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: $2,571 in Abu Dhabi versus $1,432 in Fujairah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,917 in Abu Dhabi versus $3,967 in Fujairah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,263 in Abu Dhabi versus $6,502 in Fujairah.

Living in Abu Dhabi is roughly 80% more expensive than in Fujairah, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Abu Dhabi 87% above, Fujairah 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.38 AED 30.76

$7.64 AED 28.05

9.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.1 AED 224

$45.21 AED 166

35.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 AED 34.76

$7.51 AED 27.58

26.10%

Cappuccino

$5.74 AED 21.09

$5.69 AED 20.90

0.88%

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

$1.19 AED 4.38

$1.10 AED 4.05

8.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 AED 1.49

$0.43 AED 1.57

-6.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.74 AED 43.10

$8.99 AED 33.01

30.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.76 AED 39.50

$9.64 AED 35.40

11.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 AED 6.90

$1.63 AED 6.00

15.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 AED 5.73

$1.32 AED 4.85

18.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 AED 8.01

$1.93 AED 7.09

12.95%

Eggs

$3.52 AED 12.95

$2.42 AED 8.87

45.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.12 AED 44.51

$12.85 AED 47.19

-5.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.14 AED 37.25

$9.44 AED 34.68

7.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.11 AED 37.11

$8.22 AED 30.18

22.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 AED 9.04

$1.75 AED 6.42

40.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 AED 7.17

$1.58 AED 5.82

23.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 AED 6.78

$1.47 AED 5.40

25.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 AED 5.57

$0.98 AED 3.59

55.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 AED 4.33

$0.83 AED 3.05

42.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 AED 4.34

$0.86 AED 3.15

37.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 AED 6.28

$0.84 AED 3.09

103.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 AED 1.95

$0.47 AED 1.73

12.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.90 AED 25.33

$5.31 AED 19.49

29.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.46 AED 49.43

$13.83 AED 50.8

-2.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 AED 9.40

$2.12 AED 7.79

20.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 AED 9.13

$2.51 AED 9.23

-0.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 AED 2.44

$3.36 AED 12.34

-80.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.42 AED 93.4

$40.52 AED 149

-37.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 AED 11.76

$2.92 AED 10.71

9.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 AED 1.90

$0.56 AED 2.05

-7.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.07 AED 29.65

$8.13 AED 29.87

-0.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 AED 3.43

$0.82 AED 3.01

13.41%

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

$29.7K AED 108.9K

$25.7K AED 94.3K

15.56%

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

$22.6K AED 82.9K

$20.1K AED 73.8K

12.38%

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

$180 AED 660

$125 AED 458

44.11%

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

$56.8 AED 209

$44.89 AED 165

26.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.3 AED 317

$78.5 AED 288

9.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.9 AED 327

$48.56 AED 178

83.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.88 AED 180

$13.83 AED 50.8

253.43%

Cinema Ticket

$14.76 AED 54.2

$11.02 AED 40.48

33.94%

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

$731 AED 2,686

$255 AED 938

186.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K AED 55.1K

$4,525 AED 16.6K

231.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 AED 236

$21.46 AED 78.8

198.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.72 AED 179

$13.66 AED 50.2

256.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 AED 398

$76.3 AED 280

42.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 AED 424

$61.8 AED 227

86.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 AED 7,135

$599 AED 2,200

224.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,389 AED 5,103

$541 AED 1,986

156.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,930 AED 14.4K

$5,180 AED 19.0K

-24.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,736 AED 10.0K

$4,718 AED 17.3K

-42.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,965 AED 18.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,878 AED 10.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,912 AED 10.7K

$3,663 AED 13.5K

-20.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.58

2.5

83.20%

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

Last update for Abu Dhabi: September 1, 2026

Last update for Fujairah: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,943 in Abu Dhabi and $599 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: $61.0 in Abu Dhabi vs $45.00 in Fujairah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $243 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 80% 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: $1,943 in Abu Dhabi versus $599 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 59% less than in Abu Dhabi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $731 in Abu Dhabi versus $255 in Fujairah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,432 in Fujairah versus $2,571 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 $1,432 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 80% less than in Abu Dhabi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.