Moving to
Saudi Arabia
Moving to Saudi Arabia: one person needs about $1,500/month in Riyadh (a family about $3,800), the top personal income-tax rate is 0% — roughly $60,000 take-home on a $60,000 salary — and there is no dedicated digital-nomad visa.
Riyadh is the frontier of the Gulf right now: Vision 2030 has flooded the capital with jobs, giga-projects, and reforms (cinemas, concerts, women driving) unthinkable a decade ago, and salaries are high and tax-free. It's still deeply conservative and far less cosmopolitan than Dubai, summers scorch, and social life is limited, but the money and the sense of a country visibly transforming draw ambitious professionals.
Last updated August 2026 · How we calculate this
Saudi Arabia by the numbers
Relative scores across cost, safety, healthcare, quality of life and connectivity (higher is better).
Why move to Saudi Arabia
- Zero income tax, big salaries
- Booming Vision 2030 job market
- Extremely low crime
The catch
- Very conservative, restrictive social life
- Extreme summer heat
- Alcohol banned, limited entertainment
Take-home pay
Net salary in Saudi Arabia on a $60k gross, after income tax and social security:
No personal income tax; GOSI social contributions apply to Saudi nationals, not foreign employees.
Cost of living · Riyadh
Average all-in monthly cost in USD — estimates for guidance.
Compare cities →Visa & residency
No nomad visa; options are the employer work visa or the Premium Residency ('green card').
There's no nomad visa, so the standard route is employer-sponsored work residency (Iqama); the Premium Residency ('Saudi Green Card') offers self-sponsored stay for about SAR 100k/year, or a one-time SAR 800k for permanent residency, plus property, investment, and talent categories.
How can I move here? → Where can my passport go? →Economy & everyday life
High purchasing power — GDP-per-capita PPP near $73,800 — and no personal income tax means salaries land in full, though 15% VAT and rising Riyadh rents trim the edge. Inflation is controlled at roughly 2.1%, so costs stay stable; the expat package still makes or breaks the math. Life expectancy is 79; public healthcare is strong but reserved mainly for citizens, so employers are legally required to provide private cover and expats use private hospitals throughout.
Healthcare
World Bank data, most recent available — shows how well the system is resourced, not what you'll personally pay.
Safety
US State Department advisory level, country-wide — general guidance, not neighbourhood-specific. Full advisory →
Education
World Bank data, most recent available — learning score reflects harmonised international test performance.
Connectivity
World Bank data, most recent available.
Best time to go
Full climate →Average daily temperature by month · 2023 (Open-Meteo).
Where expats live in Saudi Arabia
Cost of living by city
All cities →All-in monthly cost for one person — tap a city for the full breakdown. Figures are averages, for guidance.
Living in Saudi Arabia
Healthcare
Modern private hospitals in Riyadh and Jeddah are high quality, employers provide mandatory health insurance, and care is excellent within the private network though costly otherwise.
Money & banking
A residence permit (Iqama) is normally required to open a local account (SNB, Al Rajhi); until it's issued newcomers use foreign cards, and the riyal is pegged to the dollar.
Internet
Fast and widespread, with strong 5G and fiber in the cities; some apps were historically throttled but are largely open now, and coworking is growing though most work from offices.
Etiquette & culture
Greetings, tipping and the taboos to dodge — fit in fast. Open the guide →
On arrival
Full essentials →Getting there
Flight distances →Riyadh (RUH) and Jeddah (JED) are large, fast-growing hubs with dense Gulf, Asian, and European links, and new long-haul routes are being added aggressively — getting in and out is straightforward.
Very low crime and safe day-to-day, with a conservative legal environment.
Dial 911 for police, ambulance or fire.
Best for career-driven professionals who want tax-free earnings and a front-row seat to a fast-changing Gulf state.
Your move to Saudi Arabia — roadmap
Key terms
- Effective tax rate
- The share of your gross income actually lost to income tax and social contributions combined — almost always lower than the headline top tax bracket.
- Take-home pay
- What actually reaches your account after income tax and employee social contributions are taken off your gross salary.
- Tax residency
- The country entitled to tax your worldwide income — usually where you spend 183 days or more in a year, though the exact test varies by country.
- Permanent residency
- The right to live and work in a country indefinitely — the stage before citizenship, and those years usually count toward naturalization.
- Cost of living
- The all-in monthly spend for one person — rent, food, transport and bills — in the country's main relocation city.
Moving to Saudi Arabia — FAQ
Is there income tax in Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia charges no personal income tax on employment income. No personal income tax; GOSI social contributions apply to Saudi nationals, not foreign employees.
Can digital nomads get a visa for Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia has no dedicated digital-nomad visa. No nomad visa; options are the employer work visa or the Premium Residency ('green card').
How do you get residency in Saudi Arabia?
There's no nomad visa, so the standard route is employer-sponsored work residency (Iqama); the Premium Residency ('Saudi Green Card') offers self-sponsored stay for about SAR 100k/year, or a one-time SAR 800k for permanent residency, plus property, investment, and talent categories.
How much does it cost to live in Riyadh?
A single person needs roughly $1,500/month in Riyadh, and a family around $3,800/month, all-in.
Is tap water safe to drink in Saudi Arabia?
Locals often drink it, but newcomers may prefer filtered or bottled water.