Cost of Living Comparison Between Fayetteville, AR and Abu Dhabi Cost of Living Comparison Between Fayetteville, AR and Abu Dhabi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,186 in Fayetteville, AR versus $2,208 in Abu Dhabi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,372 in Fayetteville, AR versus $3,420 in Abu Dhabi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,559 in Fayetteville, AR versus $4,632 in Abu Dhabi.

Living in Fayetteville, AR costs roughly 1% less than in Abu Dhabi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fayetteville, AR 63% above, Abu Dhabi 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 $16.19

$10.95 AED 40.23

47.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.8 $59.8

$68.5 AED 252

-12.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.10 $9.10

$9.74 AED 35.77

-6.57%

Cappuccino

$4.85 $4.85

$5.77 AED 21.19

-15.94%

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

$2.19 $2.19

$1.30 AED 4.79

68.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 $1.36

$0.40 AED 1.48

240.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.99 $4.99

$11.11 AED 40.79

-55.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.06 $6.06

$10.82 AED 39.75

-43.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.93 AED 7.10

-50.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.60 AED 5.88

117.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.42 AED 8.90

28.51%

Eggs

$2.93 $2.93

$3.56 AED 13.06

-17.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.35 $8.35

$10.99 AED 40.35

-24.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.62 $8.62

$8.51 AED 31.27

1.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.32 $13.32

$11.29 AED 41.46

17.98%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 $4.57

$2.48 AED 9.11

84.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.75 AED 6.42

-20.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.90 AED 7.00

38.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 $3.99

$1.50 AED 5.53

166.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.13 AED 4.16

67.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.43 AED 5.26

76.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.85 AED 6.81

-21.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.63 AED 2.30

207.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.41 $8.41

$6.12 AED 22.47

37.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.29 $15.29

$13.56 AED 49.81

12.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 $1.63

$2.35 AED 8.62

-30.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.25 AED 8.25

-3.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 $2.01

$0.69 AED 2.54

191.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.31 AED 96.6

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.44 $2.44

$3.30 AED 12.11

-26.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.56 AED 2.07

128.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.15 $24.15

$7.95 AED 29.22

203.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$0.82 AED 3.00

-3.66%

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

$23.9K $23.9K

$44.2K AED 162.4K

-45.96%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$22.7K AED 83.3K

13.24%

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

$174 $174

$143 AED 526

21.68%

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

$52.6 $52.6

$50.6 AED 186

4.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.9 $62.9

$102 AED 374

-38.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.0 $71.0

$66.7 AED 245

6.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.42 AED 126

Cinema Ticket

$12.70 $12.70

$13.43 AED 49.31

-5.44%

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

$1,045 $1,045

$621 AED 2,282

68.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K $18.6K

$12.4K AED 45.4K

50.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.2 $53.2

$56.8 AED 209

-6.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.05 $42.05

$57.4 AED 211

-26.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$91.9 AED 337

11.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$89.8 AED 330

25.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 $1,530

$1,458 AED 5,355

4.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,038 $1,038

$1,083 AED 3,978

-4.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,800 $2,800

$3,071 AED 11.3K

-8.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,106 $2,106

$2,293 AED 8,420

-8.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,619 $2,619

$4,646 AED 17.1K

-43.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,188 $2,188

$2,957 AED 10.9K

-26.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,593 $3,593

$2,742 AED 10.1K

31.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.58

5.19

26.78%

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

Last update for Fayetteville, AR: June 6, 2026

Last update for Abu Dhabi: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,530 in Fayetteville, AR and $1,458 in Abu Dhabi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fayetteville, AR pays 31% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $60.0 in Fayetteville, AR vs $69.0 in Abu Dhabi. Groceries flip the comparison at $321 vs $271, with Abu Dhabi cheaper for home cooking.

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

Fayetteville, AR vs Abu Dhabi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fayetteville, AR wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Abu Dhabi. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Fayetteville, AR the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Fayetteville, AR pays 31% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,530 in Fayetteville, AR versus $1,458 in Abu Dhabi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,045 in Fayetteville, AR versus $621 in Abu Dhabi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Fayetteville, AR – a meal for two runs $60.0 versus $69.0 in Abu Dhabi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,186 in Fayetteville, AR versus $2,208 in Abu Dhabi, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Fayetteville, AR but tight or insufficient in Abu Dhabi. The gap between the two cities makes Fayetteville, AR the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Fayetteville, AR delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,186 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Fayetteville, AR hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Fayetteville, AR and Abu Dhabi are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Fayetteville, AR gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Abu Dhabi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.