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: $391 in Pakistan versus $1,919 in United Arab Emirates.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $592 in Pakistan versus $3,002 in United Arab Emirates.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $792 in Pakistan versus $4,085 in United Arab Emirates.

Living in Pakistan costs about 80% less than in United Arab Emirates on average.

Pakistan (71% below) and United Arab Emirates (44% above) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in United Arab Emirates: monthly costs span $1,498 to $2,832, compared to $286–$534 in Pakistan. City choice carries more weight in United Arab Emirates.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.81 PKR 503

$8.02 AED 29.44

-77.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.15 PKR 3,375

$69.0 AED 253

-82.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.29 PKR 1,190

$9.48 AED 34.83

-54.75%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 PKR 485

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 PKR 1,106

Cappuccino

$1.74 PKR 482

$5.47 AED 20.11

-68.19%

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

$0.36 PKR 100

$1.12 AED 4.13

-67.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 PKR 58.3

$0.54 AED 2.00

-61.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.52 AED 42.29

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.49 AED 45.87

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 PKR 216

$1.92 AED 7.04

-59.38%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 PKR 155

$1.44 AED 5.28

-61.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 PKR 337

$2.17 AED 7.95

-44.24%

Eggs

$1.20 PKR 334

$3.11 AED 11.44

-61.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.69 PKR 1,579

$10.16 AED 37.33

-44.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.84 PKR 789

$8.45 AED 31.03

-66.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.09 PKR 1,135

$11.64 AED 42.74

-64.86%

Apples (1kg)

$1.00 PKR 279

$2.29 AED 8.40

-56.33%

Banana (1kg)

$0.61 PKR 170

$1.78 AED 6.53

-65.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.76 PKR 212

$1.75 AED 6.44

-56.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 PKR 145

$1.43 AED 5.26

-63.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 PKR 106

$1.14 AED 4.19

-66.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.51 PKR 143

$1.23 AED 4.50

-58.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.38 PKR 106

$1.56 AED 5.71

-75.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.36 PKR 98.8

$0.60 AED 2.22

-40.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.01 PKR 559

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 PKR 304

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 PKR 578

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.96 PKR 545

$6.11 AED 22.43

-67.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.82 AED 54.4

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 AED 8.73

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 AED 10.47

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 PKR 56.1

$1.38 AED 5.06

-85.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.24 PKR 2,011

$54.7 AED 201

-86.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 PKR 232

$3.31 AED 12.16

-74.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 PKR 145

$0.70 AED 2.58

-25.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.79 PKR 496

$8.05 AED 29.55

-77.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 PKR 248

$0.75 AED 2.75

18.67%

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

$17.8K PKR 4.9M

$44.5K AED 163.3K

-59.95%

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

$23.7K PKR 6.6M

$22.6K AED 83.0K

5.11%

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

$110 PKR 30.5K

$180 AED 662

-39.05%

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

$4.58 PKR 1,270

$58.5 AED 215

-92.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.58 PKR 4,326

$99.7 AED 366

-84.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.28 PKR 3,687

$70.0 AED 257

-81.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.84 PKR 2,456

$39.16 AED 144

-77.43%

Cinema Ticket

$4.13 PKR 1,148

$13.76 AED 50.5

-69.99%

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

$39.62 PKR 11.0K

$684 AED 2,511

-94.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,170 PKR 324.9K

$12.2K AED 44.7K

-90.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.59 PKR 4,330

$68.3 AED 251

-77.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.77 PKR 6,601

$65.1 AED 239

-63.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.9 PKR 20.0K

$101 AED 371

-28.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$32.15 PKR 8,928

$105 AED 387

-69.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$115 PKR 31.9K

$1,705 AED 6,261

-93.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$66.3 PKR 18.4K

$1,185 AED 4,351

-94.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$274 PKR 76.1K

$3,292 AED 12.1K

-91.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$163 PKR 45.2K

$2,446 AED 8,983

-93.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$965 PKR 268.0K

$6,000 AED 22.0K

-83.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$502 PKR 139.4K

$3,034 AED 11.1K

-83.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$186 PKR 51.6K

$2,844 AED 10.4K

-93.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.97

4.63

309.72%

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

Last update for Pakistan: July 12, 2026

Last update for United Arab Emirates: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $78.0 in Pakistan, $1,121 in United Arab Emirates. Capital cities: $199 in Islamabad vs $1,481 in Abu Dhabi.

National salary averages: $181 in Pakistan, $2,860 in United Arab Emirates. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1337% higher in United Arab Emirates.

Dining out costs 364% more in United Arab Emirates.

Public transport is 629% 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 $410 per month in Pakistan and $2,165 in United Arab Emirates, there's a 428% 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.