A useful relocation comparison needs more than a single city average. This page explains how we distinguish official requirements, observed prices and planning assumptions.
Official requirements
For each rule, we check the responsible authority, the applicable population and location, and the effective date. A national rule may not answer a Riyadh-specific question, and a rule for one residency route may not apply to another.
Housing observations
Property comparisons record the observation date, location, property type, bedrooms, size where available, furnished status, quoted payment period and stated inclusions. Duplicate listings are removed where identifiable. Advertised rents are asking prices; they do not prove a completed transaction or current availability.
Schools
Fee comparisons should use the same academic year and the child's actual grade. Tuition, mandatory charges, optional extras and refundable deposits are distinguished. A fee schedule does not confirm that a place is available.
Employment packages
Guaranteed unrestricted cash, restricted reimbursements and benefits supplied directly by an employer are treated differently. A capped reimbursement offsets only eligible costs. Employer-provided housing is not counted again as cash income.
Savings and moving cash
Recurring savings capacity is income less recurring out-of-pocket spending. First-year planning also accounts for moving and setup costs. Refundable deposits tie up cash but are shown separately from nonrefundable spending. Monthly equivalents do not imply that annual allowances or reimbursements arrive each month.
Cross-city comparisons
We compare equivalent household assumptions where possible and state the currency conversion used. User-entered prices and current quotes can be more relevant than a broad cost index. Home-country tax or other obligations are not assumed away.
Missing information
Missing values are marked as unknown rather than silently entered as zero. Where evidence is too limited for a representative claim, we present individual observations or explain what remains to be checked.