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 $2,181 per month in Australia vs $1,932 in United Arab Emirates, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,218 per month in Australia vs $3,018 in United Arab Emirates, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,254 per month in Australia vs $4,103 in United Arab Emirates, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 13% 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 64%, United Arab Emirates by 45%.

Cost ranges are similar: Australia spans $1,595–$2,799, United Arab Emirates $1,461–$2,856. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.97 A$22.66

$8.05 AED 29.56

98.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.0 A$112

$66.9 AED 246

18.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 A$13.74

$9.30 AED 34.16

4.09%

Cappuccino

$3.58 A$5.08

$5.36 AED 19.68

-33.21%

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

$2.56 A$3.64

$1.09 AED 3.99

134.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 A$3.15

$0.58 AED 2.14

282.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.34 A$8.99

$11.36 AED 41.72

-44.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 A$9.86

$12.45 AED 45.73

-44.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.22

$1.88 AED 6.91

-17.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.59

$1.39 AED 5.12

82.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 A$2.83

$2.10 AED 7.71

-4.76%

Eggs

$4.26 A$6.05

$3.10 AED 11.37

37.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.75 A$12.42

$10.14 AED 37.24

-13.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.23 A$11.68

$8.59 AED 31.54

-4.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.15 A$20.08

$11.64 AED 42.75

21.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 A$4.63

$2.29 AED 8.42

42.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 A$3.99

$1.77 AED 6.49

58.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.26

$1.76 AED 6.45

70.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 A$6.12

$1.46 AED 5.36

195.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.62

$1.09 AED 4.02

133.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 A$3.07

$1.24 AED 4.55

74.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 A$3.15

$1.58 AED 5.80

40.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 A$2.17

$0.64 AED 2.36

139.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.28 A$44.38

$6.16 AED 22.62

407.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.09 A$20.00

$14.46 AED 53.1

-2.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.44 A$6.30

$2.27 AED 8.35

95.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 A$6.96

$2.91 AED 10.70

68.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 A$4.19

$1.37 AED 5.04

115.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.9 A$136

$55.5 AED 204

72.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 A$4.95

$3.30 AED 12.13

5.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 A$2.61

$0.71 AED 2.62

159.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.26 A$52.9

$8.33 AED 30.58

347.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 A$1.66

$0.80 AED 2.93

46.25%

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

$28.7K A$40.8K

$45.2K AED 166.1K

-36.46%

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

$22.5K A$31.9K

$22.3K AED 81.8K

0.86%

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

$173 A$246

$180 AED 662

-3.88%

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

$26.62 A$37.77

$59.1 AED 217

-54.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 A$75.3

$101 AED 371

-47.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.82 A$66.4

$70.6 AED 259

-33.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.38 A$23.25

$38.01 AED 140

-56.91%

Cinema Ticket

$13.56 A$19.24

$13.36 AED 49.08

1.50%

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

$1,571 A$2,229

$673 AED 2,473

133.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K A$17.9K

$11.9K AED 43.8K

5.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 A$102

$67.2 AED 247

7.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.6 A$73.2

$65.2 AED 239

-20.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 A$144

$99.1 AED 364

2.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$153

$104 AED 381

3.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 A$1,984

$1,749 AED 6,422

-20.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 A$1,541

$1,189 AED 4,368

-8.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,272 A$3,223

$3,325 AED 12.2K

-31.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,751 A$2,485

$2,406 AED 8,835

-27.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,955 A$11.3K

$5,846 AED 21.5K

36.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,978 A$8,483

$3,021 AED 11.1K

97.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,053 A$5,751

$2,829 AED 10.4K

43.28%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for United Arab Emirates: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,230 in Australia vs $1,114 in United Arab Emirates. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,557 in Canberra and $1,480 in Abu Dhabi.

Average salary: $3,808 in Australia vs $2,891 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 51% more in Australia.

Public transport is 31% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 32% 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

United Arab Emirates is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 2% 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 2% 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.