Moving to Macedonia from Saudi Arabia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Saudi Arabia to Macedonia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Saudi Arabia to Macedonia, you would find that Macedonia is 31.2% cheaper than Saudi Arabia overall. A SAR280,000 salary in Saudi Arabia would need to be roughly MKD2,820,000 in Macedonia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Macedonian. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Skopje averages 65°F vs 92°F in Riyadh, making it significantly cooler.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Macedonia cheaper than Saudi Arabia?
How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 13.5% more
Groceries
pay 24.3% less
Transportation
pay 2.8% more
Housing
pay 51.0% less
Childcare
pay 42.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 52.6% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
What salary do you need in Macedonia?
What does your salary buy?
SAR280,000 → MKD2,820,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Macedonia
Calculate with your salary →Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Macedonia cost about 24% less than cities in Saudi Arabia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Macedonia compared to Saudi Arabia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Saudi Arabia generally does better on safety, though Macedonia leads in road traffic deaths.
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
Saudi Arabia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Macedonia leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Macedonia performs significantly 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 Macedonia 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 performs better than Macedonia across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
percentage of adults who can read and write
Macedonia generally does better on family life, though Saudi Arabia leads in life expectancy.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Department of Zakat and Income Tax (2016), Public Revenue Office (2016), The World Factbook (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Macedonia vs Saudi Arabia
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Riyadh | Skopje |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) | 47°/30°F (9°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) | 74°/49°F (23°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) | 84°/57°F (29°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) | 54°/35°F (12°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Riyadh | Skopje |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) | 39°/26°F (4.0°/-3.6°C) |
| Feb | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) | 47°/30°F (8.4°/-1.3°C) |
| Mar | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) | 56°/35°F (13.6°/1.9°C) |
| Apr | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) | 65°/42°F (18.6°/5.4°C) |
| May | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) | 75°/50°F (23.9°/10.0°C) |
| Jun | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) | 81°/55°F (27.4°/13.0°C) |
| Jul | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) | 86°/59°F (29.8°/14.8°C) |
| Aug | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) | 86°/58°F (30.0°/14.6°C) |
| Sep | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) | 79°/53°F (26.1°/11.4°C) |
| Oct | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) | 67°/43°F (19.5°/6.3°C) |
| Nov | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) | 52°/35°F (11.2°/1.4°C) |
| Dec | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) | 42°/28°F (5.3°/-2.2°C) |
Data:
National Center for Meteorology,
HydroMeteorological Service of Republic of North Macedonia
Can you move from Saudi Arabia to Macedonia?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Saudi Arabia and Macedonia. To live, work, or study long-term in Macedonia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Macedonia's immigration authority.
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting Macedonia
Visa Required
Macedonia passport holder visiting Saudi Arabia
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Macedonia than Saudi Arabia?
On average Macedonia is about 31% less expensive than Saudi Arabia, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Macedonia?
Budget about MKD705,000 for 3 months in Macedonia (based on a SAR280,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Macedonia?
Connectivity is usually fine (Macedonia: 29.9 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Macedonia offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Macedonia safe for expats?
Saudi Arabia generally does better on safety, though Macedonia leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Macedonia is 1.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.9 in Saudi Arabia.
How is healthcare in Macedonia compared to Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Macedonia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 29.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Macedonia, compared to 34.1 in Saudi Arabia. Macedonia scores 74 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Saudi Arabia: 74).
What's the weather like in Macedonia compared to Saudi Arabia?
The average high temperature in Skopje is 65°F, compared to 92°F in Riyadh. Skopje receives around 19.8 in of rainfall per year, while Riyadh gets 4.4 in.
What language do they speak in Macedonia?
The official language in Macedonia is Macedonian. In Saudi Arabia, the official language is Arabic.
