Moving to Washington from Saudi Arabia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Saudi Arabia to Washington? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Saudi Arabia to Washington, you would find that Washington is 2.4 times more expensive than Saudi Arabia overall. A SAR277,199 salary in Saudi Arabia would need to be roughly $115,881 in Washington to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Olympia averages 60°F vs 92°F in Riyadh, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Saudi Arabia and Washington.
What does your salary buy?
SAR277,199 → $115,881
To maintain the same standard of living in Washington
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 4.0 times more
Groceries
pay 2.1 times more
Transportation
pay 51.9% more
Housing
pay 2.7 times more
Childcare
pay 4.3 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 56.7% 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.
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 Washington cost about 70% 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 Washington.
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 Washington compared to Saudi Arabia.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Washington 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 | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) | 50°/34°F (10°/1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) | 65°/43°F (18°/6°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) | 76°/49°F (24°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) | 51°/36°F (11°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Riyadh | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) | 46°/34°F (7.7°/0.9°C) |
| Feb | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) | 49°/33°F (9.6°/0.4°C) |
| Mar | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) | 54°/35°F (12.2°/1.7°C) |
| Apr | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) | 59°/38°F (14.9°/3.2°C) |
| May | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) | 65°/43°F (18.5°/6.2°C) |
| Jun | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) | 71°/48°F (21.4°/8.7°C) |
| Jul | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) | 77°/51°F (24.9°/10.4°C) |
| Aug | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) | 78°/51°F (25.4°/10.3°C) |
| Sep | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) | 72°/46°F (22.1°/7.8°C) |
| Oct | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) | 60°/40°F (15.7°/4.7°C) |
| Nov | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) | 50°/36°F (10.1°/2.4°C) |
| Dec | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) | 44°/33°F (6.8°/0.3°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 Washington than Saudi Arabia?
On average Washington is around 55% pricier than Saudi Arabia, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Washington?
Budget about $28,970 for 3 months in Washington (based on a SAR277,199 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Washington?
From major Washington cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in Saudi Arabia and Washington are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in Washington compared to Saudi Arabia?
Washington performs significantly better than Saudi Arabia across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Washington compared to Saudi Arabia?
The average high temperature in Olympia is 60°F, compared to 92°F in Riyadh. Olympia receives around 50.0 in of rainfall per year, while Riyadh gets 4.4 in.
What language do they speak in Washington?
The official language in Washington is English. In Saudi Arabia, the official language is Arabic.
