Cost of Living Comparison Between Abu Dhabi and Ajman Cost of Living Comparison Between Abu Dhabi and Ajman

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,149 in Abu Dhabi versus $2,773 in Ajman.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,434 in Abu Dhabi versus $5,108 in Ajman.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,719 in Abu Dhabi versus $7,444 in Ajman.

Living in Abu Dhabi costs roughly 23% less than in Ajman, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Abu Dhabi 61% above, Ajman 108% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.88 AED 39.94

$6.16 AED 22.61

76.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 AED 254

$27.30 AED 100

153.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.70 AED 35.62

$8.36 AED 30.72

16.03%

Cappuccino

$6.00 AED 22.05

$3.81 AED 13.99

57.48%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 AED 4.62

$0.84 AED 3.07

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 AED 1.61

$0.38 AED 1.38

15.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.93 AED 40.15

$10.84 AED 39.81

0.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.75 AED 39.48

$11.01 AED 40.44

-2.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$2.27 AED 8.35

-15.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 AED 5.86

$1.17 AED 4.30

36.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.43 AED 8.93

$1.41 AED 5.18

72.34%

Eggs

$3.68 AED 13.52

$1.81 AED 6.65

103.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.59 AED 38.89

$9.19 AED 33.77

15.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 AED 31.17

$6.69 AED 24.56

26.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.28 AED 41.44

$7.50 AED 27.54

50.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 AED 8.75

$1.66 AED 6.11

43.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 AED 6.39

$1.26 AED 4.62

38.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 AED 6.64

$1.44 AED 5.29

25.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 AED 5.53

$1.04 AED 3.82

45.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 AED 4.28

$0.94 AED 3.44

23.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 AED 5.13

$1.01 AED 3.72

38.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 AED 6.84

$0.80 AED 2.94

132.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 AED 2.17

$0.57 AED 2.08

3.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.23 AED 22.90

$6.22 AED 22.86

0.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.52 AED 49.64

$11.09 AED 40.75

21.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 AED 8.51

$1.61 AED 5.92

44.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 AED 8.29

$2.73 AED 10.03

-17.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 AED 2.55

$4.15 AED 15.24

-83.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.96 AED 95.3

$63.2 AED 232

-58.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$3.63 AED 13.33

-10.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 AED 2.06

$0.69 AED 2.53

-18.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$8.41 AED 30.90

-5.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.75 AED 2.77

$0.77 AED 2.82

-2.60%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$45.8K AED 168.2K

$45.0K AED 165.2K

1.81%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$22.6K AED 83.1K

$23.7K AED 86.9K

-4.41%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$143 AED 526

$140 AED 516

1.88%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$50.1 AED 184

$60.7 AED 223

-17.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$102 AED 376

$110 AED 403

-6.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.2 AED 240

$164 AED 601

-60.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.30 AED 126

$3.56 AED 13.06

863.48%

Cinema Ticket

$13.54 AED 49.73

$13.85 AED 50.9

-2.24%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$621 AED 2,282

$597 AED 2,192

4.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K AED 44.3K

$5,646 AED 20.7K

113.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 AED 216

$58.6 AED 215

0.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 AED 206

$61.7 AED 227

-9.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 AED 343

$84.9 AED 312

10.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 AED 326

$93.1 AED 342

-4.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,481 AED 5,440

$3,295 AED 12.1K

-55.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 AED 4,021

$1,655 AED 6,077

-33.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,073 AED 11.3K

$5,671 AED 20.8K

-45.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,310 AED 8,484

$5,335 AED 19.6K

-56.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,810 AED 17.7K

$2,279 AED 8,370

111.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,843 AED 10.4K

$1,413 AED 5,190

101.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,887 AED 10.6K

$2,235 AED 8,207

29.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.19

4.53

14.57%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Abu Dhabi: July 14, 2026

Last update for Ajman: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,481 in Abu Dhabi and $3,295 in Ajman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Abu Dhabi pays 29% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Abu Dhabi vs $27.00 in Ajman for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $208 per month, with Ajman cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Abu Dhabi vs Ajman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Abu Dhabi wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Ajman. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Abu Dhabi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 29% higher in Abu Dhabi, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,481 in Abu Dhabi versus $3,295 in Ajman. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Abu Dhabi runs roughly 143% less than in Ajman. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $621 in Abu Dhabi versus $597 in Ajman. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,149 in Abu Dhabi versus $2,773 in Ajman, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Abu Dhabi but tight or insufficient in Ajman. The gap between the two cities makes Abu Dhabi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Abu Dhabi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,149 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Abu Dhabi hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Abu Dhabi and Ajman are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Abu Dhabi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Ajman. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.