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: $1,618 in Al Fujayrah versus $2,208 in Abu Dhabi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,618 in Al Fujayrah versus $3,420 in Abu Dhabi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,618 in Al Fujayrah versus $4,632 in Abu Dhabi.

Living in Al Fujayrah costs roughly 27% less than in Abu Dhabi, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Al Fujayrah 20% above, Abu Dhabi 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 AED 30.49

$10.95 AED 40.23

-24.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.1 AED 221

$68.5 AED 252

-12.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.77 AED 24.87

$9.74 AED 35.78

-30.49%

Cappuccino

$5.47 AED 20.08

$5.77 AED 21.19

-5.20%

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

$0.80 AED 2.93

$1.30 AED 4.79

-38.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 AED 2.20

$0.40 AED 1.48

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.02 AED 44.16

$11.11 AED 40.80

8.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.39 AED 49.18

$10.82 AED 39.75

23.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 AED 7.26

$1.93 AED 7.10

2.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$1.60 AED 5.88

-14.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 AED 8.31

$2.42 AED 8.90

-6.61%

Eggs

$3.34 AED 12.28

$3.56 AED 13.06

-6.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.16 AED 37.32

$10.99 AED 40.35

-7.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.62 AED 35.35

$8.51 AED 31.27

13.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.42 AED 45.61

$11.29 AED 41.46

10.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 AED 8.37

$2.48 AED 9.11

-8.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 AED 7.11

$1.75 AED 6.42

10.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$1.90 AED 7.00

0.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$1.50 AED 5.53

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 AED 4.57

$1.13 AED 4.16

10.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 AED 4.83

$1.43 AED 5.26

-7.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 AED 5.36

$1.85 AED 6.81

-21.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 AED 2.58

$0.63 AED 2.30

11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.43 AED 23.61

$6.12 AED 22.47

5.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.25 AED 59.7

$13.56 AED 49.81

19.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 AED 9.93

$2.35 AED 8.63

14.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 AED 12.56

$2.25 AED 8.25

52.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 AED 6.10

$0.69 AED 2.54

140.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.8 AED 194

$26.31 AED 96.7

100.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 AED 12.21

$3.30 AED 12.11

0.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 AED 2.91

$0.56 AED 2.07

41.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.24 AED 30.25

$7.95 AED 29.22

3.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 AED 2.87

$0.82 AED 3.00

-4.88%

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

$32.1K AED 118.0K

$44.2K AED 162.4K

-27.32%

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

$22.2K AED 81.4K

$22.7K AED 83.3K

-2.25%

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

$212 AED 779

$143 AED 526

48.01%

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

$61.7 AED 227

$50.6 AED 186

22.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$102 AED 376

$102 AED 374

0.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 AED 199

$66.7 AED 245

-18.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.32 AED 144

$34.42 AED 126

14.24%

Cinema Ticket

$15.05 AED 55.3

$13.43 AED 49.32

12.06%

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

$851 AED 3,125

$621 AED 2,282

36.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K AED 51.5K

$12.4K AED 45.4K

13.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.6 AED 307

$56.8 AED 209

47.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.0 AED 235

$57.4 AED 211

11.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 AED 423

$91.9 AED 337

25.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 AED 448

$89.8 AED 330

35.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$549 AED 2,015

$1,458 AED 5,355

-62.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$401 AED 1,472

$1,083 AED 3,978

-63.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 AED 4,212

$3,071 AED 11.3K

-62.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$971 AED 3,565

$2,293 AED 8,421

-57.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,646 AED 17.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,957 AED 10.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,814 AED 14.0K

$2,742 AED 10.1K

39.10%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Abu Dhabi: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $549 in Al Fujayrah and $1,458 in Abu Dhabi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Fujayrah pays 39% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $60.0 in Al Fujayrah vs $69.0 in Abu Dhabi. Groceries flip the comparison at $283 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 36% 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 39% 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: $549 in Al Fujayrah versus $1,458 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 101% less than in Abu Dhabi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $851 in Al Fujayrah versus $621 in Abu Dhabi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,618 in Al Fujayrah versus $2,208 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 $1,618 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 36% less than in Abu Dhabi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.