Moving to Saudi Arabia from Syria
What to Expect
Considering a move from Syria to Saudi Arabia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Syria to Saudi Arabia, you would find that Saudi Arabia is 97.1% more expensive than Syria overall. A SYP980,000,000 salary in Syria would need to be roughly SAR557,000 in Saudi Arabia to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Riyadh averages 92°F vs 78°F in Damascus, making it significantly warmer.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Syria and Saudi Arabia.
What does your salary buy?
SYP980,000,000 → SAR557,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Saudi Arabia
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 1.4% less
Groceries
pay 55.7% more
Transportation
pay 40.5% more
Housing
pay 2.8 times more
Childcare
pay 6.2 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.7 times 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.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Syria to Saudi Arabia.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Saudi Arabia compared to Syria.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Saudi Arabia performs significantly better than Syria across all safety metrics.
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
Syria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Syria performs 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 Syria 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 significantly better than Syria 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
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Saudi Arabia generally does better on family life, though Syria leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2010–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2009–2022), Ministry of Finance, Syria (2016), Department of Zakat and Income Tax (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Damascus | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 60°/35°F (15°/2°C) | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 85°/51°F (29°/11°C) | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 96°/60°F (35°/15°C) | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 70°/40°F (21°/5°C) | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) |
View all months
| Month | Damascus | Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55°/33°F (12.6°/0.4°C) | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) |
| Feb | 59°/34°F (14.8°/1.3°C) | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) |
| Mar | 66°/39°F (18.9°/3.7°C) | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) |
| Apr | 76°/45°F (24.5°/7.0°C) | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) |
| May | 85°/51°F (29.7°/10.5°C) | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) |
| Jun | 94°/58°F (34.2°/14.2°C) | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) |
| Jul | 98°/62°F (36.5°/16.9°C) | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) |
| Aug | 97°/62°F (36.2°/16.5°C) | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) |
| Sep | 92°/55°F (33.4°/13.0°C) | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) |
| Oct | 82°/48°F (28.0°/8.9°C) | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) |
| Nov | 69°/39°F (20.3°/4.0°C) | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) |
| Dec | 58°/34°F (14.2°/1.3°C) | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) |
Data:
Ministry of Defence Meteorological Department,
National Center for Meteorology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Syria and Saudi Arabia. To live, work, or study long-term in Saudi Arabia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Saudi Arabia's immigration authority.
Syria passport holder visiting Saudi Arabia
Visa Required
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting Syria
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Saudi Arabia than Syria?
On average Saudi Arabia is around 97% pricier than Syria, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Saudi Arabia?
Budget about SAR139,250 for 3 months in Saudi Arabia (based on a SYP980,000,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Saudi Arabia?
Connectivity is usually fine (Saudi Arabia: 44.1 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Saudi Arabia offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Saudi Arabia safe for expats?
Saudi Arabia performs significantly better than Syria across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Saudi Arabia is 0.9 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.1 in Syria.
How is healthcare in Saudi Arabia compared to Syria?
Syria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 34.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Saudi Arabia, compared to 15.2 in Syria. Saudi Arabia scores 74 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Syria: 64).
What's the weather like in Saudi Arabia compared to Syria?
The average high temperature in Riyadh is 92°F, compared to 78°F in Damascus. Riyadh receives around 4.4 in of rainfall per year, while Damascus gets 5.3 in.
What language do they speak in Saudi Arabia?
Both Syria and Saudi Arabia share the same official language: Arabic.
