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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,149 in Abu Dhabi versus $1,498 in Fujairah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,434 in Abu Dhabi versus $2,391 in Fujairah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,719 in Abu Dhabi versus $3,285 in Fujairah.

Living in Abu Dhabi is roughly 43% more expensive than in Fujairah, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Abu Dhabi 61% above, Fujairah 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.88 AED 39.95

$6.76 AED 24.81

60.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 AED 254

$40.16 AED 148

72.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.70 AED 35.62

$6.76 AED 24.83

43.49%

Cappuccino

$6.00 AED 22.05

$5.64 AED 20.71

6.38%

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

$1.26 AED 4.62

$0.72 AED 2.65

75.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 AED 1.61

$0.55 AED 2.03

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.93 AED 40.15

$10.69 AED 39.25

2.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.75 AED 39.48

$10.17 AED 37.36

5.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$1.64 AED 6.01

16.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 AED 5.86

$1.34 AED 4.92

19.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.43 AED 8.93

$1.72 AED 6.32

41.28%

Eggs

$3.68 AED 13.52

$2.28 AED 8.36

61.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.59 AED 38.89

$12.49 AED 45.86

-15.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 AED 31.17

$7.55 AED 27.74

12.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.28 AED 41.44

$15.57 AED 57.2

-27.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 AED 8.75

$2.28 AED 8.36

4.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 AED 6.39

$1.82 AED 6.68

-4.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 AED 6.64

$1.55 AED 5.70

16.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 AED 5.53

$1.28 AED 4.69

17.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 AED 4.28

$1.01 AED 3.71

14.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 AED 5.13

$1.05 AED 3.85

33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 AED 6.84

$1.76 AED 6.46

5.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 AED 2.17

$0.50 AED 1.83

18.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.23 AED 22.90

$6.24 AED 22.92

-0.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.52 AED 49.64

$13.44 AED 49.35

0.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 AED 8.51

$2.55 AED 9.36

-9.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 AED 8.29

$2.19 AED 8.05

3.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 AED 2.55

$1.58 AED 5.81

-55.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.96 AED 95.3

$51.7 AED 190

-49.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$1.54 AED 5.64

110.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 AED 2.06

$0.70 AED 2.57

-20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$8.02 AED 29.45

-0.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.75 AED 2.77

$0.79 AED 2.89

-5.06%

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

$45.8K AED 168.2K

$44.6K AED 163.7K

2.75%

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

$22.6K AED 83.1K

$22.6K AED 82.9K

0.15%

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

$143 AED 526

$146 AED 537

-2.19%

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

$50.1 AED 184

$44.73 AED 164

12.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$102 AED 376

0.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.2 AED 240

$18.07 AED 66.4

261.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.30 AED 126

$39.29 AED 144

-12.70%

Cinema Ticket

$13.54 AED 49.73

$8.76 AED 32.18

54.57%

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

$621 AED 2,282

$215 AED 788

189.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K AED 44.3K

$5,178 AED 19.0K

132.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 AED 216

$114 AED 419

-48.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 AED 206

$55.0 AED 202

1.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 AED 343

$134 AED 493

-30.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 AED 326

$136 AED 498

-34.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,481 AED 5,440

$555 AED 2,039

166.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 AED 4,021

$405 AED 1,488

170.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,073 AED 11.3K

$1,492 AED 5,480

105.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,310 AED 8,485

$1,081 AED 3,969

113.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,810 AED 17.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,843 AED 10.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,887 AED 10.6K

$3,648 AED 13.4K

-20.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.19

4.88

6.35%

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

Last update for Abu Dhabi: July 14, 2026

Last update for Fujairah: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,481 in Abu Dhabi and $555 in Fujairah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fujairah pays 26% 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 $40.00 in Fujairah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $265 per month, with Fujairah 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 Fujairah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fujairah wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in Abu Dhabi. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Fujairah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 26% lower in Fujairah. 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: $1,481 in Abu Dhabi versus $555 in Fujairah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Fujairah runs roughly 99% 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 $215 in Fujairah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,498 in Fujairah versus $2,149 in Abu Dhabi, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Fujairah but tight or insufficient in Abu Dhabi. The gap between the two cities makes Fujairah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Fujairah delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,498 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Fujairah hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Abu Dhabi and Fujairah 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 Fujairah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Abu Dhabi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.