Cost of Living Comparison Between Pakistan and United Arab Emirates Cost of Living Comparison Between Pakistan and United Arab Emirates

Name: United Arab Emirates
Address: AE

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $449 in Pakistan versus $2,096 in United Arab Emirates.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $677 in Pakistan versus $3,501 in United Arab Emirates.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $904 in Pakistan versus $4,905 in United Arab Emirates.

Living in Pakistan costs about 79% less than in United Arab Emirates on average.

Pakistan (67% below) and United Arab Emirates (53% above) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in United Arab Emirates: monthly costs span $1,432 to $3,157, compared to $300–$589 in Pakistan. City choice carries more weight in United Arab Emirates.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.22 PKR 616

$9.64 AED 35.40

-76.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.09 PKR 3,904

$59.9 AED 220

-76.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.31 PKR 1,472

$9.65 AED 35.44

-44.97%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.11 PKR 585

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 PKR 1,129

Cappuccino

$1.97 PKR 547

$5.36 AED 19.68

-63.25%

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

$0.34 PKR 95.0

$1.14 AED 4.17

-70.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 PKR 60.6

$0.48 AED 1.76

-54.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.83 AED 39.76

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.18 AED 44.74

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 PKR 227

$1.77 AED 6.50

-53.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.62 PKR 173

$1.46 AED 5.35

-57.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 PKR 339

$2.21 AED 8.13

-44.80%

Eggs

$1.23 PKR 340

$3.08 AED 11.33

-60.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.61 PKR 1,556

$10.77 AED 39.53

-47.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 PKR 761

$8.90 AED 32.67

-69.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.89 PKR 1,356

$11.59 AED 42.56

-57.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.13 PKR 314

$2.32 AED 8.53

-51.29%

Banana (1kg)

$0.66 PKR 184

$1.74 AED 6.40

-62.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.87 PKR 240

$1.68 AED 6.17

-48.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.58 PKR 160

$1.32 AED 4.84

-56.06%

Potato (1kg)

$0.32 PKR 88.2

$1.09 AED 4.01

-70.64%

Onion (1kg)

$0.39 PKR 108

$1.06 AED 3.89

-63.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 PKR 96.0

$1.45 AED 5.32

-75.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 PKR 112

$0.57 AED 2.08

-28.07%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.92 PKR 533

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 PKR 313

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 PKR 631

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.10 PKR 582

$6.17 AED 22.67

-65.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.68 AED 53.9

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 AED 9.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 AED 10.28

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 PKR 46.59

$1.65 AED 6.06

-89.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.08 PKR 2,794

$48.39 AED 178

-79.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 255

$3.21 AED 11.81

-71.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 PKR 147

$0.67 AED 2.44

-20.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 PKR 584

$8.32 AED 30.56

-74.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 PKR 339

$0.85 AED 3.12

43.53%

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

$18.2K PKR 5.0M

$44.9K AED 164.9K

-59.46%

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

$25.0K PKR 6.9M

$22.3K AED 82.0K

11.84%

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

$106 PKR 29.4K

$194 AED 711

-45.19%

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

$5.27 PKR 1,462

$51.7 AED 190

-89.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.28 PKR 4,235

$91.4 AED 336

-83.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.96 PKR 4,423

$73.3 AED 269

-78.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.70 PKR 2,967

$35.23 AED 129

-69.63%

Cinema Ticket

$4.36 PKR 1,209

$13.35 AED 49.02

-67.34%

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

$42.86 PKR 11.9K

$550 AED 2,018

-92.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,314 PKR 364.1K

$12.5K AED 46.0K

-89.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.45 PKR 4,282

$64.1 AED 235

-75.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.06 PKR 6,391

$57.6 AED 212

-59.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.2 PKR 21.1K

$102 AED 375

-25.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$32.87 PKR 9,110

$102 AED 376

-67.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$134 PKR 37.2K

$1,616 AED 5,933

-91.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$75.4 PKR 20.9K

$1,146 AED 4,207

-93.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$295 PKR 81.7K

$2,695 AED 9,898

-89.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 PKR 46.5K

$2,025 AED 7,438

-91.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,000 PKR 277.3K

$5,680 AED 20.9K

-82.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$524 PKR 145.3K

$2,993 AED 11.0K

-82.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$189 PKR 52.4K

$2,789 AED 10.2K

-93.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.99

4.63

202.16%

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

Last update for Pakistan: August 29, 2026

Last update for United Arab Emirates: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $122 in Pakistan, $1,278 in United Arab Emirates. Capital cities: $277 in Islamabad vs $1,943 in Abu Dhabi.

National salary averages: $182 in Pakistan, $2,875 in United Arab Emirates. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 948% higher in United Arab Emirates.

Dining out costs 285% more in United Arab Emirates.

Public transport is 378% more expensive in United Arab Emirates.

Salaries are 1480% higher in United Arab Emirates, and purchasing power comes out stronger in United Arab Emirates.

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

Pakistan vs United Arab Emirates: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $445 per month in Pakistan and $2,295 in United Arab Emirates, there's a 416% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Pakistan: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in United Arab Emirates is consistently higher than in Pakistan across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Pakistan, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in United Arab Emirates it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Pakistan wins on affordability; United Arab Emirates may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.