Moving to Saudi Arabia from United Arab Emirates
What to Expect
Considering a move from United Arab Emirates to Saudi Arabia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from United Arab Emirates to Saudi Arabia, you would find that Saudi Arabia is 27.9% cheaper than United Arab Emirates overall. A AED280,000 salary in United Arab Emirates would need to be roughly SAR206,000 in Saudi Arabia to maintain the same lifestyle.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Saudi Arabia cheaper than United Arab Emirates?
How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 22.4% less
Groceries
pay 0.9% more
Transportation
pay 2.5% less
Housing
pay 53.3% less
Childcare
pay 4.5% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 25.3% 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.
What salary do you need in Saudi Arabia?
What does your salary buy?
AED280,000 → SAR206,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Saudi Arabia
Calculate with your salary →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 3% more than cities in United Arab Emirates.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Saudi Arabia compared to United Arab Emirates.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
United Arab Emirates 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
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Saudi Arabia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United Arab Emirates 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
United Arab Emirates 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
United Arab Emirates generally does better on infrastructure, though Saudi Arabia leads in broadband per 100 people.
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
United Arab Emirates performs better than Saudi Arabia 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
United Arab Emirates generally does better on family life, though Saudi Arabia leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Ministry of Finance (2016), Department of Zakat and Income Tax (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Saudi Arabia vs United Arab Emirates
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Dubai | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 78°/59°F (26°/15°C) | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 97°/74°F (36°/23°C) | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 104°/83°F (40°/28°C) | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 87°/66°F (31°/19°C) | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) |
View all months
| Month | Dubai | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 75°/57°F (24.0°/13.7°C) | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) |
| Feb | 76°/58°F (24.6°/14.5°C) | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) |
| Mar | 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) |
| Apr | 90°/68°F (32.4°/20.1°C) | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) |
| May | 98°/74°F (36.8°/23.5°C) | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) |
| Jun | 102°/79°F (38.8°/26.1°C) | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) |
| Jul | 105°/84°F (40.6°/28.9°C) | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) |
| Aug | 105°/85°F (40.4°/29.3°C) | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) |
| Sep | 102°/79°F (38.7°/26.3°C) | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) |
| Oct | 95°/73°F (35.1°/22.7°C) | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) |
| Nov | 87°/65°F (30.5°/18.3°C) | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) |
| Dec | 79°/60°F (26.2°/15.4°C) | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) |
National Center for MeteorologyCan you move from United Arab Emirates to Saudi Arabia?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between United Arab Emirates 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.
United Arab Emirates passport holder visiting Saudi Arabia
Visa Free
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting United Arab Emirates
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 United Arab Emirates?
On average Saudi Arabia is about 28% less expensive than United Arab Emirates, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Saudi Arabia?
Budget about SAR51,500 for 3 months in Saudi Arabia (based on a AED280,000 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?
United Arab Emirates performs better than Saudi Arabia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Saudi Arabia is 0.9 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in United Arab Emirates.
How is healthcare in Saudi Arabia compared to United Arab Emirates?
Saudi Arabia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United Arab Emirates leads in health coverage index. There are 34.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Saudi Arabia, compared to 29.9 in United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia scores 74 on the WHO universal health coverage index (United Arab Emirates: 82).
What's the weather like in Saudi Arabia compared to United Arab Emirates?
The average high temperature in Riyadh is 92°F, compared to 91°F in Dubai. Riyadh receives around 4.4 in of rainfall per year, while Dubai gets 3.7 in.
What language do they speak in Saudi Arabia?
Both United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia share the same official language: Arabic.
