Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and the United Arab Emirates

Name: United Arab Emirates
Address: AE

For one person, living is cheaper in the United Arab Emirates: $2,250 a month against $2,626 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Australia
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Australia Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in the United Arab Emirates
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United Arab Emirates Living Index

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🇦🇺 Australia

$2,626

/mo nomad

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,250

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Australia and in the United Arab Emirates

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

A single person spends $2,626 per month in Australia vs $2,250 in the United Arab Emirates, rent included.

Australia $2,626
United Arab Emirates $2,250

A couple spends around $3,810 per month in Australia vs $3,393 in the United Arab Emirates, rent included.

Australia $3,810
United Arab Emirates $3,393

A family of three spends $4,994 per month in Australia vs $4,536 in the United Arab Emirates, rent included.

Australia $4,994
United Arab Emirates $4,536

Cost ranges are similar: Australia spans $1,068–$3,303, the United Arab Emirates $1,437–$3,206. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

The cost of living in Australia is about 17% higher than in the United Arab Emirates on average.

Both Australia and the United Arab Emirates are pricier than the global median – Australia by 93%, the United Arab Emirates by 65%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 A$25.08

$9.69 AED 35.58

82.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.2 A$121

$63.2 AED 232

34.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 A$15.76

$9.42 AED 34.58

17.73%

Cappuccino

$3.90 A$5.54

$5.66 AED 20.79

-31.10%

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

$2.85 A$4.05

$1.05 AED 3.87

171.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 A$3.29

$0.47 AED 1.71

391.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.53 A$10.70

$11.94 AED 43.83

-36.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.59 A$12.20

$12.21 AED 44.83

-29.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 A$2.50

$1.80 AED 6.61

-2.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 A$3.99

$1.41 AED 5.18

99.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 A$3.19

$2.26 AED 8.30

-0.88%

Eggs

$5.02 A$7.14

$3.22 AED 11.84

55.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.87 A$14.02

$10.64 AED 39.07

-7.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 A$13.24

$8.93 AED 32.79

4.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.86 A$21.13

$11.86 AED 43.55

25.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 A$5.42

$2.36 AED 8.65

61.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 A$4.16

$1.85 AED 6.80

57.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.46

$1.76 AED 6.46

77.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 A$6.83

$1.39 AED 5.11

246.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 A$3.98

$1.06 AED 3.89

164.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.38

$1.05 AED 3.85

126.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 A$3.37

$1.56 AED 5.71

51.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 A$2.35

$0.56 AED 2.04

194.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$39.13 A$55.6

$6.24 AED 22.91

527.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.93 A$19.80

$13.45 AED 49.41

3.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.96 A$7.05

$2.37 AED 8.72

109.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 A$7.35

$2.75 AED 10.11

88.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 A$3.44

$1.40 AED 5.16

72.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.6 A$134

$39.13 AED 144

141.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 A$4.97

$3.19 AED 11.72

9.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 A$2.27

$0.64 AED 2.34

150.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.84 A$56.6

$8.04 AED 29.51

395.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 A$1.97

$0.97 AED 3.58

43.30%

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

$30.0K A$42.7K

$29.9K AED 109.7K

0.45%

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

$25.8K A$36.6K

$21.9K AED 80.3K

17.82%

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

$205 A$291

$195 AED 716

5.20%

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

$28.33 A$40.27

$53.6 AED 197

-47.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.8 A$83.5

$91.2 AED 335

-35.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 A$79.1

$71.2 AED 262

-21.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.57 A$27.82

$33.83 AED 124

-42.15%

Cinema Ticket

$15.38 A$21.86

$13.39 AED 49.18

14.86%

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

$2,145 A$3,049

$619 AED 2,273

246.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K A$26.1K

$12.6K AED 46.2K

45.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.3 A$111

$62.2 AED 228

25.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 A$80.0

$59.5 AED 218

-5.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 A$164

$101 AED 371

13.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 A$175

$105 AED 384

17.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,591 A$2,261

$1,546 AED 5,678

2.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 A$1,837

$1,084 AED 3,982

19.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,524 A$3,588

$2,594 AED 9,528

-2.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 A$2,850

$2,049 AED 7,524

-2.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,751 A$12.4K

$5,640 AED 20.7K

55.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,260 A$8,898

$3,108 AED 11.4K

101.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,984 A$5,663

$2,916 AED 10.7K

36.60%

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: October 27, 2026

Last update for the United Arab Emirates: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Australia

$1.3K 49.2%

United Arab Emirates

$1.1K 48.2% 16.1% $208

Groceries & Markets

Australia

$374 14.3%

United Arab Emirates

$265 11.8% 29% $109

Eating Out

Australia

$297 11.3%

United Arab Emirates

$264 11.7% 11% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Australia

$292 11.1%

United Arab Emirates

$340 15.1% 16.3% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Australia

$168 6.4%

United Arab Emirates

$147 6.6% 12.2% $21

Getting Around

Australia

$116 4.4%

United Arab Emirates

$51 2.3% 55.8% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Australia

$86 3.3%

United Arab Emirates

$98 4.4% 13.4% $12

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,383 in Australia vs $1,276 in the United Arab Emirates. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,749 in Canberra and $1,995 in Abu Dhabi.

Average salary: $3,874 in Australia vs $2,890 in the United Arab Emirates. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 8% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 71% more in Australia.

Public transport is 83% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 34% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Australia

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

🕒 Local time

10:16 10:16 AM

03:16 3:16 AM

7 h behind Australia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,473,055

9,890,400

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.244 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.1 AED (1 AED = 0.244 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Australia United Arab Emirates 11,950 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Australia
United Arab Emirates

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

The United Arab Emirates is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 14% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,383 versus $1,276 in the United Arab Emirates.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in the United Arab Emirates – part of why living there is about 14% cheaper overall.

The United Arab Emirates is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.