Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Abu Dhabi Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Abu Dhabi

šŸ˜ Solo nomad: Dubai is 15.6% more expensive than Abu Dhabi without rent, and 33.7% more expensive with rent.
šŸ˜ Family of 3: Dubai is 20.1% more expensive than Abu Dhabi without rent, and 22.5% more expensive with rent.
Currency
šŸ½ Eating Out
Dubai
Abu Dhabi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.73 AEDĀ 39.37
$10.84 AEDĀ 39.77
-1.01%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$82.2 AEDĀ 302
$67.7 AEDĀ 249
21.38%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.32 AEDĀ 34.21
$9.31 AEDĀ 34.15
0.11%
Cappuccino
$5.72 AEDĀ 21.01
$5.85 AEDĀ 21.49
-2.22%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.23 AEDĀ 4.53
$1.27 AEDĀ 4.66
-3.15%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94 AEDĀ 3.43
$0.40 AEDĀ 1.48
135.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$12.21 AEDĀ 44.81
$10.78 AEDĀ 39.57
13.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$13.41 AEDĀ 49.22
$10.83 AEDĀ 39.75
23.82%
šŸ›’ Groceries & Markets
Dubai
Abu Dhabi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.01 AEDĀ 7.37
$2.02 AEDĀ 7.40
-0.50%
White Bread (500g)
$1.37 AEDĀ 5.02
$1.53 AEDĀ 5.60
-10.46%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.20 AEDĀ 8.09
$2.41 AEDĀ 8.86
-8.71%
Eggs
$3.37 AEDĀ 12.38
$3.68 AEDĀ 13.49
-8.42%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.11 AEDĀ 37.09
$10.64 AEDĀ 39.05
-4.98%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.49 AEDĀ 34.81
$8.49 AEDĀ 31.16
11.78%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.48 AEDĀ 45.78
$11.15 AEDĀ 40.92
11.93%
Apples (1kg)
$2.39 AEDĀ 8.78
$2.40 AEDĀ 8.81
-0.42%
Banana (1kg)
$1.96 AEDĀ 7.20
$1.75 AEDĀ 6.42
12.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 AEDĀ 6.84
$1.89 AEDĀ 6.94
-1.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 AEDĀ 5.49
$1.50 AEDĀ 5.52
-
Potato (1kg)
$1.18 AEDĀ 4.34
$1.14 AEDĀ 4.18
3.51%
Onion (1kg)
$1.30 AEDĀ 4.78
$1.40 AEDĀ 5.12
-7.14%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.43 AEDĀ 5.26
$1.78 AEDĀ 6.52
-19.66%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.69 AEDĀ 2.54
$0.63 AEDĀ 2.32
9.52%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.68 AEDĀ 24.50
$6.36 AEDĀ 23.34
5.03%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.88 AEDĀ 69.3
$13.60 AEDĀ 49.90
38.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.65 AEDĀ 9.74
$2.36 AEDĀ 8.66
12.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.43 AEDĀ 12.59
$2.18 AEDĀ 7.99
57.34%
šŸšŒ Getting Around
Dubai
Abu Dhabi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.60 AEDĀ 5.86
$0.71 AEDĀ 2.59
125.35%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$81.0 AEDĀ 297
$26.02 AEDĀ 95.5
211.41%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.22 AEDĀ 11.80
$3.30 AEDĀ 12.11
-2.42%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.80 AEDĀ 2.92
$0.55 AEDĀ 2.03
45.45%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.28 AEDĀ 30.40
$7.93 AEDĀ 29.12
4.41%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.75 AEDĀ 2.75
$0.76 AEDĀ 2.78
-1.32%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.7K AEDĀ 120.0K
$45.1K AEDĀ 165.5K
-27.50%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.4K AEDĀ 82.2K
$22.6K AEDĀ 83.0K
-0.94%
šŸ§¾ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dubai
Abu Dhabi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$215 AEDĀ 790
$144 AEDĀ 530
49.21%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$62.6 AEDĀ 230
$51.4 AEDĀ 189
21.88%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$103 AEDĀ 379
$102 AEDĀ 376
0.68%
šŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Dubai
Abu Dhabi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$89.1 AEDĀ 327
$66.5 AEDĀ 244
33.97%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$47.01 AEDĀ 173
$34.45 AEDĀ 126
36.46%
Cinema Ticket
$15.14 AEDĀ 55.6
$13.77 AEDĀ 50.5
9.95%
šŸ§ø Childcare & Education
Dubai
Abu Dhabi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$834 AEDĀ 3,062
$631 AEDĀ 2,315
32.27%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.5K AEDĀ 53.1K
$12.1K AEDĀ 44.6K
19.10%
šŸ‘•šŸ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Dubai
Abu Dhabi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$83.7 AEDĀ 307
$56.8 AEDĀ 208
47.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$62.5 AEDĀ 229
$57.1 AEDĀ 209
9.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 AEDĀ 411
$93.5 AEDĀ 343
19.90%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 AEDĀ 448
$89.8 AEDĀ 330
35.89%
šŸ  Accommodation & Living
Dubai
Abu Dhabi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,390 AEDĀ 8,769
$1,466 AEDĀ 5,381
62.98%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,560 AEDĀ 5,726
$1,064 AEDĀ 3,903
46.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,546 AEDĀ 16.7K
$3,018 AEDĀ 11.1K
50.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,006 AEDĀ 11.0K
$2,262 AEDĀ 8,303
32.86%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,269 AEDĀ 26.7K
$4,766 AEDĀ 17.5K
52.52%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,104 AEDĀ 15.1K
$3,024 AEDĀ 11.1K
35.72%
šŸ’µ Salaries & Financials
Dubai
Abu Dhabi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,017 AEDĀ 14.7K
$2,603 AEDĀ 9,552
54.35%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.49
5.19
-13.49%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input ā€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Dubai: March 1, 2026

Last update for Abu Dhabi: March 2, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)
The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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