Moving to Minnesota from Saudi Arabia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Saudi Arabia to Minnesota — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Saudi Arabia to Minnesota, you would find that Minnesota is 2.2 times more expensive than Saudi Arabia overall. A SAR277,199 salary in Saudi Arabia would need to be roughly $102,397 in Minnesota to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Saint Paul averages 56°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 Minnesota.
What does your salary buy?
SAR277,199 → $102,397
To maintain the same standard of living in Minnesota
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 3.8 times more
Groceries
pay 2.1 times more
Transportation
pay 38.7% more
Housing
pay 2.0 times more
Childcare
pay 3.5 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 42.1% 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.
Get free moving quotes to Minnesota
We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Saudi Arabia to Minnesota, and how the trend has changed.
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.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
75.77,946
Saudi Arabia
Key Indicator Comparison
How Saudi Arabia and Minnesota stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Minnesota performs significantly better than Saudi Arabia across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Saudi Arabia performs better than Minnesota across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
Minnesota performs significantly better than Saudi Arabia across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Minnesota 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.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Riyadh | Saint Paul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) | 32°/16°F (0°/-9°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) | 69°/50°F (21°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) | 79°/60°F (26°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) | 43°/27°F (6°/-3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Riyadh | Saint Paul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) | 25°/9°F (-4.1°/-12.6°C) |
| Feb | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) | 30°/14°F (-1.3°/-9.9°C) |
| Mar | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) | 42°/26°F (5.5°/-3.6°C) |
| Apr | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) | 58°/39°F (14.7°/3.9°C) |
| May | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) | 70°/50°F (21.2°/10.0°C) |
| Jun | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) |
| Jul | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) | 83°/65°F (28.5°/18.1°C) |
| Aug | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) | 81°/62°F (27.1°/16.8°C) |
| Sep | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) | 72°/53°F (22.2°/11.7°C) |
| Oct | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) | 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.7°C) |
| Nov | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) | 42°/28°F (5.6°/-2.4°C) |
| Dec | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) | 28°/14°F (-2.5°/-10.1°C) |
Data:
National Center for Meteorology,
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 holder visiting United States
Visa Required
United States passport holder visiting Saudi Arabia
Visa on ArrivalData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Minnesota than Saudi Arabia?
Day-to-day costs in Minnesota run about 37% higher than Saudi Arabia on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Minnesota?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a SAR277,199 comparable salary, that's around $25,599 in Minnesota for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Minnesota?
Working remotely from Minnesota'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 Minnesota.
How is healthcare in Minnesota compared to Saudi Arabia?
Minnesota performs significantly better than Saudi Arabia across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Minnesota compared to Saudi Arabia?
The average high temperature in Saint Paul is 56°F, compared to 92°F in Riyadh. Saint Paul receives around 28.5 in of rainfall per year, while Riyadh gets 4.4 in.
What language do they speak in Minnesota?
The official language in Minnesota is English. In Saudi Arabia, the official language is Arabic.
