Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Fujayrah and Abu Dhabi

For one person, living is cheaper in Abu Dhabi: $2,599 a month against $3,206 in Al Fujayrah, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Al Fujayrah outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

155

Cost of Living Index in Al Fujayrah
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Al Fujayrah Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Abu Dhabi
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Abu Dhabi Living Index

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Al Fujayrah

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$3,206

/mo nomad

Abu Dhabi

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,599

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Al Fujayrah and in Abu Dhabi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Al Fujayrah and in Abu Dhabi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,206 in Al Fujayrah versus $2,599 in Abu Dhabi.

Al Fujayrah $3,206
Abu Dhabi $2,599

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,790 in Al Fujayrah versus $3,887 in Abu Dhabi.

Al Fujayrah $4,790
Abu Dhabi $3,887

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,373 in Al Fujayrah versus $5,175 in Abu Dhabi.

Al Fujayrah $6,373
Abu Dhabi $5,175

Living in Al Fujayrah is roughly 23% more expensive than in Abu Dhabi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Al Fujayrah 136% above, Abu Dhabi 91% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.96 AED 29.22

$8.09 AED 29.72

-1.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.9 AED 220

$55.1 AED 202

8.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.74 AED 35.76

$9.89 AED 36.32

-1.52%

Cappuccino

$5.81 AED 21.34

$6.08 AED 22.33

-4.44%

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

$1.42 AED 5.20

$1.20 AED 4.39

18.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 AED 2.21

$0.43 AED 1.57

39.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.72 AED 50.4

$10.73 AED 39.41

27.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.88 AED 51.0

$11.04 AED 40.54

25.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.76

$1.92 AED 7.04

-4.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 AED 4.27

$1.60 AED 5.87

-27.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.52 AED 9.24

$2.28 AED 8.36

10.53%

Eggs

$3.52 AED 12.93

$3.57 AED 13.11

-1.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.50 AED 20.19

$11.50 AED 42.25

-52.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.22 AED 19.19

$9.92 AED 36.43

-47.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.78 AED 28.57

$10.03 AED 36.83

-22.43%

Apples (1kg)

$1.73 AED 6.34

$2.52 AED 9.24

-31.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 AED 4.90

$2.11 AED 7.75

-36.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 AED 4.76

$1.90 AED 6.97

-31.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 AED 5.20

$1.59 AED 5.84

-10.69%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 AED 3.62

$1.24 AED 4.57

-20.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 AED 3.84

$1.21 AED 4.45

-13.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 AED 4.05

$1.61 AED 5.91

-31.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 AED 2.43

$0.58 AED 2.13

13.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.39 AED 23.46

$6.50 AED 23.86

-1.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.41 AED 60.3

$13.42 AED 49.27

22.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 AED 9.63

$2.56 AED 9.39

2.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 AED 11.03

$2.52 AED 9.26

19.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 AED 10.57

$0.70 AED 2.59

311.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.16 AED 59.3

$25.62 AED 94.1

-36.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.77 AED 10.19

$3.32 AED 12.21

-16.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 AED 1.04

$0.52 AED 1.91

-46.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 AED 9.90

$8.01 AED 29.42

-66.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$0.99 AED 3.63

-21.21%

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

$26.3K AED 96.7K

$25.7K AED 94.4K

2.54%

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

$22.0K AED 80.7K

$21.2K AED 78.0K

3.39%

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

$239 AED 878

$189 AED 696

26.26%

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

$44.28 AED 163

$59.1 AED 217

-25.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.6 AED 336

$91.4 AED 336

0.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.6 AED 355

$91.4 AED 336

5.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.57 AED 109

$40.59 AED 149

-27.15%

Cinema Ticket

$9.95 AED 36.55

$16.47 AED 60.5

-39.59%

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

$275 AED 1,009

$843 AED 3,098

-67.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,443 AED 16.3K

$14.7K AED 54.1K

-69.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.39 AED 108

$61.9 AED 227

-52.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 AED 202

$48.12 AED 177

14.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 AED 378

$113 AED 414

-8.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.9 AED 297

$112 AED 412

-27.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,379 AED 8,739

$1,995 AED 7,327

19.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 AED 7,628

$1,422 AED 5,222

46.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,048 AED 18.5K

$3,780 AED 13.9K

33.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,064 AED 14.9K

$2,693 AED 9,889

50.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,416 AED 19.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,584 AED 13.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,673 AED 13.5K

$3,102 AED 11.4K

18.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.55

-56.04%

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

Last update for Al Fujayrah: October 26, 2026

Last update for Abu Dhabi: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Al Fujayrah

$2.1K 64.8%

Abu Dhabi

$1.4K 54.7% 31.5% $655

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al Fujayrah

$375 11.7%

Abu Dhabi

$340 13.1% 9.4% $35

Eating Out

Al Fujayrah

$267 8.3%

Abu Dhabi

$250 9.6% 6.5% $17

Groceries & Markets

Al Fujayrah

$218 6.8%

Abu Dhabi

$278 10.7% 27.2% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Al Fujayrah

$121 3.8%

Abu Dhabi

$151 5.8% 24.9% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Al Fujayrah

$116 3.6%

Abu Dhabi

$124 4.8% 6.8% $7.9

Getting Around

Al Fujayrah

$32 1%

Abu Dhabi

$34 1.3% 7.9% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,379 in Al Fujayrah and $1,995 in Abu Dhabi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Fujayrah pays 18% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $60 in Al Fujayrah vs $55 in Abu Dhabi. Groceries flip the comparison at $218 vs $278, with Al Fujayrah cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Al Fujayrah

🇦🇪 Abu Dhabi

🕒 Local time

06:44 6:44 AM

Same time as Al Fujayrah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

118,933

921,000 Capital

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.244 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.244 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Al Fujayrah Abu Dhabi 200 km

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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

Abu Dhabi wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Al Fujayrah. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Abu Dhabi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 18% higher in Al Fujayrah, 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: $2,379 in Al Fujayrah versus $1,995 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 37% less than in Abu Dhabi. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $275 in Al Fujayrah versus $843 in Abu Dhabi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Abu Dhabi is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Al Fujayrah and Abu Dhabi are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Abu Dhabi wins on affordability, Al Fujayrah on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.