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: $2,216 in Abu Dhabi versus $1,469 in Fujairah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,511 in Abu Dhabi versus $2,391 in Fujairah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,805 in Abu Dhabi versus $3,313 in Fujairah.

Living in Abu Dhabi is roughly 51% more expensive than Fujairah, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Abu Dhabi 65% above, Fujairah 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.90 AED 40.04

$6.72 AED 24.67

62.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.1 AED 247

$40.39 AED 148

66.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 AED 34.77

$6.68 AED 24.54

41.77%

Cappuccino

$5.75 AED 21.11

$5.76 AED 21.16

-0.17%

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

$1.26 AED 4.64

$0.74 AED 2.71

70.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 AED 1.49

$0.56 AED 2.05

-26.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.76 AED 39.52

$10.79 AED 39.65

-0.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.91 AED 40.07

$10.27 AED 37.72

6.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 AED 7.12

$1.59 AED 5.83

22.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 AED 5.69

$1.32 AED 4.85

17.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 AED 8.75

$1.71 AED 6.27

39.18%

Eggs

$3.56 AED 13.07

$2.27 AED 8.34

56.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.98 AED 40.32

$12.94 AED 47.52

-15.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.77 AED 32.22

$7.88 AED 28.93

11.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.27 AED 41.38

$15.14 AED 55.6

-25.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.50 AED 9.19

$2.21 AED 8.13

13.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 AED 6.64

$1.80 AED 6.63

0.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 AED 6.94

$1.48 AED 5.43

27.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 AED 5.49

$1.30 AED 4.78

14.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.15

$1.01 AED 3.70

11.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 AED 5.13

$1.00 AED 3.67

40.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 AED 6.85

$1.74 AED 6.38

6.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 AED 2.17

$0.49 AED 1.82

20.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.13 AED 22.52

$6.36 AED 23.34

-3.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 AED 50.2

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 AED 8.64

$2.57 AED 9.44

-8.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 AED 7.96

$2.21 AED 8.11

-1.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 AED 2.58

$1.65 AED 6.05

-57.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.46 AED 93.5

$53.3 AED 196

-52.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 AED 12.15

$1.54 AED 5.64

114.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 AED 1.93

$0.71 AED 2.61

-26.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.32 AED 30.57

$8.03 AED 29.50

3.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 AED 2.98

$0.77 AED 2.83

5.19%

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

$45.7K AED 167.7K

$45.0K AED 165.2K

1.48%

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

$22.2K AED 81.5K

$21.9K AED 80.3K

1.49%

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

$143 AED 524

$146 AED 537

-2.45%

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

$50.7 AED 186

$45.74 AED 168

10.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$102 AED 373

$102 AED 375

-0.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.4 AED 240

$18.59 AED 68.3

251.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.65 AED 127

$39.94 AED 147

-13.24%

Cinema Ticket

$13.41 AED 49.24

$8.73 AED 32.07

53.61%

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

$640 AED 2,352

$220 AED 809

190.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K AED 45.2K

$5,209 AED 19.1K

136.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 AED 210

$118 AED 432

-51.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.2 AED 210

$55.1 AED 203

3.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 AED 338

$139 AED 509

-33.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 AED 328

$138 AED 508

-35.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,473 AED 5,410

$551 AED 2,023

167.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,101 AED 4,043

$405 AED 1,486

172.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,047 AED 11.2K

$1,517 AED 5,573

100.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,288 AED 8,404

$1,094 AED 4,019

109.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,700 AED 17.3K

$1,504 AED 5,524

212.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,933 AED 10.8K

$1,040 AED 3,821

181.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,776 AED 10.2K

$3,706 AED 13.6K

-25.08%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Fujairah: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,473 in Abu Dhabi and $551 in Fujairah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fujairah pays 33% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67.0 in Abu Dhabi vs $40.00 in Fujairah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 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 51% 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, Fujairah earns 33% 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: $1,473 in Abu Dhabi versus $551 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 109% less than in Abu Dhabi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $640 in Abu Dhabi versus $220 in Fujairah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,469 in Fujairah versus $2,216 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 $1,469 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 51% less than in Abu Dhabi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.