Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Augustine, FL and Abu Dhabi Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Augustine, FL and Abu Dhabi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,667 in St. Augustine, FL versus $2,216 in Abu Dhabi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,804 in St. Augustine, FL versus $3,511 in Abu Dhabi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,941 in St. Augustine, FL versus $4,805 in Abu Dhabi.

Living in St. Augustine, FL is roughly 20% more expensive than Abu Dhabi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St. Augustine, FL 99% above, Abu Dhabi 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.71 $19.71

$10.90 AED 40.04

80.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.8 $75.8

$67.1 AED 247

12.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 $9.68

$9.47 AED 34.77

2.22%

Cappuccino

$3.15 $3.15

$5.75 AED 21.11

-45.22%

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

$2.25 $2.25

$1.26 AED 4.64

78.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 $1.32

$0.41 AED 1.49

221.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.55 $4.55

$10.76 AED 39.52

-57.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.15 $7.15

$10.91 AED 40.07

-34.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.94 AED 7.12

-50.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.55 AED 5.69

22.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.38 AED 8.75

86.55%

Eggs

$3.57 $3.57

$3.56 AED 13.07

0.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.02 $12.02

$10.98 AED 40.32

9.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 $9.50

$8.77 AED 32.22

8.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.96 $17.96

$11.27 AED 41.38

59.36%

Apples (1kg)

$5.50 $5.50

$2.50 AED 9.19

120.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.81 AED 6.64

-17.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 $3.20

$1.89 AED 6.94

69.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.35 $3.35

$1.49 AED 5.49

124.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.13 AED 4.15

46.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.40 AED 5.13

88.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.86 AED 6.85

13.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$0.59 AED 2.17

222.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.37 $6.37

$6.13 AED 22.52

3.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.27 $12.27

$13.68 AED 50.2

-10.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.35 AED 8.64

-19.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.17 AED 7.96

12.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$0.70 AED 2.58

190.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.46 AED 93.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.77 $4.77

$3.31 AED 12.15

44.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 $1.47

$0.52 AED 1.93

182.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.43 $22.43

$8.32 AED 30.57

169.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$0.81 AED 2.98

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

$43.6K $43.6K

$45.7K AED 167.7K

-4.49%

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

$22.9K $22.9K

$22.2K AED 81.5K

3.20%

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

$111 $111

$143 AED 524

-22.36%

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

$39.95 $39.95

$50.7 AED 186

-21.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.8 $57.8

$102 AED 373

-43.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.35 $40.35

$65.4 AED 240

-38.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.76 $24.76

$34.65 AED 127

-28.54%

Cinema Ticket

$13.94 $13.94

$13.41 AED 49.24

3.95%

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

$1,189 $1,189

$640 AED 2,352

85.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,117 $8,117

$12.3K AED 45.2K

-34.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 $65.7

$57.3 AED 210

14.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.8 $70.8

$57.2 AED 210

23.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 $81.0

$92.0 AED 338

-12.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$89.3 AED 328

25.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,814 $1,814

$1,473 AED 5,410

23.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,657 $1,657

$1,101 AED 4,043

50.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,245 $3,245

$3,047 AED 11.2K

6.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,392 $2,392

$2,288 AED 8,404

4.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,224 $3,224

$4,700 AED 17.3K

-31.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,740 $2,740

$2,933 AED 10.8K

-6.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,495 $4,495

$2,776 AED 10.2K

61.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.26

5.19

20.62%

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

Last update for St. Augustine, FL: June 1, 2026

Last update for Abu Dhabi: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,814 in St. Augustine, FL and $1,473 in Abu Dhabi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Augustine, FL pays 62% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $76.0 in St. Augustine, FL vs $67.0 in Abu Dhabi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $272 per month, with Abu Dhabi cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

St. Augustine, FL vs Abu Dhabi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Abu Dhabi wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in St. Augustine, FL. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Abu Dhabi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

St. Augustine, FL pays 62% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,814 in St. Augustine, FL versus $1,473 in Abu Dhabi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,189 in St. Augustine, FL versus $640 in Abu Dhabi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Abu Dhabi – a meal for two runs $67.0 versus $76.0 in St. Augustine, FL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,216 in Abu Dhabi versus $2,667 in St. Augustine, FL, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Abu Dhabi but tight or insufficient in St. Augustine, FL. The gap between the two cities makes Abu Dhabi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Abu Dhabi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,216 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Abu Dhabi hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, St. Augustine, FL and Abu Dhabi are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Abu Dhabi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in St. Augustine, FL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.