Moving to Saudi Arabia from South Africa
What to Expect
Considering a move from South Africa to Saudi Arabia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from South Africa to Saudi Arabia, you would find that Saudi Arabia is 11.7% more expensive than South Africa overall. A ZAR1,200,000 salary in South Africa would need to be roughly SAR305,000 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. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Riyadh averages 92°F vs 77°F in Pretoria, making it significantly warmer.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between South Africa and Saudi Arabia.
What does your salary buy?
ZAR1,200,000 → SAR305,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Saudi Arabia
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 24.0% less
Groceries
pay 7.2% more
Transportation
pay 22.0% less
Housing
pay 25.9% more
Childcare
pay 91.5% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 81.6% 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 Saudi Arabia cost about 26% more than cities in South Africa.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Saudi Arabia compared to South Africa.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Saudi Arabia performs significantly better than South Africa 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
Saudi Arabia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa 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
South Africa 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
share of households with internet
Saudi Arabia generally does better on infrastructure, though South Africa 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 significantly better than South Africa 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
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Saudi Arabia generally does better on family life, though South Africa leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), South African Revenue Service (2017), Department of Zakat and Income Tax (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Pretoria | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 79°/60°F (26°/15°C) | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) |
View all months
| Month | Pretoria | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C) | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) |
| Feb | 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C) | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) |
| Mar | 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C) | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) |
| Apr | 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C) | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) |
| May | 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C) | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) |
| Jun | 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C) | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) |
| Jul | 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C) | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) |
| Aug | 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C) | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) |
| Sep | 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C) | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) |
| Oct | 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C) | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) |
| Nov | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) |
| Dec | 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) |
Data:
South African Weather Service,
National Center for Meteorology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between South Africa 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.
South Africa passport holder visiting Saudi Arabia
Visa on Arrival
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting South Africa
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 South Africa?
On average Saudi Arabia is around 12% pricier than South Africa, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Saudi Arabia?
Budget about SAR76,250 for 3 months in Saudi Arabia (based on a ZAR1,200,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Saudi Arabia?
Connectivity is usually fine (Saudi Arabia: 44.1 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Saudi Arabia offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Saudi Arabia safe for expats?
Saudi Arabia performs significantly better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Saudi Arabia is 0.9 per 100,000 people, compared to 43.7 in South Africa.
How is healthcare in Saudi Arabia compared to South Africa?
Saudi Arabia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 34.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Saudi Arabia, compared to 7.9 in South Africa. Saudi Arabia scores 74 on the WHO universal health coverage index (South Africa: 71).
What's the weather like in Saudi Arabia compared to South Africa?
The average high temperature in Riyadh is 92°F, compared to 77°F in Pretoria. Riyadh receives around 4.4 in of rainfall per year, while Pretoria gets 27.0 in.
What language do they speak in Saudi Arabia?
The official language in Saudi Arabia is Arabic. In South Africa, the official languages are Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu.
Compare further: South Africa vs. Saudi Arabia
At a Glance
ZA
|
SA
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 64,747,319 | 36,973,555 |
| Currency | South African Rand (ZAR) | Saudi Riyal (SAR) |
| Languages | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu | Arabic |
| Driving side | Left | Right |
| Calling code | +27 | +966 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 10111 | 911 |