Cost of Living Comparison Between Ras al-Khaimah and Abu Dhabi Cost of Living Comparison Between Ras al-Khaimah and Abu Dhabi

😐 Solo nomad: Ras al-Khaimah is 9% more expensive than Abu Dhabi without rent, and 10.9% cheaper with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Ras al-Khaimah is 2.7% more expensive than Abu Dhabi without rent, and 13.7% cheaper with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ras al-Khaimah
Abu Dhabi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.86 AED 50.9
$10.91 AED 40.05
27.04%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.57 AED 178
$67.5 AED 248
-28.09%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.72 AED 24.69
$9.26 AED 33.99
-27.43%
Cappuccino
$5.69 AED 20.91
$5.86 AED 21.53
-2.90%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.26 AED 4.61
$1.27 AED 4.65
-0.79%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.73 AED 2.68
$0.44 AED 1.61
65.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$11.11 AED 40.78
$10.7 AED 39.28
3.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$10.01 AED 36.75
$10.85 AED 39.84
-7.74%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ras al-Khaimah
Abu Dhabi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.58 AED 5.81
$1.94 AED 7.14
-18.56%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 AED 5.38
$1.55 AED 5.71
-5.81%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.8 AED 6.6
$2.46 AED 9.04
-26.83%
Eggs
$2.23 AED 8.19
$3.63 AED 13.33
-38.57%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.49 AED 45.85
$10.86 AED 39.89
15.01%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.62 AED 27.97
$8.52 AED 31.29
-10.56%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.1 AED 55.4
$11.11 AED 40.79
35.91%
Apples (1kg)
$2.18 AED 8.02
$2.39 AED 8.76
-8.79%
Banana (1kg)
$1.78 AED 6.53
$1.74 AED 6.4
2.30%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.5 AED 5.49
$1.88 AED 6.91
-20.21%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.31 AED 4.81
$1.51 AED 5.53
-13.25%
Potato (1kg)
$0.94 AED 3.46
$1.17 AED 4.31
-19.66%
Onion (1kg)
$1.04 AED 3.82
$1.37 AED 5.03
-24.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.79 AED 6.59
$1.78 AED 6.52
0.56%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.54 AED 1.98
$0.59 AED 2.15
-8.47%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.29 AED 23.1
$6.22 AED 22.86
1.13%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.73 AED 50.4
$13.47 AED 49.45
1.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.65 AED 9.74
$2.29 AED 8.42
15.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.94 AED 10.8
$2.16 AED 7.94
36.11%
🚌 Getting Around
Ras al-Khaimah
Abu Dhabi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.41 AED 8.87
$0.7 AED 2.55
244.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$63 AED 231
$26 AED 95.5
142.27%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.48 AED 5.43
$3.31 AED 12.14
-55.29%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.89 AED 3.28
$0.56 AED 2.07
58.93%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.07 AED 29.65
$8.41 AED 30.9
-4.04%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.81 AED 2.96
$0.76 AED 2.78
6.58%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$45.7K AED 167.7K
$45.1K AED 165.6K
1.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.6K AED 83.1K
$22.4K AED 82.1K
1.22%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ras al-Khaimah
Abu Dhabi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$151 AED 553
$141 AED 518
6.71%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$45.71 AED 168
$51.9 AED 191
-11.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$102 AED 373
$102 AED 374
-0.23%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ras al-Khaimah
Abu Dhabi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.6 AED 204
$64.4 AED 237
-13.70%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$40.92 AED 150
$34.84 AED 128
17.45%
Cinema Ticket
$13.14 AED 48.24
$13.57 AED 49.84
-3.17%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ras al-Khaimah
Abu Dhabi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$248 AED 912
$628 AED 2,308
-60.48%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,090 AED 18.7K
$12.4K AED 45.4K
-58.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ras al-Khaimah
Abu Dhabi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$116 AED 428
$58.4 AED 214
99.35%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.6 AED 201
$56.3 AED 207
-2.86%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$138 AED 507
$92.4 AED 339
49.33%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$138 AED 506
$90.9 AED 334
51.50%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ras al-Khaimah
Abu Dhabi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$742 AED 2,724
$1,492 AED 5,477
-50.27%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$776 AED 2,850
$1,079 AED 3,964
-28.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,010 AED 7,383
$2,994 AED 11K
-32.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,475 AED 5,417
$2,341 AED 8,597
-36.99%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,983 AED 18.3K
$5,479 AED 20.1K
-9.05%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,972 AED 7,241
$12.2K AED 44.8K
-83.84%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ras al-Khaimah
Abu Dhabi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,105 AED 7,729
$3,127 AED 11.5K
-32.70%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.88
5.19
-5.97%

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

Last update for Ras al-Khaimah: October 29, 2025

Last update for Abu Dhabi: October 29, 2025

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