Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Abha

For one person, living is cheaper in Abha: $1,060 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $22,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Abha
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Abha Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Abha

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,060

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Abha

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

A single person spends $2,896 per month in Dubai vs $1,060 in Abha, rent included.

Dubai $2,896
Abha $1,060

A couple spends around $4,384 per month in Dubai vs $1,757 in Abha, rent included.

Dubai $4,384
Abha $1,757

A family of three spends $5,872 per month in Dubai vs $2,454 in Abha, rent included.

Dubai $5,872
Abha $2,454

Dubai costs about 173% more than Abha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Dubai sits 115% above the global median, while Abha is 21% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$5.46 SAR 20.50

132.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$50.2 SAR 188

62.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$7.31 SAR 27.43

27.77%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.63 SAR 6.12

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 SAR 5.08

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$3.18 SAR 11.92

85.22%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$0.63 SAR 2.37

168.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$0.24 SAR 0.90

225.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$1.56 SAR 5.84

17.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$0.65 SAR 2.43

130.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$1.90 SAR 7.12

35.26%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$3.21 SAR 12.06

3.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$4.57 SAR 17.15

175.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$7.44 SAR 27.90

29.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$18.32 SAR 68.8

-30.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$2.10 SAR 7.88

23.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$1.96 SAR 7.36

-3.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$1.57 SAR 5.91

21.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$1.56 SAR 5.84

-12.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$2.25 SAR 8.46

-49.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$1.27 SAR 4.77

-20.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$0.33 SAR 1.25

336.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$0.47 SAR 1.78

42.55%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.44 SAR 16.65

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 SAR 4.41

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 SAR 5.44

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$9.58 SAR 35.95

-38.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$0.86 SAR 3.24

86.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

$37.13 SAR 139

104.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$2.89 SAR 10.85

12.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$2.59 SAR 9.74

-72.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$13.67 SAR 51.3

-41.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$0.59 SAR 2.22

66.10%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$45.2K SAR 169.5K

-39.36%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$19.2K SAR 71.9K

14.95%

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

$249 AED 913

$89.1 SAR 334

178.93%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$37.23 SAR 140

46.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$75.8 SAR 284

20.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

$92.6 SAR 348

11.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

$44.68 SAR 168

-5.28%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$15.72 SAR 59.0

3.63%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$213 SAR 797

296.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$4,189 SAR 15.7K

335.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$31.21 SAR 117

114.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$70.2 SAR 263

-17.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$95.9 SAR 360

6.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$66.5 SAR 250

48.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$316 SAR 1,185

657.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$251 SAR 941

511.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

$528 SAR 1,983

769.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$572 SAR 2,148

413.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

$932 SAR 3,497

656.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

$1,343 SAR 5,040

214.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

$2,229 SAR 8,366

55.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

-24.33%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Abha: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Abha

$251 23.7% 83.6% $1.3K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Abha

$202 19.1% 48.8% $192

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Abha

$107 10.1% 64.9% $198

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Abha

$201 19% 31.1% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Abha

$119 11.2% 19% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Abha

$124 11.7% 8.8% $12

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Abha

$56 5.3% 36.7% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,393 in Dubai versus $316 in Abha. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 55% higher in Dubai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $82.0 in Dubai versus $50.0 in Abha. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $201 – making Abha the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇸🇦 Abha

🕒 Local time

06:51 6:51 AM

05:51 5:51 AM

1 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

236,157

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dubai Abha 1,520 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Abha

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

Dubai vs Abha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dubai costs about 173% more than Abha, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,344 per month in Dubai and $1,591 in Abha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Abha, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 45% more in Dubai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $82.0 in Dubai and $50.0 in Abha. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Abha, where all-in costs run around $1,060, than in Dubai at $2,896. In Abha it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dubai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Abha costs $1,060 versus $2,896 in Dubai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Abha. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Dubai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.