Moving to Saudi Arabia from Sri Lanka
What to Expect
Considering a move from Sri Lanka to Saudi Arabia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Sri Lanka to Saudi Arabia, you would find that Saudi Arabia is 3.7 times more expensive than Sri Lanka overall. A LKR25,173,710 salary in Sri Lanka would need to be roughly SAR423,351 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.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia.
What does your salary buy?
LKR25,173,710 → SAR423,351
To maintain the same standard of living in Saudi Arabia
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 13.2% more
Groceries
pay 19.7% more
Transportation
pay 2.8 times more
Housing
pay 3.1 times more
Childcare
pay 12.1 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 3.2 times 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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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Sri Lanka to Saudi Arabia.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Saudi Arabia compared to Sri Lanka.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Sri Lanka generally does better on safety, though Saudi Arabia leads in homicide rate.
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 Sri Lanka 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
Sri Lanka 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 Sri Lanka 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 Sri Lanka 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
Sri Lanka generally does better on family life, though Saudi Arabia leads in education spending.
Data: Sri Lanka Inland Revenue Department, 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 | Colombo | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 88°/73°F (31°/23°C) | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 88°/77°F (31°/25°C) | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/77°F (30°/25°C) | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 86°/74°F (30°/23°C) | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) |
View all months
| Month | Colombo | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 88°/72°F (30.9°/22.3°C) | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) |
| Feb | 88°/73°F (31.2°/22.6°C) | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) |
| Mar | 89°/75°F (31.7°/23.7°C) | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) |
| Apr | 89°/76°F (31.8°/24.6°C) | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) |
| May | 88°/78°F (31.1°/25.5°C) | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) |
| Jun | 87°/78°F (30.4°/25.5°C) | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) |
| Jul | 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.2°C) | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) |
| Aug | 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.1°C) | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) |
| Sep | 86°/77°F (30.2°/24.8°C) | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) |
| Oct | 86°/75°F (30.0°/24.0°C) | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) |
| Nov | 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.2°C) | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) |
| Dec | 87°/73°F (30.3°/22.8°C) | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) |
Data:
National Meteorological Centre,
National Center for Meteorology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Sri Lanka 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.
Sri Lanka passport holder visiting Saudi Arabia
Visa Required
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting Sri Lanka
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 Sri Lanka?
On average Saudi Arabia is around 50% pricier than Sri Lanka, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Saudi Arabia?
Budget about SAR105,838 for 3 months in Saudi Arabia (based on a LKR25,173,710 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: 37.0 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?
Sri Lanka generally does better on safety, though Saudi Arabia leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Saudi Arabia is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 3.4 in Sri Lanka.
How is healthcare in Saudi Arabia compared to Sri Lanka?
Saudi Arabia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sri Lanka leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 30.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Saudi Arabia, compared to 11.9 in Sri Lanka. Saudi Arabia scores 74 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Sri Lanka: 67).
What's the weather like in Saudi Arabia compared to Sri Lanka?
The average high temperature in Riyadh is 92°F, compared to 87°F in Colombo. Riyadh receives around 4.4 in of rainfall per year, while Colombo gets 99.4 in.
What language do they speak in Saudi Arabia?
The official language in Saudi Arabia is Arabic. In Sri Lanka, the official languages are Sinhala and Tamil.
