Moving to Saudi Arabia from Guatemala
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Guatemala to Saudi Arabia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Guatemala to Saudi Arabia, you would find that Saudi Arabia is 16.1% more expensive than Guatemala overall. A GTQ571,522 salary in Guatemala would need to be roughly SAR288,958 in Saudi Arabia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Arabic. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Riyadh averages 92°F vs 77°F in Guatemala City, making it significantly warmer.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Guatemala to Saudi Arabia.
What does your salary buy?
GTQ571,522 → SAR288,958
To maintain the same standard of living in Saudi Arabia
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 16.4% less
Groceries
pay 22.5% less
Transportation
pay 44.4% more
Housing
pay 20.9% more
Childcare
pay 31.0% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 64.7% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Guatemala and Saudi Arabia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Guatemala generally does better on safety, though Saudi Arabia leads in homicide rate.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Guatemala generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Guatemala performs better than Saudi Arabia across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Saudi Arabia generally does better on infrastructure, though Guatemala leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
Saudi Arabia generally does better on employment & economy, though Guatemala leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Saudi Arabia performs significantly better than Guatemala across all family life metrics.
Data: Superintendence of the Tax Administration, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Guatemala City | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 77°/55°F (25°/13°C) | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 80°/61°F (27°/16°C) | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 76°/60°F (25°/16°C) | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 74°/58°F (24°/14°C) | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) |
View all months
| Month | Guatemala City | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.5°C) | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) |
| Feb | 77°/55°F (25.2°/12.9°C) | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) |
| Mar | 80°/57°F (26.6°/14.0°C) | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) |
| Apr | 82°/60°F (27.5°/15.4°C) | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) |
| May | 81°/61°F (27.1°/16.2°C) | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) |
| Jun | 78°/61°F (25.3°/16.2°C) | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) |
| Jul | 76°/60°F (24.5°/15.8°C) | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) |
| Aug | 77°/60°F (25.0°/15.8°C) | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) |
| Sep | 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.8°C) | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) |
| Oct | 75°/60°F (24.1°/15.4°C) | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) |
| Nov | 74°/57°F (23.4°/14.0°C) | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) |
| Dec | 74°/56°F (23.4°/13.1°C) | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) |
Data:
Instituto Nacional de Sismología, Vulcanología, Meteorología e Hidrología (INSIVUMEH),
National Center for Meteorology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Guatemala and Saudi Arabia. To live, work, or study long-term in Saudi Arabia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Saudi Arabia's immigration authority.
Guatemala passport holder visiting Saudi Arabia
Visa Required
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting Guatemala
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Saudi Arabia than Guatemala?
Day-to-day costs in Saudi Arabia run about 3% higher than Guatemala on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Saudi Arabia?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a GTQ571,522 comparable salary, that's around SAR72,240 in Saudi Arabia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Saudi Arabia?
With 37.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Saudi Arabia can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Guatemala and Saudi Arabia.
Is Saudi Arabia safe for expats?
Guatemala generally does better on safety, though Saudi Arabia leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Saudi Arabia is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 20.0 in Guatemala.
How is healthcare in Saudi Arabia compared to Guatemala?
Guatemala generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 30.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Saudi Arabia, compared to 12.8 in Guatemala. Saudi Arabia scores 74 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Guatemala: 59).
What's the weather like in Saudi Arabia compared to Guatemala?
The average high temperature in Riyadh is 92°F, compared to 77°F in Guatemala City. Riyadh receives around 4.4 in of rainfall per year, while Guatemala City gets 46.7 in.
What language do they speak in Saudi Arabia?
The official language in Saudi Arabia is Arabic. In Guatemala, the official language is Spanish.
