Living in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Jeddah is a large coastal city in Mecca Region, Saudi Arabia (1 to 5 million people in the city proper). It has a warm climate, averaging 28°C over the year with about 88 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €3,073 a month to live centrally, and Saudi Arabia sits in our zero or very low tax tier. For citizens from outside the Gulf Cooperation Council states, long-term residency in Saudi Arabia is possible, with conditions.
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- Est. cost
- €3,073
- a month for a couple
- Tax tier
- Zero or very low
- personal income tax
- Climate
- 28°C
- 88 mm rain a year
- Size
- Large
- 1 to 5 million people
- Safety
- 80/100
- country-level
- Internet
- ~130 Mbps
- median fixed broadband
- Residency
- Possible, with conditions
- outside free-movement blocs
What stands out about Jeddah
- No or very low personal income tax
- Warmer than 98% of the cities we track
- Safer than 95% of the cities we compare
- Dry: about 88 mm of rain a year
- On or near the sea
Taxes
Saudi Arabia sits in our zero or very low tax tier: little to no personal income tax. We use three tiers (zero or very low, low to medium, high) and apply them to every city in the country.
Source: OurNextCity tax tiers, assigned by hand from each country's top marginal personal income tax rate and overall tax reputation, with no fixed rate cut-offs. Country-level and coarse by design; not tax advice.
Climate
Jeddah averages 28°C across the year with about 88 mm of rain, which makes it warm and very dry. It is warmer than 98% of the 1225 cities we track, and it sits on the coast.
Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.
Safety and stability
Saudi Arabia scores 80 out of 100 on safety, safer than 95% of the cities we compare. Its EIU Democracy Index score is 2.1 out of 10.
Source: Our own country-level safety estimate (0 to 100, higher is safer), shared by every city in Saudi Arabia. Stability: EIU Democracy Index.
Residency and visas
Possible, with conditions, for people from outside the Gulf Cooperation Council states. Long-term residency is realistic mainly through the Premium Residency ('Saudi green card') program, either as a one-time flat fee for permanent status or via asset-based investor, real-estate-owner, entrepreneur, and special-talent categories, all without a local sponsor; there is no passive-income or means-tested route, and the ordinary work iqama needs an employer sponsor (SAR pegged at 3.75/USD).
Citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council states have freedom-of-movement or simplified residency rights here.
It is harder for citizens of Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.
The cheapest self-funded routes we track for Saudi Arabia:
- Investment: about $213k (Saudi Premium Residency unlimited-duration (permanent) product, one-time fee SAR 800,000; a limited-duration alternative runs SAR 100,000/yr and the real-estate-owner route needs SAR 4M in property; as of June 2026)
For short visits, 5 of 198 passports can enter visa-free, 69 can get an e-visa or visa on arrival and 124 need a visa in advance.
Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules, figures as of June 2026. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).
Cost of living
We estimate a couple needs about €3,073 a month to live centrally in Jeddah, 13% above the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 31% of them.
Source: OurNextCity model: a country-level cost index (New York = 100) scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget.
Language and culture
Main languages: Arabic. English proficiency: limited. Social openness scores 25 out of 100.
Source: EF English Proficiency Index (country-level); social openness is our secularism and tolerance composite.
Healthcare
Saudi Arabia scores 65 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 57% of the cities we compare.
Source: Our own country-level healthcare estimate (0 to 100), shared by every city in Saudi Arabia.
Internet and remote work
Median fixed broadband in Saudi Arabia runs at about 130 Mbps, faster than 49% of the cities we compare.
Source: Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median fixed broadband download speed, country-level.
Questions couples ask about Jeddah
Is Jeddah a good place to live for couples?
It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Compared with the other cities we track, Jeddah scores well on safety. It is weaker on English, political stability and social openness. Expect a warm, very dry climate (28°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks Jeddah and 914 other cities for both of you at once.
How much does it cost a couple to live in Jeddah?
We estimate about €3,073 a month for a couple living centrally, 13% above the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from a country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.
What are taxes like in Jeddah?
Saudi Arabia is in our zero or very low tax tier (little to no personal income tax). Tiers are country-level and deliberately coarse: zero or very low, low to medium, and high.
Can foreigners live in Saudi Arabia long term?
Citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council states have freedom-of-movement or simplified residency rights. Our assessment for everyone else: possible, with conditions. Long-term residency is realistic mainly through the Premium Residency ('Saudi green card') program, either as a one-time flat fee for permanent status or via asset-based investor, real-estate-owner, entrepreneur, and special-talent categories, all without a local sponsor; there is no passive-income or means-tested route, and the ordinary work iqama needs an employer sponsor (SAR pegged at 3.75/USD). The cheapest self-funded routes we track: investment, about $213k (as of 2026-06).
What is the weather like in Jeddah?
Jeddah averages 28°C across the year with about 88 mm of rain, which makes it warm and very dry. It is warmer than 98% of the cities we track.
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