Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mussaffah and Ras al-Khaimah

For one person, living costs are similar in Mussaffah and in Ras al-Khaimah: $1,881 and $1,834 a month, rent and utilities included.

91

Cost of Living Index in Mussaffah
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Mussaffah Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Ras al-Khaimah
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Ras al-Khaimah Living Index

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Mussaffah

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$1,881

/mo nomad

Ras al-Khaimah

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$1,834

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mussaffah and in Ras al-Khaimah

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

A single person spends $1,881 per month in Mussaffah vs $1,834 in Ras al-Khaimah, rent included.

Mussaffah $1,881
Ras al-Khaimah $1,834

A couple spends around $3,357 per month in Mussaffah vs $2,800 in Ras al-Khaimah, rent included.

Mussaffah $3,357
Ras al-Khaimah $2,800

A family of three spends $4,833 per month in Mussaffah vs $3,765 in Ras al-Khaimah, rent included.

Mussaffah $4,833
Ras al-Khaimah $3,765

Mussaffah costs about 3% more than Ras al-Khaimah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Mussaffah and Ras al-Khaimah sit above the global median – Mussaffah by 38%, Ras al-Khaimah by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.89 AED 25.32

$13.44 AED 49.36

-48.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.36 AED 119

$40.94 AED 150

-20.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.61 AED 35.30

$7.42 AED 27.24

29.51%

Cappuccino

$4.82 AED 17.70

$5.59 AED 20.52

-13.77%

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

$0.74 AED 2.71

$1.10 AED 4.03

-32.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 AED 1.06

$0.45 AED 1.64

-35.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.70 AED 35.64

$10.39 AED 38.16

-6.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.44 AED 34.69

$9.61 AED 35.28

-1.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 AED 6.49

$1.72 AED 6.31

2.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 AED 4.24

$2.03 AED 7.45

-43.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 AED 7.11

$1.96 AED 7.20

-1.02%

Eggs

$3.21 AED 11.79

$2.39 AED 8.77

34.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.53 AED 31.33

$12.67 AED 46.54

-32.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.55 AED 24.05

$9.55 AED 35.08

-31.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.27 AED 37.73

$15.66 AED 57.5

-34.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 AED 8.33

$2.07 AED 7.60

9.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 AED 6.37

$1.66 AED 6.09

4.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 AED 4.85

$1.54 AED 5.66

-14.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 AED 4.73

$1.30 AED 4.76

-0.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 AED 3.81

$0.91 AED 3.35

14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 AED 4.05

$0.89 AED 3.26

23.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 AED 5.42

$1.73 AED 6.37

-14.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 AED 2.14

$0.46 AED 1.70

26.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.28 AED 23.06

$6.68 AED 24.54

-5.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.77 AED 50.6

$13.38 AED 49.16

2.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 AED 9.26

$2.63 AED 9.67

-4.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 AED 9.06

$2.87 AED 10.53

-13.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 AED 7.96

$2.12 AED 7.77

2.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.63 AED 124

$133 AED 487

-74.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 AED 11.96

$1.65 AED 6.06

97.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 AED 2.05

$0.81 AED 2.97

-30.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.39 AED 30.81

$8.40 AED 30.86

-0.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 AED 3.47

$0.91 AED 3.35

3.30%

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

$25.5K AED 93.5K

$26.4K AED 97.1K

-3.67%

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

$21.3K AED 78.2K

$21.7K AED 79.5K

-1.60%

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

$189 AED 695

$125 AED 460

51.18%

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

$58.4 AED 214

$38.58 AED 142

51.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$93.6 AED 344

$79.2 AED 291

18.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.7 AED 208

$54.1 AED 199

4.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.09 AED 103

$40.88 AED 150

-31.29%

Cinema Ticket

$13.85 AED 50.9

$13.17 AED 48.38

5.16%

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

$685 AED 2,516

$328 AED 1,203

109.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,383 AED 30.8K

$4,478 AED 16.4K

87.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 AED 216

$80.6 AED 296

-27.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.13 AED 177

$52.4 AED 192

-8.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 AED 399

$116 AED 428

-6.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.3 AED 354

$114 AED 418

-15.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 AED 2,958

$739 AED 2,714

8.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$818 AED 3,004

$643 AED 2,362

27.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,818 AED 6,678

$1,558 AED 5,722

16.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,720 AED 9,988

$1,227 AED 4,506

121.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,854 AED 17.8K

$6,263 AED 23.0K

-22.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,376 AED 8,727

$3,138 AED 11.5K

-24.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,910 AED 10.7K

$1,588 AED 5,831

83.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.55

4.92

-7.52%

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

Last update for Mussaffah: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ras al-Khaimah: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mussaffah

$818 43.5%

Ras al-Khaimah

$643 35.1% 21.4% $175

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mussaffah

$341 18.1%

Ras al-Khaimah

$243 13.2% 28.8% $98

Groceries & Markets

Mussaffah

$236 12.5%

Ras al-Khaimah

$283 15.4% 20.1% $47

Eating Out

Mussaffah

$213 11.3%

Ras al-Khaimah

$274 15% 28.5% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Mussaffah

$140 7.5%

Ras al-Khaimah

$163 8.9% 16.5% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Mussaffah

$84 4.5%

Ras al-Khaimah

$80 4.4% 4.7% $4

Getting Around

Mussaffah

$48 2.6%

Ras al-Khaimah

$147 8% 204% $98

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Mussaffah versus $739 in Ras al-Khaimah. 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 83% higher in Mussaffah. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Mussaffah versus $41 in Ras al-Khaimah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $236 vs $283 – making Mussaffah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Mussaffah

🇦🇪 Ras al-Khaimah

🕒 Local time

17:12 5:12 PM

Same time as Mussaffah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

243,341

241,000

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.244 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.244 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Mussaffah Ras al-Khaimah 220 km

From you

Mussaffah
Ras al-Khaimah

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

Mussaffah vs Ras al-Khaimah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mussaffah is pricier by about 3%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,822 per month in Mussaffah and $2,751 in Ras al-Khaimah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $805 in Mussaffah and $739 in Ras al-Khaimah. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $685 per month in Mussaffah and $328 in Ras al-Khaimah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 17% cheaper in Mussaffah – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,881 in Mussaffah and $1,834 in Ras al-Khaimah, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Ras al-Khaimah – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Ras al-Khaimah. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mussaffah makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.