Living in Saudi Arabia: cost of living, rents and the salary you need
Updated 2 October 2026
How much do you need to earn to live in Saudi Arabia? Here are rents in the main cities, the minimum wage, healthcare, residence permits and moving costs, with the official source of every figure. For your own case, the calculator starts from your real budget, in your city, and moves it to Saudi Arabia.
Work out my budget in Saudi Arabia
Example: the same life, elsewhere
A single person living in London in a one-bedroom home, with the average spending of a similar household, spends about £3,350 a month. To keep the same life in Riyadh, they would need about SAR 5,250 (≈ €1,230) net a month locally (−69%).
For a couple with two children in a two-bedroom home (private or international school), it would take about SAR 18,700 (≈ €4,380) net a month in Riyadh.
Calculated on 2 October 2026 with the official averages of London and the destination’s prices. Yours depends on your city, home and habits: the calculator works it out in a few minutes, no sign-up.
Rents in Saudi Arabia
| City | Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3-bedroom house | 1 bedroom in euros |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riyadh | SAR 2,330 | SAR 2,330 | SAR 3,990 | SAR 5,420 | €550 |
Monthly rent in SAR, outside the most sought-after areas. Studio 28 m², 1 bedroom 45 m², 2 bedrooms 65 m², house 95 m² where rent is known per m². Global Property Guide, Saudi Arabia rental yields for Q1 2026: median asking rents of flats in Riyadh (Bayut data), converted to riyals ($1 = SAR 3.75) (Q1 2026).
Wages
No legal minimum wage for expatriates here.
Average wage: SAR 5,800 (≈ €1,360) gross a month.
Healthcare
Your employer must insure you and your family with an insurer approved by the Council of Health Insurance (CHI): check what your contract’s plan covers.
In the example above: your employer must insure you and your family (compulsory health insurance): nothing to pay yourself.
Visa and residence permit
The employer applies and pays for your work visa, then your residence card (iqama). Your family joins you on a family visa: you pay their residence cards and the dependants’ fee of SAR 400 a month per person.
Cost: SAR 650 (≈ €150) per person.
One-year residence card (iqama) for the family; the employee’s is paid by the employer.
There is no visa to live on income from abroad: you need a local job, unless your nationality is exempt.
Moving in and everyday life
- Deposit
- 5% of the yearly rent
- Agency fees
- 2.5% of the yearly rent
- School
- Private or international school: about SAR 39,600 (≈ €9,310) a year
- Electricity
- SAR 0.18 per kWh
- Getting around without a car
- Darb: SAR 140 a month per adult
- Home cleaning
- SAR 40 an hour
Frequently asked questions
What salary do you need to live in Riyadh?
For a single person keeping the same life as in London: about SAR 5,250 (≈ €1,230) net a month.
How much is rent in Riyadh?
About SAR 2,330 (≈ €550) a month for a one-bedroom home and SAR 3,990 for a two-bedroom home, according to Global Property Guide, Saudi Arabia rental yields for Q1 2026.
Do you need a residence permit to live in Saudi Arabia?
The employer applies and pays for your work visa, then your residence card (iqama). Your family joins you on a family visa: you pay their residence cards and the dependants’ fee of SAR 400 a month per person. Cost: SAR 650 (≈ €150) per person.
Work out my budget in Saudi Arabia
Sources
- Global Property Guide, Saudi Arabia rental yields for Q1 2026: median asking rents of flats in Riyadh (Bayut data), converted to riyals ($1 = SAR 3.75)
- GASTAT, labour market statistics, Q4 2025: average monthly wage of all employees, of which SAR 4,131 for non-Saudis
- Council of Health Insurance (CHI): employers insure foreign employees and their families; Expatica — basic plans of SAR 2,000 to 5,000 a year
- Employsome — iqama in 2026: SAR 650 a year, work permit paid by the employer (Labour Law article 40)
- Ejar standard contract: the security deposit may not exceed 5% of the lease value
- Real Estate Brokerage Law (REGA): commission of 2.5% of the first year’s rent
- Doris — international school fees in Riyadh, 2026
- Electricity regulator: residential tariff of 18 halalas per kWh up to 6,000 kWh a month, reported by the Saudi Gazette
- Riyadh Metro — 30-day regular-class pass, metro and buses
- Urban Company — hourly cleaning in Riyadh, 2026
- Saudi Central Bank, SAMA peg: $1 = 3.75 SAR, and ECB for the dollar