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

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,938 in United Arab Emirates versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,013 in United Arab Emirates versus $1,132 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,087 in United Arab Emirates versus $1,551 in China.

Living in United Arab Emirates is roughly 172% more expensive than China on average.

United Arab Emirates (45% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in United Arab Emirates: monthly costs span $1,469 to $2,908, compared to $520–$1,209 in China. City choice carries more weight in United Arab Emirates.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.21 AED 30.14

$2.81 ¥19.01

192.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.6 AED 252

$23.30 ¥158

194.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.39 AED 34.48

$5.01 ¥33.93

87.43%

Cappuccino

$5.29 AED 19.44

$3.01 ¥20.42

75.75%

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

$1.11 AED 4.09

$0.45 ¥3.03

146.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 AED 2.15

$0.29 ¥1.97

103.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.51 AED 42.29

$0.95 ¥6.42

1111.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.08 AED 44.37

$2.05 ¥13.90

489.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 AED 6.93

$1.76 ¥11.89

7.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 AED 5.11

$1.62 ¥11.00

-14.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 AED 7.63

$0.95 ¥6.46

118.95%

Eggs

$3.16 AED 11.60

$1.56 ¥10.57

102.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.27 AED 37.71

$13.06 ¥88.4

-21.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.66 AED 31.82

$3.28 ¥22.21

164.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.31 AED 41.55

$10.65 ¥72.1

6.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 AED 8.07

$1.78 ¥12.05

23.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 AED 6.70

$1.24 ¥8.43

46.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 AED 6.22

$1.50 ¥10.13

12.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 AED 5.26

$1.15 ¥7.80

24.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 AED 3.99

$0.75 ¥5.08

45.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 AED 4.67

$0.86 ¥5.82

47.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 AED 5.75

$0.62 ¥4.17

151.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 AED 2.24

$0.56 ¥3.82

8.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 AED 23.64

$3.51 ¥23.80

83.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.80 AED 50.7

$11.66 ¥79.0

18.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 AED 8.39

$0.80 ¥5.41

186.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 AED 10.77

$1.66 ¥11.26

76.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.39 AED 5.12

$0.43 ¥2.93

223.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.7 AED 197

$20.86 ¥141

157.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 AED 12.10

$1.37 ¥9.28

140.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 AED 2.43

$0.35 ¥2.39

88.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.08 AED 29.66

$6.63 ¥44.90

21.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 AED 2.88

$1.14 ¥7.71

-31.58%

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

$44.6K AED 163.9K

$19.2K ¥129.9K

132.67%

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

$22.7K AED 83.4K

$16.8K ¥113.5K

35.43%

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

$182 AED 667

$51.2 ¥347

255.07%

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

$59.8 AED 220

$10.16 ¥68.8

488.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$101 AED 370

$11.51 ¥78.0

776.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.8 AED 264

$40.53 ¥275

77.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.07 AED 140

$15.05 ¥102

152.96%

Cinema Ticket

$13.65 AED 50.2

$6.10 ¥41.33

123.77%

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

$672 AED 2,469

$402 ¥2,724

67.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K AED 44.8K

$17.7K ¥119.7K

-30.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.7 AED 245

$45.57 ¥309

46.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.2 AED 236

$33.26 ¥225

92.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 376

$72.6 ¥492

41.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 AED 384

$74.5 ¥504

40.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,745 AED 6,407

$429 ¥2,908

306.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 AED 4,275

$257 ¥1,742

352.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,285 AED 12.1K

$895 ¥6,065

266.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,457 AED 9,022

$541 ¥3,667

353.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,758 AED 21.1K

$5,015 ¥34.0K

14.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,147 AED 11.6K

$2,469 ¥16.7K

27.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,155 AED 11.6K

$1,055 ¥7,143

199.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.63

4.06

14.04%

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

Last update for United Arab Emirates: May 31, 2026

Last update for China: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,114 in United Arab Emirates, $286 in China. Capital cities: $1,473 in Abu Dhabi vs $916 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $2,958 in United Arab Emirates, $861 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 290% higher in United Arab Emirates.

Dining out costs 143% more in United Arab Emirates.

Public transport is 183% more expensive in United Arab Emirates.

Salaries are 244% higher in United Arab Emirates, giving United Arab Emirates stronger purchasing power.

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

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

At $865 per month in China and $2,189 in United Arab Emirates, there's a 153% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

China is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily. In United Arab Emirates, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

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