Chengdu vs Riyadh
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights the two cities tie. Chengdu is stronger on visa ease, getting there & around; Riyadh on air quality, internet. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Chengdu | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 39 | 39 |
| Safety | 73 ✓ | 65 |
| Healthcare | 80 ✓ | 76 |
| Internet | 42 | 55 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 29 ✓ | 6 |
| Getting there & around | 41 ✓ | 27 |
| Climate | 42 | 50 ✓ |
| Air quality | 40 | 59 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 55 | 64 ✓ |
Cost
| Metric | Chengdu | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,927 | $1,927 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | $1,809 |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Chengdu | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 0.7 ✓ | 2.4 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 63.3 | 65.1 ✓ |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 85 ✓ | 83 |
| Life expectancy | 77.6 yrs ✓ | 76.4 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Chengdu | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 12.9 Mbps | 24.9 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 8.4 Mbps | 10.2 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Chengdu | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Visa-free days, US passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | 30 days ✓ | visa or e-visa required |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Chengdu | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 78 | 117 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 ✓ | 1 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 5 ✓ | 3 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Chengdu | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 5 | 6 ✓ |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 32 µg/m³ | 23.6 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Chengdu or Riyadh?
- Riyadh is cheaper: about $1,927 per month versus $1,927 for one person.
- Is Chengdu or Riyadh safer?
- Chengdu scores higher on safety (73 vs 65), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Chengdu or Riyadh?
- Riyadh: a measured median of 24.9 Mbps versus 12.9 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages). Dataset 2026.09.4. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.