Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Fujayrah and Abu Dhabi Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Fujayrah and Abu Dhabi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,616 in Al Fujayrah versus $2,171 in Abu Dhabi.

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

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

Living in Al Fujayrah costs roughly 26% less than in Abu Dhabi, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.23 AED 30.22

$10.98 AED 40.29

-25.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.8 AED 216

$69.2 AED 254

-15.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 AED 25.27

$9.57 AED 35.13

-28.00%

Cappuccino

$5.47 AED 20.08

$5.96 AED 21.87

-8.22%

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

$0.84 AED 3.09

$1.31 AED 4.81

-35.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 AED 2.16

$0.41 AED 1.49

43.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.37 AED 45.39

$10.80 AED 39.62

14.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.87 AED 50.9

$10.85 AED 39.82

27.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 AED 7.20

$1.95 AED 7.14

0.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 AED 5.22

$1.55 AED 5.69

-8.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 AED 7.97

$2.35 AED 8.61

-7.66%

Eggs

$3.33 AED 12.22

$3.56 AED 13.08

-6.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 AED 36.76

$10.87 AED 39.89

-7.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 AED 34.83

$8.81 AED 32.32

7.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.73 AED 46.72

$11.30 AED 41.47

12.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.36 AED 8.68

$2.37 AED 8.69

-0.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 AED 7.09

$1.74 AED 6.38

10.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 AED 6.77

$1.86 AED 6.84

-1.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 AED 5.63

$1.46 AED 5.36

4.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 AED 4.38

$1.17 AED 4.28

1.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 AED 4.63

$1.42 AED 5.22

-11.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 AED 5.16

$1.84 AED 6.77

-23.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 AED 2.51

$0.64 AED 2.35

7.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.72 AED 24.66

$6.34 AED 23.28

5.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.99 AED 69.7

$13.67 AED 50.2

38.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 AED 9.75

$2.27 AED 8.35

17.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 AED 12.87

$2.24 AED 8.22

56.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$0.67 AED 2.45

138.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.8 AED 190

$25.39 AED 93.2

104.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 AED 12.28

$3.23 AED 11.86

3.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 AED 2.94

$0.52 AED 1.91

53.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.39 AED 30.81

$8.03 AED 29.48

4.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$0.81 AED 2.96

-3.70%

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

$32.7K AED 120.1K

$45.5K AED 167.2K

-28.13%

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

$22.6K AED 83.0K

$22.1K AED 80.9K

2.56%

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

$211 AED 774

$143 AED 526

47.14%

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

$61.8 AED 227

$51.1 AED 188

20.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$101 AED 370

$101 AED 372

-0.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 AED 197

$64.3 AED 236

-16.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.32 AED 144

$34.00 AED 125

15.65%

Cinema Ticket

$14.97 AED 54.9

$13.46 AED 49.39

11.22%

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

$836 AED 3,069

$625 AED 2,292

33.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K AED 51.7K

$12.2K AED 44.8K

15.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.8 AED 308

$58.3 AED 214

43.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.9 AED 234

$56.1 AED 206

13.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 AED 413

$92.3 AED 339

21.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 AED 452

$90.3 AED 331

36.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$534 AED 1,961

$1,484 AED 5,446

-63.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$410 AED 1,504

$1,079 AED 3,961

-62.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,128 AED 4,141

$3,043 AED 11.2K

-62.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$966 AED 3,546

$2,255 AED 8,276

-57.15%

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)

$3,776 AED 13.9K

$2,602 AED 9,549

45.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.49

5.19

-13.49%

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

Last update for Al Fujayrah: April 27, 2026

Last update for Abu Dhabi: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $534 in Al Fujayrah and $1,484 in Abu Dhabi. 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: $59.0 in Al Fujayrah vs $69.0 in Abu Dhabi. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $271, 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

Al Fujayrah vs Abu Dhabi: 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.

Al Fujayrah pays 45% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $534 in Al Fujayrah versus $1,484 in Abu Dhabi. 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 $836 in Al Fujayrah versus $625 in Abu Dhabi. 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, Al Fujayrah and Abu Dhabi 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.