Moving to Maryland from Saudi Arabia

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Saudi Arabia to Maryland — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Saudi Arabia to Maryland, you would find that Maryland is 2.6 times more expensive than Saudi Arabia overall. A SAR277,199 salary in Saudi Arabia would need to be roughly $117,465 in Maryland to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Annapolis averages 68°F vs 92°F in Riyadh, making it significantly cooler.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Saudi Arabia to Maryland.

What does your salary buy?

SAR277,199 $117,465

To maintain the same standard of living in Maryland

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 3.7 times more

Groceries

pay 2.5 times more

Transportation

pay 57.6% more

Housing

pay 2.6 times more

Childcare

pay 5.0 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 45.2% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 SAR = 0.2706 USD (June 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

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 Maryland cost about 60% more than cities in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia

Maryland

Bethesda 71%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Saudi Arabia to Maryland, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
520 ↓ 9% vs 2022

people moved from Saudi Arabia to United States · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to United States?

Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Saudi Arabia and Maryland stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate The World Factbook, 2022

share of adults with obesity

SA
35.4%
MD
33.4%

Maryland performs significantly better than Saudi Arabia across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access The World Factbook, 2023

share of households with internet

SA
100.0%
MD
91.6%

Saudi Arabia performs better than Maryland across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

SA
4.9%
MD
3.7%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

SA
$49,600
MD
$69,127

Maryland performs significantly better than Saudi Arabia across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

SA
76.7 yrs
MD
76.8 yrs

Maryland performs significantly better than Saudi Arabia across all family life metrics.

Data: The World Factbook

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Riyadh Rain: 4.4 in/yr (111 mm)
92° / 64°F

Avg. annual high / low

Annapolis Rain: 47.3 in/yr (1201 mm)
68° / 50°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Riyadh Annapolis
Jan–Mar 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) 50°/33°F (10°/0°C)
Apr–Jun 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) 77°/57°F (25°/14°C)
Jul–Sep 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) 86°/69°F (30°/20°C)
Oct–Dec 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) 59°/42°F (15°/6°C)
View all months
Month Riyadh Annapolis
Jan 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) 44°/29°F (6.9°/-1.6°C)
Feb 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) 48°/31°F (9.0°/-0.5°C)
Mar 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) 57°/38°F (13.7°/3.5°C)
Apr 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) 68°/47°F (20.1°/8.6°C)
May 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) 77°/57°F (25.0°/13.7°C)
Jun 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.2°C)
Jul 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) 89°/71°F (31.9°/21.9°C)
Aug 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) 87°/71°F (30.8°/21.4°C)
Sep 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) 81°/64°F (27.2°/17.6°C)
Oct 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) 69°/52°F (20.7°/10.9°C)
Nov 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) 59°/42°F (14.9°/5.3°C)
Dec 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.4°C)

Data: National Center for Meteorology National Center for Meteorology, National Weather Service National Weather Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Saudi Arabia and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.

Saudi Arabia passport

Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting United States

Visa Required
Saudi Arabia passport holders need a visa to enter United States.
United States passport

United States passport holder visiting Saudi Arabia

Visa on Arrival
United States passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival in Saudi Arabia.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Maryland than Saudi Arabia?

Day-to-day costs in Maryland run about 57% higher than Saudi Arabia on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Maryland?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a SAR277,199 comparable salary, that's around $29,366 in Maryland for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Maryland?

Working remotely from Maryland's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Saudi Arabia and Maryland.

How is healthcare in Maryland compared to Saudi Arabia?

Maryland performs significantly better than Saudi Arabia across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Maryland compared to Saudi Arabia?

The average high temperature in Annapolis is 68°F, compared to 92°F in Riyadh. Annapolis receives around 47.3 in of rainfall per year, while Riyadh gets 4.4 in.

What language do they speak in Maryland?

The official language in Maryland is English. In Saudi Arabia, the official language is Arabic.

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At a Glance

SA
Population 35,354,380 5,773,552
Currency Saudi Riyal (SAR) United States Dollar ($)
Languages Arabic English
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +966 +1
Time zones 1 11
Emergency number 911 911