Moving to New York from Saudi Arabia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Saudi Arabia to New York? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Saudi Arabia to New York, you would find that New York is 2.2 times more expensive than Saudi Arabia overall. A SAR280,000 salary in Saudi Arabia would need to be roughly $162,000 in New York to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — New York City averages 62°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 New York cheaper than Saudi Arabia?
How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 2.8 times more
Groceries
pay 96.3% more
Transportation
pay 42.8% more
Housing
pay 3.0 times more
Childcare
pay 3.8 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 34.8% 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.
What salary do you need in New York?
What does your salary buy?
SAR280,000 → $162,000
To maintain the same standard of living in New York
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 New York cost about 45% more than cities in Saudi Arabia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Saudi Arabia to New York.
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
The numbers behind daily life in New York compared to Saudi Arabia.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
New York 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 New York across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
Saudi Arabia generally does better on employment & economy, though New York leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Saudi Arabia performs better than New York across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2024–2025), World Health Organization (2024), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in New York vs Saudi Arabia
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Riyadh | New York City |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) | 43°/30°F (6°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) | 70°/54°F (21°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) | 81°/66°F (27°/19°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) | 54°/41°F (12°/5°C) |
View all months
| Month | Riyadh | New York City |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) | 38°/27°F (3.5°/-2.8°C) |
| Feb | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) | 42°/29°F (5.3°/-1.7°C) |
| Mar | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) | 50°/35°F (9.8°/1.8°C) |
| Apr | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) | 61°/45°F (16.2°/7.1°C) |
| May | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) | 71°/54°F (21.6°/12.2°C) |
| Jun | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) | 79°/64°F (26.3°/17.6°C) |
| Jul | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) | 84°/69°F (28.9°/20.4°C) |
| Aug | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) | 83°/68°F (28.1°/19.9°C) |
| Sep | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) | 75°/61°F (24.0°/16.0°C) |
| Oct | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) | 64°/50°F (17.7°/10.0°C) |
| Nov | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) | 54°/42°F (12.1°/5.3°C) |
| Dec | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) | 43°/32°F (6.1°/0.0°C) |
Data:
National Center for Meteorology,
National Weather Service
Can you move from Saudi Arabia to New York?
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 New York than Saudi Arabia?
On average New York is around 117% pricier than Saudi Arabia, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to New York?
Budget about $40,500 for 3 months in New York (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 New York?
From major New York cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in Saudi Arabia and New York are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in New York compared to Saudi Arabia?
New York performs significantly better than Saudi Arabia across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in New York compared to Saudi Arabia?
The average high temperature in New York City is 62°F, compared to 92°F in Riyadh. New York City receives around 49.9 in of rainfall per year, while Riyadh gets 4.4 in.
What language do they speak in New York?
The official language in New York is English. In Saudi Arabia, the official language is Arabic.
