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: $2,145 in Abu Dhabi versus $1,662 in Al Fujayrah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Abu Dhabi versus $2,581 in Al Fujayrah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,784 in Abu Dhabi versus $3,499 in Al Fujayrah.

Living in Abu Dhabi is roughly 29% more expensive than in Al Fujayrah, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Abu Dhabi 61% above, Al Fujayrah 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.71 AED 39.32

$7.93 AED 29.12

35.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.8 AED 249

$59.7 AED 219

13.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.29 AED 34.10

$6.69 AED 24.58

38.86%

Cappuccino

$5.99 AED 21.99

$5.70 AED 20.94

5.09%

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

$1.28 AED 4.69

$0.86 AED 3.16

48.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 AED 1.48

$0.63 AED 2.33

-36.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.70 AED 39.30

$12.10 AED 44.43

-11.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.82 AED 39.73

$13.49 AED 49.54

-19.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 AED 7.37

$1.92 AED 7.05

4.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 AED 5.88

$1.37 AED 5.05

16.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 AED 9.00

$2.17 AED 7.96

12.90%

Eggs

$3.74 AED 13.75

$3.43 AED 12.58

9.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.71 AED 39.32

$10.33 AED 37.94

3.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.65 AED 31.77

$9.36 AED 34.38

-7.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.19 AED 41.10

$12.37 AED 45.44

-9.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.48 AED 9.12

$2.27 AED 8.33

9.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 AED 6.63

$1.87 AED 6.87

-3.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 AED 6.90

$1.85 AED 6.80

1.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 AED 5.34

$1.49 AED 5.49

-2.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 AED 4.18

$1.23 AED 4.52

-7.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 AED 5.08

$1.28 AED 4.68

7.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 AED 6.62

$1.39 AED 5.12

29.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 AED 2.20

$0.64 AED 2.36

-6.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.08 AED 22.34

$6.38 AED 23.44

-4.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.40 AED 49.23

$16.22 AED 59.6

-17.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 AED 8.50

$2.71 AED 9.96

-14.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 AED 7.96

$3.48 AED 12.79

-37.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 AED 2.37

$1.65 AED 6.06

-60.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.98 AED 95.4

$52.0 AED 191

-50.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 AED 12.27

$3.32 AED 12.19

0.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 AED 1.92

$0.86 AED 3.14

-39.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.40 AED 30.86

$8.28 AED 30.42

1.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 AED 2.92

$0.75 AED 2.75

6.67%

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

$45.7K AED 168.0K

$32.4K AED 119.0K

41.11%

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

$22.5K AED 82.7K

$22.5K AED 82.4K

0.35%

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

$143 AED 524

$212 AED 777

-32.60%

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

$51.3 AED 189

$62.2 AED 228

-17.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$104 AED 381

$102 AED 376

1.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.4 AED 237

$55.2 AED 203

16.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.99 AED 125

$38.82 AED 143

-12.44%

Cinema Ticket

$13.76 AED 50.5

$14.92 AED 54.8

-7.77%

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

$636 AED 2,336

$833 AED 3,059

-23.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K AED 44.8K

$14.1K AED 51.6K

-13.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.7 AED 212

$83.8 AED 308

-31.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 AED 205

$63.9 AED 235

-12.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.9 AED 341

$113 AED 413

-17.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.1 AED 331

$119 AED 437

-24.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,480 AED 5,434

$538 AED 1,975

175.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,092 AED 4,011

$406 AED 1,492

168.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,054 AED 11.2K

$1,138 AED 4,180

168.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,268 AED 8,329

$994 AED 3,651

128.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,895 AED 18.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,853 AED 10.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,873 AED 10.5K

$3,787 AED 13.9K

-24.15%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Al Fujayrah: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,480 in Abu Dhabi and $538 in Al Fujayrah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Fujayrah pays 32% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Abu Dhabi vs $60.0 in Al Fujayrah. Groceries flip the comparison at $271 vs $280, 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 29% 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, salaries run 32% lower in Al Fujayrah. 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: $1,480 in Abu Dhabi versus $538 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 100% less than in Abu Dhabi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $636 in Abu Dhabi versus $833 in Al Fujayrah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,662 in Al Fujayrah versus $2,145 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 $1,662 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 29% less than in Abu Dhabi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.