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: $2,171 in Abu Dhabi versus $1,616 in Al Fujayrah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,434 in Abu Dhabi versus $2,571 in Al Fujayrah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,697 in Abu Dhabi versus $3,525 in Al Fujayrah.

Living in Abu Dhabi is roughly 34% more expensive than Al Fujayrah, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Abu Dhabi 62% above, Al Fujayrah 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.98 AED 40.29

$8.23 AED 30.22

33.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 AED 254

$58.8 AED 216

17.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.57 AED 35.13

$6.89 AED 25.27

38.90%

Cappuccino

$5.96 AED 21.87

$5.47 AED 20.08

8.96%

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

$1.31 AED 4.81

$0.84 AED 3.09

55.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 AED 1.49

$0.59 AED 2.16

-30.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.80 AED 39.62

$12.37 AED 45.39

-12.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.85 AED 39.82

$13.87 AED 50.9

-21.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 AED 7.14

$1.96 AED 7.20

-0.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 AED 5.69

$1.42 AED 5.22

9.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 AED 8.61

$2.17 AED 7.97

8.29%

Eggs

$3.56 AED 13.08

$3.33 AED 12.22

6.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.87 AED 39.89

$10.02 AED 36.76

8.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.81 AED 32.32

$9.49 AED 34.83

-7.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.30 AED 41.47

$12.73 AED 46.72

-11.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 AED 8.69

$2.36 AED 8.68

0.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 AED 6.38

$1.93 AED 7.09

-9.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 AED 6.84

$1.84 AED 6.77

1.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 AED 5.36

$1.53 AED 5.63

-4.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 AED 4.28

$1.19 AED 4.38

-1.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 AED 5.22

$1.26 AED 4.63

12.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 AED 6.77

$1.41 AED 5.16

30.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 AED 2.35

$0.69 AED 2.51

-7.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.34 AED 23.28

$6.72 AED 24.66

-5.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.67 AED 50.2

$18.99 AED 69.7

-28.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 AED 8.35

$2.66 AED 9.75

-14.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 AED 8.22

$3.51 AED 12.87

-36.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 AED 2.45

$1.60 AED 5.87

-58.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.39 AED 93.2

$51.8 AED 190

-50.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 AED 11.86

$3.35 AED 12.28

-3.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 AED 1.91

$0.80 AED 2.94

-35.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.03 AED 29.48

$8.39 AED 30.81

-4.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 AED 2.96

$0.78 AED 2.86

3.85%

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

$45.5K AED 167.2K

$32.7K AED 120.1K

39.15%

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

$22.1K AED 80.9K

$22.6K AED 83.0K

-2.49%

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

$143 AED 526

$211 AED 774

-32.04%

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

$51.1 AED 188

$61.8 AED 227

-17.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$101 AED 372

$101 AED 370

0.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.3 AED 236

$53.8 AED 197

19.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.00 AED 125

$39.32 AED 144

-13.53%

Cinema Ticket

$13.46 AED 49.39

$14.97 AED 54.9

-10.09%

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

$625 AED 2,292

$836 AED 3,069

-25.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K AED 44.8K

$14.1K AED 51.7K

-13.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 AED 214

$83.8 AED 308

-30.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 AED 206

$63.9 AED 234

-12.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 AED 339

$113 AED 413

-17.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 AED 331

$123 AED 452

-26.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 AED 5,446

$534 AED 1,961

177.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,079 AED 3,961

$410 AED 1,504

163.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 AED 11.2K

$1,128 AED 4,141

169.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,255 AED 8,276

$966 AED 3,546

133.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,706 AED 17.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,984 AED 11.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,602 AED 9,549

$3,776 AED 13.9K

-31.10%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Al Fujayrah: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,484 in Abu Dhabi and $534 in Al Fujayrah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Fujayrah pays 45% 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 $59.0 in Al Fujayrah. Groceries flip the comparison at $271 vs $288, 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 34% 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 45% 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: $1,484 in Abu Dhabi versus $534 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 104% less than in Abu Dhabi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $625 in Abu Dhabi versus $836 in Al Fujayrah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,616 in Al Fujayrah versus $2,171 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 $1,616 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 34% less than in Abu Dhabi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.