Moving to Yemen from Saudi Arabia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Saudi Arabia to Yemen? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Saudi Arabia to Yemen, you would find that Yemen is 22.3% more expensive than Saudi Arabia overall. A SAR281,786 salary in Saudi Arabia would need to be roughly YER15,948,056 in Yemen to maintain the same lifestyle.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
What does your salary buy?
SAR281,786 → YER15,948,056
To maintain the same standard of living in Yemen
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 75.6% more
Groceries
pay 61.3% more
Transportation
pay 2.3 times more
Housing
pay 34.1% less
Childcare
pay 71.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 24.6% 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.
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Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Yemen compared to Saudi Arabia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Saudi Arabia performs better than Yemen 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
Yemen generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Saudi Arabia generally does better on environment, though Yemen leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
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 Yemen 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 Yemen 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Saudi Arabia performs better than Yemen across all family life metrics.
Data: Department of Zakat and Income Tax, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Saudi Arabia and Yemen. To live, work, or study long-term in Yemen, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Yemen's immigration authority.
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting Yemen
Visa on Arrival
Yemen passport holder visiting Saudi Arabia
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Yemen than Saudi Arabia?
On average Yemen is about 11% less expensive than Saudi Arabia, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Yemen?
Budget about YER3,987,014 for 3 months in Yemen (based on a SAR281,786 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Yemen?
Connectivity is usually fine (Yemen: 1.4 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Yemen offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Yemen safe for expats?
Saudi Arabia performs better than Yemen across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Yemen is 6.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Saudi Arabia.
How is healthcare in Yemen compared to Saudi Arabia?
Yemen generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 2.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Yemen, compared to 30.8 in Saudi Arabia. Yemen scores 42 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Saudi Arabia: 74).
What language do they speak in Yemen?
Both Saudi Arabia and Yemen share the same official language: Arabic.
