Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and United Arab Emirates Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and United Arab Emirates

Name: United Arab Emirates
Address: AE

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,509 per month in Australia vs $2,108 in United Arab Emirates, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,641 per month in Australia vs $3,483 in United Arab Emirates, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,772 per month in Australia vs $4,858 in United Arab Emirates, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 19% higher than in United Arab Emirates on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Australia and United Arab Emirates are pricier than the global median – Australia by 83%, United Arab Emirates by 54%.

Cost ranges are similar: Australia spans $1,174–$3,292, United Arab Emirates $1,417–$3,277. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.16 A$25.61

$9.46 AED 34.73

91.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.9 A$121

$55.3 AED 203

55.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.87 A$15.33

$9.77 AED 35.87

11.26%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.80

$5.59 AED 20.53

-26.48%

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

$3.04 A$4.29

$1.05 AED 3.84

189.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 A$3.48

$0.51 AED 1.86

384.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 A$11.09

$10.76 AED 39.53

-26.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.98 A$11.25

$12.26 AED 45.04

-34.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 A$2.44

$1.78 AED 6.53

-2.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$3.92

$1.41 AED 5.18

97.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.36

$2.14 AED 7.86

11.21%

Eggs

$5.08 A$7.17

$3.20 AED 11.76

58.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.98 A$14.07

$10.78 AED 39.59

-7.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.24 A$13.03

$8.60 AED 31.58

7.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.49 A$21.85

$11.25 AED 41.30

37.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 A$5.26

$2.34 AED 8.60

59.40%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.26

$1.76 AED 6.47

71.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 A$4.56

$1.70 AED 6.23

90.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.88 A$6.89

$1.38 AED 5.07

253.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 A$4.05

$1.10 AED 4.02

160.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.33

$1.03 AED 3.78

129.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 A$3.51

$1.46 AED 5.36

70.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 A$2.36

$0.56 AED 2.06

200.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.51 A$54.3

$6.31 AED 23.16

510.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 A$20.10

$13.36 AED 49.05

6.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.07 A$7.15

$2.43 AED 8.93

108.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.19 A$7.32

$2.73 AED 10.02

90.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.78 A$3.92

$1.65 AED 6.08

68.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.8 A$134

$53.6 AED 197

76.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 A$4.97

$3.32 AED 12.20

6.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 A$2.25

$0.62 AED 2.27

158.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.42 A$57.0

$8.30 AED 30.47

386.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 A$1.80

$0.92 AED 3.36

38.04%

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

$28.3K A$40.0K

$44.5K AED 163.3K

-36.23%

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

$28.6K A$40.4K

$22.2K AED 81.7K

28.78%

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

$202 A$285

$193 AED 709

4.59%

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

$29.08 A$41.02

$52.6 AED 193

-44.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.6 A$84.0

$92.4 AED 339

-35.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.3 A$83.6

$71.4 AED 262

-17.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.13 A$28.38

$35.44 AED 130

-43.20%

Cinema Ticket

$15.75 A$22.21

$13.51 AED 49.60

16.58%

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

$2,197 A$3,099

$557 AED 2,047

294.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K A$25.7K

$12.3K AED 45.1K

48.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 A$112

$64.8 AED 238

22.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.2 A$80.7

$58.1 AED 213

-1.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 A$161

$101 AED 370

13.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 A$176

$99.1 AED 364

25.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 A$2,229

$1,514 AED 5,560

4.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 A$1,820

$1,095 AED 4,022

17.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 A$3,568

$2,650 AED 9,731

-4.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,982 A$2,795

$2,026 AED 7,440

-2.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,571 A$12.1K

$5,627 AED 20.7K

52.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,120 A$8,631

$2,957 AED 10.9K

106.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,979 A$5,612

$2,801 AED 10.3K

42.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

4.63

28.08%

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

Last update for Australia: September 12, 2026

Last update for United Arab Emirates: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,387 in Australia vs $1,264 in United Arab Emirates. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,829 in Canberra and $1,997 in Abu Dhabi.

Average salary: $3,903 in Australia vs $2,859 in United Arab Emirates. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 10% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 68% more in Australia.

Public transport is 84% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 37% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

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

Australia vs United Arab Emirates: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Australia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 5% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in United Arab Emirates, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but United Arab Emirates consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Australia, contributing to the overall 5% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Australia, but in United Arab Emirates it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Australia is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.