Moving to Saudi Arabia from Singapore
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Singapore to Saudi Arabia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Singapore to Saudi Arabia, you would find that Saudi Arabia is 36.9% cheaper than Singapore overall. A SGD95,760 salary in Singapore would need to be roughly SAR92,029 in Saudi Arabia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Arabic. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Singapore to Saudi Arabia.
What does your salary buy?
SGD95,760 → SAR92,029
To maintain the same standard of living in Saudi Arabia
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 53.7% less
Groceries
pay 44.4% less
Transportation
pay 30.5% less
Housing
pay 18.9% less
Childcare
pay 74.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 20.6% 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
How Singapore and Saudi Arabia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Singapore performs 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
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Saudi Arabia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Singapore 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
Singapore performs 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
Singapore generally does better on infrastructure, though Saudi Arabia leads in electricity per capita.
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
Singapore 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Singapore generally does better on family life, though Saudi Arabia leads in education spending.
Data: Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore, 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 | Singapore | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 89°/76°F (31°/25°C) | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 90°/78°F (32°/26°C) | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 89°/78°F (31°/25°C) | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 88°/76°F (31°/25°C) | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) |
View all months
| Month | Singapore | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 87°/76°F (30.6°/24.3°C) | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) |
| Feb | 89°/76°F (31.5°/24.6°C) | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) |
| Mar | 90°/77°F (32.2°/24.9°C) | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) |
| Apr | 90°/78°F (32.4°/25.3°C) | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) |
| May | 90°/78°F (32.3°/25.7°C) | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) |
| Jun | 89°/78°F (31.9°/25.7°C) | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) |
| Jul | 89°/78°F (31.4°/25.4°C) | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) |
| Aug | 89°/78°F (31.4°/25.3°C) | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) |
| Sep | 89°/77°F (31.6°/25.2°C) | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) |
| Oct | 89°/77°F (31.8°/25.0°C) | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) |
| Nov | 88°/76°F (31.2°/24.6°C) | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) |
| Dec | 87°/76°F (30.5°/24.3°C) | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) |
Data:
Meteorological Service Singapore,
National Center for Meteorology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Singapore and Saudi Arabia. To live, work, or study long-term in Saudi Arabia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Saudi Arabia's immigration authority.
Singapore passport holder visiting Saudi Arabia
Visa on Arrival
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting Singapore
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Saudi Arabia than Singapore?
Generally yes: Saudi Arabia runs about 67% cheaper than Singapore on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Saudi Arabia?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a SGD95,760 comparable salary, that's around SAR23,007 in Saudi Arabia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Saudi Arabia?
With 37.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Saudi Arabia can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Singapore and Saudi Arabia.
Is Saudi Arabia safe for expats?
Singapore performs better than Saudi Arabia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Saudi Arabia is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.1 in Singapore.
How is healthcare in Saudi Arabia compared to Singapore?
Saudi Arabia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Singapore leads in health coverage index. There are 30.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Saudi Arabia, compared to 26.0 in Singapore. Saudi Arabia scores 74 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Singapore: 89).
What's the weather like in Saudi Arabia compared to Singapore?
The average high temperature in Riyadh is 92°F, compared to 89°F in Singapore. Riyadh receives around 4.4 in of rainfall per year, while Singapore gets 83.2 in.
What language do they speak in Saudi Arabia?
The official language in Saudi Arabia is Arabic. In Singapore, the official languages are Chinese, English, Malay and Tamil.
