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 11% more expensive than Abu Dhabi without rent, and 8.7% cheaper with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Ras al-Khaimah is 5.7% more expensive than Abu Dhabi without rent, and 14.3% cheaper with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ras al-Khaimah
Abu Dhabi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.69 AED 50.2
$10.84 AED 39.77
26.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.35 AED 177
$67.7 AED 249
-28.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.99 AED 25.65
$9.31 AED 34.15
-24.92%
Cappuccino
$5.69 AED 20.87
$5.85 AED 21.49
-2.74%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 AED 4.81
$1.27 AED 4.66
3.15%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.67 AED 2.47
$0.40 AED 1.48
67.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$11.01 AED 40.39
$10.78 AED 39.57
2.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$10.30 AED 37.79
$10.83 AED 39.75
-4.89%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ras al-Khaimah
Abu Dhabi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.64 AED 6.03
$2.02 AED 7.40
-18.81%
White Bread (500g)
$1.50 AED 5.51
$1.53 AED 5.60
-1.96%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.72 AED 6.31
$2.41 AED 8.86
-28.63%
Eggs
$2.27 AED 8.33
$3.68 AED 13.49
-38.32%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.65 AED 46.41
$10.64 AED 39.05
18.89%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.55 AED 27.72
$8.49 AED 31.16
-11.07%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.14 AED 55.6
$11.15 AED 40.92
35.78%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 AED 8.46
$2.40 AED 8.81
-4.17%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 AED 6.43
$1.75 AED 6.42
-
Oranges (1kg)
$1.53 AED 5.63
$1.89 AED 6.94
-19.05%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.31 AED 4.82
$1.50 AED 5.52
-12.67%
Potato (1kg)
$0.95 AED 3.50
$1.14 AED 4.18
-16.67%
Onion (1kg)
$1.04 AED 3.80
$1.40 AED 5.12
-25.71%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.74 AED 6.39
$1.78 AED 6.52
-2.25%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.54 AED 1.98
$0.63 AED 2.32
-14.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.35 AED 23.30
$6.36 AED 23.34
-0.16%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.80 AED 50.6
$13.60 AED 49.90
1.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.53 AED 9.27
$2.36 AED 8.66
7.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 AED 11.00
$2.18 AED 7.99
37.61%
🚌 Getting Around
Ras al-Khaimah
Abu Dhabi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.45 AED 8.99
$0.71 AED 2.59
245.07%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$64.5 AED 237
$26.02 AED 95.5
147.69%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.53 AED 5.63
$3.30 AED 12.11
-53.64%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.95 AED 3.48
$0.55 AED 2.03
72.73%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.27 AED 30.35
$7.93 AED 29.12
4.29%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.81 AED 2.99
$0.76 AED 2.78
6.58%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$45.6K AED 167.3K
$45.1K AED 165.5K
1.10%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.8K AED 83.5K
$22.6K AED 83.0K
0.65%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ras al-Khaimah
Abu Dhabi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$150 AED 550
$144 AED 530
3.85%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$45.51 AED 167
$51.4 AED 189
-11.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$101 AED 372
$102 AED 376
-0.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ras al-Khaimah
Abu Dhabi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.7 AED 208
$66.5 AED 244
-14.70%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$41.35 AED 152
$34.45 AED 126
20.03%
Cinema Ticket
$13.48 AED 49.48
$13.77 AED 50.5
-2.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ras al-Khaimah
Abu Dhabi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$245 AED 898
$631 AED 2,315
-61.21%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,246 AED 19.3K
$12.1K AED 44.6K
-56.82%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ras al-Khaimah
Abu Dhabi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$117 AED 431
$56.8 AED 208
106.94%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.5 AED 196
$57.1 AED 209
-6.31%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$136 AED 501
$93.5 AED 343
45.99%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$138 AED 508
$89.8 AED 330
53.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ras al-Khaimah
Abu Dhabi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$715 AED 2,625
$1,466 AED 5,381
-51.22%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$769 AED 2,823
$1,064 AED 3,903
-27.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,990 AED 7,303
$3,018 AED 11.1K
-34.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,522 AED 5,584
$2,262 AED 8,303
-32.74%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,958 AED 18.2K
$4,766 AED 17.5K
4.04%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,965 AED 7,213
$3,024 AED 11.1K
-35.00%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ras al-Khaimah
Abu Dhabi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,684 AED 6,179
$2,603 AED 9,552
-35.31%
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: March 3, 2026

Last update for Abu Dhabi: March 2, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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