47°/38°F (8.4°/3.4°C) |
National Center for Meteorology
Met OfficeCan you move from Saudi Arabia to United Kingdom?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Saudi Arabia and United Kingdom. To live, work, or study long-term in United Kingdom, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United Kingdom's immigration authority.
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting United Kingdom
Electronic Travel Authorisation
United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom than Saudi Arabia?
Day-to-day costs in United Kingdom run about 83% higher than Saudi Arabia on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to United Kingdom?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a SAR280,000 comparable salary, that's around £25,500 in United Kingdom for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from United Kingdom?
With 42.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom.
Is United Kingdom safe for expats?
Saudi Arabia generally does better on safety, though United Kingdom leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in United Kingdom is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.9 in Saudi Arabia.
How is healthcare in United Kingdom compared to Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United Kingdom leads in health coverage index. There are 33.0 doctors per 10,000 people in United Kingdom, compared to 34.1 in Saudi Arabia. United Kingdom scores 88 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Saudi Arabia: 74).
What's the weather like in United Kingdom compared to Saudi Arabia?
The average high temperature in London is 60°F, compared to 92°F in Riyadh. London receives around 22.0 in of rainfall per year, while Riyadh gets 4.4 in.
What language do they speak in United Kingdom?
The official language in United Kingdom is English. In Saudi Arabia, the official language is Arabic.
