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 2.2 times more expensive than Saudi Arabia overall. A SAR281,786 salary in Saudi Arabia would need to be roughly £85,948 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.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Saudi Arabia to United Kingdom.
What does your salary buy?
SAR281,786 → £85,948
To maintain the same standard of living in United Kingdom
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 3.4 times more
Groceries
pay 34.4% more
Transportation
pay 2.1 times more
Housing
pay 2.2 times more
Childcare
pay 3.7 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 70.0% 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 United Kingdom cost about 37% 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
United Kingdom 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
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 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
United Kingdom generally does better on employment & economy, though Saudi Arabia leads in top income tax rate.
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 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 | 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 OfficeVisitor Visa Requirements
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 54% 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 SAR281,786 comparable salary, that's around £21,487 in United Kingdom for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from United Kingdom?
With 41.4 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 1.0 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Saudi Arabia.
How is healthcare in United Kingdom compared to Saudi Arabia?
United Kingdom generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 31.7 doctors per 10,000 people in United Kingdom, compared to 30.8 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.
