Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Abu Dhabi and Ajman

For one person, living is cheaper in Ajman: $1,833 a month against $2,594 in Abu Dhabi, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Abu Dhabi
Learn more

Abu Dhabi Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Ajman
Learn more

Ajman Living Index

Jump to prices

Abu Dhabi

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,594

/mo nomad

Ajman

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$1,833

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Abu Dhabi and in Ajman

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Abu Dhabi and in Ajman actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,594 in Abu Dhabi versus $1,833 in Ajman.

Abu Dhabi $2,594
Ajman $1,833

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,892 in Abu Dhabi versus $4,193 in Ajman.

Abu Dhabi $3,892
Ajman $4,193

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,191 in Abu Dhabi versus $6,553 in Ajman.

Abu Dhabi $5,191
Ajman $6,553

Living in Abu Dhabi is roughly 41% more expensive than in Ajman, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Abu Dhabi 92% above, Ajman 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.24 AED 30.27

$5.71 AED 20.97

44.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.2 AED 203

$27.25 AED 100

102.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.79 AED 35.94

$8.24 AED 30.26

18.81%

Cappuccino

$6.01 AED 22.06

$3.73 AED 13.70

61.13%

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

$1.16 AED 4.27

$0.79 AED 2.91

46.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 AED 1.61

$0.40 AED 1.45

10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.64 AED 42.76

$10.79 AED 39.62

7.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.69 AED 42.93

$12.40 AED 45.53

-5.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 AED 7.33

$1.99 AED 7.29

0.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 AED 5.85

$1.34 AED 4.93

18.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 AED 8.71

$1.47 AED 5.41

61.22%

Eggs

$3.52 AED 12.93

$2.06 AED 7.56

70.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.75 AED 43.17

$8.02 AED 29.45

46.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.54 AED 35.05

$6.36 AED 23.34

50.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.31 AED 37.88

$9.20 AED 33.78

12.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 AED 9.01

$1.97 AED 7.24

24.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 AED 7.56

$1.38 AED 5.06

49.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 AED 6.67

$1.52 AED 5.57

19.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 AED 5.79

$1.00 AED 3.66

58.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 AED 4.38

$1.07 AED 3.95

11.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 AED 4.40

$1.15 AED 4.21

4.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 AED 5.98

$1.18 AED 4.35

38.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 AED 2.13

$0.55 AED 2.02

5.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.47 AED 23.77

$6.16 AED 22.62

5.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.79 AED 50.7

$10.70 AED 39.29

28.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 AED 9.75

$1.68 AED 6.15

57.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 AED 9.08

$2.22 AED 8.15

11.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 AED 2.40

$4.17 AED 15.30

-84.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.37 AED 96.9

$68.2 AED 250

-61.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 AED 11.82

$3.60 AED 13.22

-10.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 AED 2.08

$0.67 AED 2.45

-14.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.00 AED 29.38

$8.12 AED 29.80

-1.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 AED 3.57

$0.85 AED 3.12

14.12%

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

$30.3K AED 111.4K

$46.3K AED 169.9K

-34.40%

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

$21.9K AED 80.4K

$22.4K AED 82.3K

-2.34%

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

$192 AED 704

$149 AED 549

28.36%

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

$55.6 AED 204

$49.43 AED 182

12.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$89.2 AED 327

$85.2 AED 313

4.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.0 AED 349

$79.2 AED 291

20.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.34 AED 163

$9.75 AED 35.80

354.77%

Cinema Ticket

$14.90 AED 54.7

$13.72 AED 50.4

8.60%

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

$787 AED 2,889

$485 AED 1,782

62.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K AED 53.5K

$5,653 AED 20.8K

157.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.0 AED 228

$58.9 AED 216

5.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.77 AED 183

$61.3 AED 225

-18.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 AED 413

$84.3 AED 309

33.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 AED 399

$95.8 AED 352

13.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 AED 7,152

$2,445 AED 8,979

-20.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,414 AED 5,193

$806 AED 2,961

75.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,923 AED 14.4K

$1,724 AED 6,333

127.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,700 AED 9,917

$4,510 AED 16.6K

-40.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,045 AED 18.5K

$2,244 AED 8,240

124.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,868 AED 10.5K

$1,401 AED 5,146

104.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,823 AED 10.4K

$2,242 AED 8,234

25.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.55

-9.00%

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

Last update for Abu Dhabi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ajman: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Abu Dhabi

$1.4K 54.5%

Ajman

$806 44% 43% $608

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Abu Dhabi

$337 13%

Ajman

$284 15.5% 15.6% $53

Groceries & Markets

Abu Dhabi

$278 10.7%

Ajman

$211 11.5% 24.2% $67

Eating Out

Abu Dhabi

$255 9.8%

Ajman

$199 10.8% 22.2% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Abu Dhabi

$150 5.8%

Ajman

$135 7.4% 9.8% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Abu Dhabi

$125 4.8%

Ajman

$107 5.8% 14.6% $18

Getting Around

Abu Dhabi

$35 1.4%

Ajman

$92 5% 162% $57

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,947 in Abu Dhabi and $2,445 in Ajman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Abu Dhabi pays 26% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $55.0 in Abu Dhabi vs $27.00 in Ajman for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $211 per month, with Ajman cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Abu Dhabi

🇦🇪 Ajman

🕒 Local time

20:02 8:02 PM

Same time as Abu Dhabi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

921,000 Capital

238,119

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Abu Dhabi Ajman 150 km

From you

Abu Dhabi
Ajman

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Ajman wins on cost – living expenses run 41% lower than in Abu Dhabi. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ajman the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 26% 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: $1,947 in Abu Dhabi versus $2,445 in Ajman. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ajman runs roughly 159% less than in Abu Dhabi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $787 in Abu Dhabi versus $485 in Ajman. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Ajman is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ajman delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,833 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ajman 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 Ajman gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Abu Dhabi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.