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: $1,662 in Al Fujayrah versus $2,145 in Abu Dhabi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,581 in Al Fujayrah versus $3,465 in Abu Dhabi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,499 in Al Fujayrah versus $4,784 in Abu Dhabi.

Living in Al Fujayrah costs roughly 23% less than in Abu Dhabi, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Al Fujayrah 25% above, Abu Dhabi 61% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 AED 29.12

$10.71 AED 39.32

-25.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.7 AED 219

$67.8 AED 249

-12.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.69 AED 24.58

$9.29 AED 34.10

-27.99%

Cappuccino

$5.70 AED 20.94

$5.99 AED 21.99

-4.84%

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

$0.86 AED 3.16

$1.28 AED 4.69

-32.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 AED 2.33

$0.40 AED 1.48

57.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.10 AED 44.43

$10.70 AED 39.30

13.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

$10.82 AED 39.73

24.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 AED 7.05

$2.01 AED 7.37

-4.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 AED 5.05

$1.60 AED 5.88

-14.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 AED 7.96

$2.45 AED 9.00

-11.43%

Eggs

$3.43 AED 12.58

$3.74 AED 13.75

-8.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.33 AED 37.94

$10.71 AED 39.32

-3.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 AED 34.38

$8.65 AED 31.77

8.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.37 AED 45.44

$11.19 AED 41.10

10.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 AED 8.33

$2.48 AED 9.12

-8.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 AED 6.87

$1.81 AED 6.63

3.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 AED 6.80

$1.88 AED 6.90

-1.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 AED 5.49

$1.45 AED 5.34

2.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 AED 4.52

$1.14 AED 4.18

7.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 AED 4.68

$1.38 AED 5.08

-7.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 AED 5.12

$1.80 AED 6.62

-22.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 AED 2.36

$0.60 AED 2.20

6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.38 AED 23.44

$6.08 AED 22.34

4.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.22 AED 59.6

$13.40 AED 49.23

21.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 AED 9.96

$2.32 AED 8.50

16.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 AED 12.79

$2.17 AED 7.96

60.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 AED 6.06

$0.65 AED 2.37

153.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.0 AED 191

$25.98 AED 95.4

100.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.32 AED 12.19

$3.34 AED 12.27

-0.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 AED 3.14

$0.52 AED 1.92

65.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.28 AED 30.42

$8.40 AED 30.86

-1.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.75 AED 2.75

$0.80 AED 2.92

-6.25%

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

$32.4K AED 119.0K

$45.7K AED 168.0K

-29.13%

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

$22.5K AED 82.4K

$22.5K AED 82.7K

-0.35%

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

$212 AED 777

$143 AED 524

48.36%

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

$62.2 AED 228

$51.3 AED 189

21.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$102 AED 376

$104 AED 381

-1.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 AED 203

$64.4 AED 237

-14.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.82 AED 143

$33.99 AED 125

14.21%

Cinema Ticket

$14.92 AED 54.8

$13.76 AED 50.5

8.43%

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

$833 AED 3,059

$636 AED 2,336

30.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K AED 51.6K

$12.2K AED 44.8K

15.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.8 AED 308

$57.7 AED 212

45.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.9 AED 235

$55.9 AED 205

14.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 AED 413

$92.9 AED 341

21.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 AED 437

$90.1 AED 331

32.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$538 AED 1,975

$1,480 AED 5,434

-63.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$406 AED 1,492

$1,092 AED 4,011

-62.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,138 AED 4,180

$3,054 AED 11.2K

-62.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$994 AED 3,651

$2,268 AED 8,329

-56.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,895 AED 18.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,853 AED 10.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,787 AED 13.9K

$2,873 AED 10.5K

31.84%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Abu Dhabi: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $538 in Al Fujayrah and $1,480 in Abu Dhabi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Fujayrah pays 32% 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 $68.0 in Abu Dhabi. Groceries flip the comparison at $280 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 29% 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.

Average pay runs 32% 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: $538 in Al Fujayrah versus $1,480 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 100% less than in Abu Dhabi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $833 in Al Fujayrah versus $636 in Abu Dhabi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,662 in Al Fujayrah versus $2,145 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 $1,662 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 29% less than in Abu Dhabi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.