Moving to Saudi Arabia from South Korea
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from South Korea to Saudi Arabia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from South Korea to Saudi Arabia, you would find that Saudi Arabia is 2.7% more expensive than South Korea overall. A ₩113,056,500 salary in South Korea would need to be roughly SAR258,139 in Saudi Arabia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Arabic. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Riyadh averages 92°F vs 63°F in Seoul, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from South Korea to Saudi Arabia.
What does your salary buy?
₩113,056,500 → SAR258,139
To maintain the same standard of living in Saudi Arabia
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 20.4% less
Groceries
pay 44.8% less
Transportation
pay 12.5% more
Housing
pay 51.9% more
Childcare
pay 32.1% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 55.3% 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.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How South Korea 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
South Korea 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 South Korea 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
South Korea 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
South Korea 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
South Korea 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
South Korea generally does better on family life, though Saudi Arabia leads in education spending.
Data: National Tax Service, South Korea, 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 | Seoul | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 43°/28°F (6°/-2°C) | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/56°F (23°/13°C) | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 83°/70°F (28°/21°C) | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 54°/38°F (12°/4°C) | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) |
View all months
| Month | Seoul | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.5°C) | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) |
| Feb | 41°/26°F (5.1°/-3.2°C) | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) |
| Mar | 52°/35°F (11.0°/1.9°C) | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) |
| Apr | 64°/46°F (17.9°/8.0°C) | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) |
| May | 74°/56°F (23.6°/13.5°C) | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) |
| Jun | 82°/66°F (27.6°/18.7°C) | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) |
| Jul | 84°/72°F (29.0°/22.3°C) | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) |
| Aug | 86°/73°F (30.0°/22.9°C) | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) |
| Sep | 79°/64°F (26.2°/17.7°C) | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) |
| Oct | 68°/51°F (20.2°/10.6°C) | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) |
| Nov | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.5°C) | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) |
| Dec | 40°/26°F (4.2°/-3.4°C) | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) |
Data:
Korea Meteorological Administration,
National Center for Meteorology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between South Korea 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 Korea passport holder visiting Saudi Arabia
Visa on Arrival
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting South Korea
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: 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 Korea?
Generally yes: Saudi Arabia runs about 9% cheaper than South Korea 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 ₩113,056,500 comparable salary, that's around SAR64,535 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 South Korea and Saudi Arabia.
Is Saudi Arabia safe for expats?
South Korea performs better than Saudi Arabia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Saudi Arabia is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.5 in South Korea.
How is healthcare in Saudi Arabia compared to South Korea?
Saudi Arabia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Korea leads in health coverage index. There are 30.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Saudi Arabia, compared to 25.2 in South Korea. Saudi Arabia scores 74 on the WHO universal health coverage index (South Korea: 89).
What's the weather like in Saudi Arabia compared to South Korea?
The average high temperature in Riyadh is 92°F, compared to 63°F in Seoul. Riyadh receives around 4.4 in of rainfall per year, while Seoul gets 55.8 in.
What language do they speak in Saudi Arabia?
The official language in Saudi Arabia is Arabic. In South Korea, the official language is Korean.
