Cost of Living Comparison Between Abu Dhabi and Al Fujayrah Cost of Living Comparison Between Abu Dhabi and Al Fujayrah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,208 in Abu Dhabi versus $1,618 in Al Fujayrah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,420 in Abu Dhabi versus $2,618 in Al Fujayrah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,632 in Abu Dhabi versus $3,618 in Al Fujayrah.

Living in Abu Dhabi is roughly 36% more expensive than Al Fujayrah, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Abu Dhabi 64% above, Al Fujayrah 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.95 AED 40.23

$8.30 AED 30.49

31.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.5 AED 252

$60.1 AED 221

14.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.74 AED 35.78

$6.77 AED 24.87

43.87%

Cappuccino

$5.77 AED 21.19

$5.47 AED 20.08

5.48%

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

$1.30 AED 4.79

$0.80 AED 2.93

62.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 AED 1.48

$0.60 AED 2.20

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.11 AED 40.80

$12.02 AED 44.16

-7.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.82 AED 39.75

$13.39 AED 49.18

-19.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 AED 7.10

$1.98 AED 7.26

-2.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 AED 5.88

$1.37 AED 5.02

16.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 AED 8.90

$2.26 AED 8.31

7.08%

Eggs

$3.56 AED 13.06

$3.34 AED 12.28

6.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.99 AED 40.35

$10.16 AED 37.32

8.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.51 AED 31.27

$9.62 AED 35.35

-11.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.29 AED 41.46

$12.42 AED 45.61

-9.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.48 AED 9.11

$2.28 AED 8.37

8.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 AED 6.42

$1.94 AED 7.11

-9.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 AED 7.00

$1.91 AED 7.02

-0.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 AED 5.53

$1.50 AED 5.50

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.16

$1.25 AED 4.57

-9.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 AED 5.26

$1.32 AED 4.83

8.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.85 AED 6.81

$1.46 AED 5.36

26.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 AED 2.30

$0.70 AED 2.58

-10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.12 AED 22.47

$6.43 AED 23.61

-4.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.56 AED 49.81

$16.25 AED 59.7

-16.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 AED 8.63

$2.70 AED 9.93

-12.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 AED 8.25

$3.42 AED 12.56

-34.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 AED 2.54

$1.66 AED 6.10

-58.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.31 AED 96.7

$52.8 AED 194

-50.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 AED 12.11

$3.33 AED 12.21

-0.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 AED 2.07

$0.79 AED 2.91

-29.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.95 AED 29.22

$8.24 AED 30.25

-3.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 AED 3.00

$0.78 AED 2.87

5.13%

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

$44.2K AED 162.4K

$32.1K AED 118.0K

37.60%

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

$22.7K AED 83.3K

$22.2K AED 81.4K

2.30%

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

$143 AED 526

$212 AED 779

-32.44%

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

$50.6 AED 186

$61.7 AED 227

-18.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$102 AED 374

$102 AED 376

-0.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.7 AED 245

$54.2 AED 199

23.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.42 AED 126

$39.32 AED 144

-12.46%

Cinema Ticket

$13.43 AED 49.32

$15.05 AED 55.3

-10.76%

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

$621 AED 2,282

$851 AED 3,125

-26.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K AED 45.4K

$14.0K AED 51.5K

-11.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 AED 209

$83.6 AED 307

-32.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.4 AED 211

$64.0 AED 235

-10.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 AED 337

$115 AED 423

-20.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.8 AED 330

$122 AED 448

-26.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,458 AED 5,355

$549 AED 2,015

165.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 AED 3,978

$401 AED 1,472

170.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,071 AED 11.3K

$1,147 AED 4,212

167.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,293 AED 8,421

$971 AED 3,565

136.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,646 AED 17.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,957 AED 10.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,742 AED 10.1K

$3,814 AED 14.0K

-28.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.19

4.49

15.59%

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

Last update for Abu Dhabi: June 8, 2026

Last update for Al Fujayrah: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,458 in Abu Dhabi and $549 in Al Fujayrah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Fujayrah pays 39% 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 $60.0 in Al Fujayrah. Groceries flip the comparison at $271 vs $283, with Abu Dhabi cheaper for home cooking.

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 Al Fujayrah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Fujayrah wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Abu Dhabi. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Al Fujayrah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Al Fujayrah earns 39% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,458 in Abu Dhabi versus $549 in Al Fujayrah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Al Fujayrah runs roughly 101% less than in Abu Dhabi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $621 in Abu Dhabi versus $851 in Al Fujayrah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,618 in Al Fujayrah versus $2,208 in Abu Dhabi, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Al Fujayrah but tight or insufficient in Abu Dhabi. The gap between the two cities makes Al Fujayrah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Al Fujayrah delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,618 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Al Fujayrah hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Abu Dhabi and Al Fujayrah 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 Al Fujayrah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Abu Dhabi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.