Moving to Saudi Arabia from Tunisia

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Tunisia to Saudi Arabia — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Tunisia to Saudi Arabia, you would find that Saudi Arabia is 2.1 times more expensive than Tunisia overall. A TND220,000 salary in Tunisia would need to be roughly SAR581,000 in Saudi Arabia to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Riyadh averages 92°F vs 74°F in Tunis, making it significantly warmer.

Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓

How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Tunisia to Saudi Arabia.

What does your salary buy?

TND220,000 → SAR581,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Saudi Arabia

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 49.2% more

Groceries

pay 57.8% more

Transportation

pay 56.0% more

Housing

pay 3.1 times more

Childcare

pay 4.3 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.6 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 TND = 1.26 SAR (October 2026)

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 43% more than cities in Tunisia.

Tunisia

Nabul 40%
Tunis ★ 37%
Monastir 36%
Ben Arous 34%
Hammamet 33%

Saudi Arabia

Mecca 50%

Compare cities head-to-head

Get free moving quotes to Saudi Arabia

We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.

  • ✅ Up to 5 quotes from screened movers
  • ✅ Licensed and insured providers only
  • ✅ 100% free — you choose who contacts you

Key Indicator Comparison

How Tunisia and Saudi Arabia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2020

per 100,000 people per year

TN
4.7
SA
0.9
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

TN
16.3
SA
18.5

Tunisia generally does better on safety, though Saudi Arabia leads in homicide rate.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

TN
$1,113
SA
$3,475
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

TN
13.2
SA
34.1

Saudi Arabia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Tunisia leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

TN
55.0
SA
91.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

TN
2.6t
SA
18.5t

Tunisia performs better than Saudi Arabia across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

TN
15.0
SA
44.1
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

TN
98.1%
SA
974.2%

Saudi Arabia generally does better on infrastructure, though Tunisia leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

TN
15.1%
SA
3.0%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

TN
$4,657
SA
$34,537

Saudi Arabia performs significantly better than Tunisia across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

TN
76.7 yrs
SA
79.0 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

TN
9.7
SA
4.7

Saudi Arabia generally does better on family life, though Tunisia leads in education spending.

Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), La Direction Générale des Impôts, Ministère des Finances (2016), Department of Zakat and Income Tax (2016). How we calculate this

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Tunis Rain: 18.3 in/yr (466 mm)
74° / 56°F

Avg. annual high / low

Riyadh Rain: 4.4 in/yr (111 mm)
92° / 64°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Tunis Riyadh
Jan–Mar 62°/46°F (17°/8°C) 75°/50°F (24°/10°C)
Apr–Jun 77°/57°F (25°/14°C) 101°/72°F (38°/22°C)
Jul–Sep 89°/68°F (32°/20°C) 109°/77°F (43°/25°C)
Oct–Dec 69°/53°F (21°/12°C) 84°/56°F (29°/13°C)
View all months
Month Tunis Riyadh
Jan 60°/45°F (15.7°/7.2°C) 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C)
Feb 62°/45°F (16.5°/7.4°C) 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C)
Mar 65°/47°F (18.1°/8.3°C) 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C)
Apr 69°/51°F (20.7°/10.4°C) 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C)
May 77°/57°F (24.9°/13.7°C) 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C)
Jun 84°/63°F (29.0°/17.3°C) 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C)
Jul 91°/68°F (32.6°/20.0°C) 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C)
Aug 91°/69°F (32.7°/20.8°C) 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C)
Sep 85°/66°F (29.7°/19.0°C) 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C)
Oct 77°/60°F (25.2°/15.5°C) 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C)
Nov 69°/52°F (20.5°/11.3°C) 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C)
Dec 62°/47°F (16.7°/8.2°C) 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C)

Data: National Center for Meteorology National Center for Meteorology

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Tunisia 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.

Tunisia passport

Tunisia passport holder visiting Saudi Arabia

Visa Required
Tunisia passport holders need a visa to enter Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia passport

Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting Tunisia

Visa Free
Saudi Arabia passport holders can enter Tunisia without a visa.

Data: 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 Tunisia?

Day-to-day costs in Saudi Arabia run about 110% higher than Tunisia on average; specific cities can swing further.

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 TND220,000 comparable salary, that's around SAR145,250 in Saudi Arabia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Saudi Arabia?

With 44.1 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 Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.

Is Saudi Arabia safe for expats?

Tunisia generally does better on safety, though Saudi Arabia leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Saudi Arabia is 0.9 per 100,000 people, compared to 4.7 in Tunisia.

How is healthcare in Saudi Arabia compared to Tunisia?

Saudi Arabia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Tunisia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 34.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Saudi Arabia, compared to 13.2 in Tunisia. Saudi Arabia scores 74 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Tunisia: 67).

What's the weather like in Saudi Arabia compared to Tunisia?

The average high temperature in Riyadh is 92°F, compared to 74°F in Tunis. Riyadh receives around 4.4 in of rainfall per year, while Tunis gets 18.3 in.

What language do they speak in Saudi Arabia?

Both Tunisia and Saudi Arabia share the same official language: Arabic.

Share this

At a Glance

TN SA
Population 12,348,573 36,973,555
Currency Tunisian Dinar (TND) Saudi Riyal (SAR)
Languages Arabic Arabic
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +216 +966
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 197 911