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 $2,184 per month in Australia vs $1,931 in United Arab Emirates, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,219 per month in Australia vs $3,007 in United Arab Emirates, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,253 per month in Australia vs $4,083 in United Arab Emirates, rent included.

Australia costs about 13% more than 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 63%, United Arab Emirates by 44%.

Both countries show comparable internal variation: Australia spans $1,592–$2,842, United Arab Emirates spans $1,463–$2,920. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.44 A$23.23

$8.00 AED 29.37

105.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.1 A$110

$67.0 AED 246

16.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.94 A$14.05

$9.36 AED 34.39

6.20%

Cappuccino

$3.60 A$5.08

$5.34 AED 19.63

-32.58%

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

$2.68 A$3.78

$1.07 AED 3.93

150.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 A$3.02

$0.58 AED 2.14

268.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.53 A$9.23

$11.44 AED 42.01

-42.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 A$9.96

$12.33 AED 45.28

-42.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 A$2.23

$1.91 AED 7.02

-17.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.57

$1.40 AED 5.14

80.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 A$2.93

$2.15 AED 7.90

-3.72%

Eggs

$4.30 A$6.08

$3.11 AED 11.41

38.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.03 A$12.76

$10.39 AED 38.17

-13.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.55 A$12.08

$8.85 AED 32.52

-3.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 A$19.72

$11.66 AED 42.83

19.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.49

$2.22 AED 8.15

43.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 A$4.01

$1.77 AED 6.49

60.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 A$4.17

$1.73 AED 6.35

70.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.43 A$6.26

$1.45 AED 5.32

205.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.47

$1.08 AED 3.98

127.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 A$3.07

$1.28 AED 4.70

69.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 A$3.24

$1.56 AED 5.74

46.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 A$2.22

$0.61 AED 2.24

157.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.87 A$43.61

$6.39 AED 23.48

383.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.06 A$19.86

$13.51 AED 49.63

4.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.55 A$6.43

$2.31 AED 8.49

96.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 A$6.80

$2.86 AED 10.49

68.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.87 A$4.05

$1.37 AED 5.04

109.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.8 A$135

$55.2 AED 203

73.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.65 A$5.15

$3.37 AED 12.37

8.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 A$2.49

$0.69 AED 2.54

155.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.27 A$54.1

$8.06 AED 29.59

374.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.63

$0.81 AED 2.96

41.98%

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

$28.4K A$40.1K

$43.9K AED 161.1K

-35.30%

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

$23.0K A$32.5K

$22.0K AED 80.8K

4.53%

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

$178 A$251

$184 AED 675

-3.21%

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

$26.46 A$37.38

$59.7 AED 219

-55.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 A$76.4

$100 AED 367

-45.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.64 A$65.9

$70.3 AED 258

-33.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.54 A$23.37

$39.23 AED 144

-57.84%

Cinema Ticket

$13.65 A$19.28

$13.56 AED 49.82

0.66%

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

$1,575 A$2,225

$673 AED 2,470

134.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$17.9K

$11.9K AED 43.6K

7.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.5 A$101

$67.5 AED 248

5.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 A$71.8

$64.7 AED 238

-21.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 A$142

$99.8 AED 367

0.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$153

$104 AED 383

3.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,384 A$1,955

$1,735 AED 6,373

-20.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 A$1,562

$1,167 AED 4,285

-5.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,298 A$3,246

$3,376 AED 12.4K

-31.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,728 A$2,441

$2,424 AED 8,902

-28.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,610 A$10.8K

$5,934 AED 21.8K

28.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,504 A$7,776

$3,098 AED 11.4K

77.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,002 A$5,654

$3,103 AED 11.4K

28.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

4.63

37.15%

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

Last update for Australia: June 7, 2026

Last update for United Arab Emirates: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,232 in Australia vs $1,111 in United Arab Emirates. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,568 in Canberra and $1,458 in Abu Dhabi.

Average salary: $3,845 in Australia vs $2,954 in United Arab Emirates. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 11% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 51% more in Australia.

Public transport is 29% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 30% higher in Australia, giving Australia stronger purchasing power.

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

United Arab Emirates is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 1% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

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

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in United Arab Emirates, contributing to the overall 1% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in United Arab Emirates, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

United Arab Emirates 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.