Saudi Arabia Employee Cost Calculator (2026)
An expatriate employee in Saudi Arabia costs the salary plus 2% GOSI occupational hazards, the SAR 800-a-month expat levy, iqama and visa fees, health insurance and the end-of-service award building up at half a month a year. Saudi staff carry GOSI of 11.75%, or 12.75% for those registered since July 2024, and no levy. A SAR 7,000-a-month expatriate clerk costs about SAR 112,000 a year.
· Calculated with AiStaffo
Employer costs in Saudi Arabia
| GOSI (expatriates) | 2% occupational hazards on basic + housing, capped at SAR 45,000 a month |
|---|---|
| GOSI (Saudis) | 11.75% on basic + housing; 12.75% from 1 July 2026 for those first registered on or after 3 July 2024, rising 0.5 a year to 13.75% in 2028 |
| Expat levy | SAR 800 a month per expatriate worker |
| Iqama and visas | About SAR 1,150 a year (iqama SAR 650 plus visa and exit re-entry; editable) |
| Health insurance | Mandatory for expatriates; default SAR 3,000 a year (editable) |
| End-of-service award | Half a month's wage a year for 5 years, a full month after (Article 84) |
| Paid leave | 21 days a year (30 after 5 years) plus public holidays |
Worked example
An expatriate clerk on SAR 7,000 a month (SAR 4,500 basic + SAR 1,500 housing): salary SAR 84,000, GOSI SAR 1,440, levy SAR 9,600, iqama and visas SAR 1,150, health insurance SAR 3,000, end-of-service build-up SAR 3,500, laptop and software about SAR 4,000, hiring spread over 3 years SAR 5,600. Total about SAR 112,300 a year, 1.34 times the salary.
What counts in the true cost of an employee
Salary is only the start. The calculator adds what the law makes the employer pay (social security, pension, unemployment insurance, end-of-service build-up), what the job needs (health insurance, visas, a laptop and software), and what staff turnover costs (advertising, interviews, training and lost output each time someone leaves, spread over the years an employee usually stays). Dividing by the days actually worked gives the cost of one productive hour.
The automation saving, explained
Most office roles are partly routine: typing data in, chasing replies, matching payments, compiling reports. The calculator takes the share of the role you set as routine and compares what that part costs with an AI worker doing it: a one-time build and a monthly fee (AiStaffo's starting price, editable under "Assumptions"). The person keeps the judgement work; the routine part stops costing a salary. Book a free automation audit and we will measure the routine share of your own roles.
Please note: rates are as checked on 21 October 2026 from official and reputable sources; amounts marked as defaults are typical estimates you can change. The automation figures are illustrations based on the assumptions shown, not a promise of savings; AiStaffo prices are set in a written quote. This is a planning guide, not tax or legal advice.
Sources
Questions people ask
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