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: $1,919 in United Arab Emirates versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,002 in United Arab Emirates versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,085 in United Arab Emirates versus $1,550 in China.

Living in United Arab Emirates is roughly 170% more expensive than in China on average.

United Arab Emirates (44% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in United Arab Emirates: monthly costs span $1,498 to $2,832, compared to $532–$1,192 in China. City choice carries more weight in United Arab Emirates.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 AED 29.44

$2.86 ¥19.35

180.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.0 AED 253

$23.44 ¥159

194.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.48 AED 34.83

$4.84 ¥32.75

95.87%

Cappuccino

$5.47 AED 20.11

$3.11 ¥21.06

75.88%

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

$1.12 AED 4.13

$0.44 ¥3.00

154.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 AED 2.00

$0.29 ¥1.99

86.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.52 AED 42.29

$0.98 ¥6.64

1075.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.49 AED 45.87

$2.05 ¥13.88

509.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 AED 7.04

$1.84 ¥12.47

4.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 AED 5.28

$1.62 ¥10.94

-11.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 AED 7.95

$0.93 ¥6.28

133.33%

Eggs

$3.11 AED 11.44

$1.63 ¥11.03

90.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.16 AED 37.33

$13.15 ¥89.0

-22.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.45 AED 31.03

$3.26 ¥22.09

159.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.64 AED 42.74

$10.62 ¥71.9

9.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 AED 8.40

$1.80 ¥12.19

27.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 AED 6.53

$1.30 ¥8.77

36.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 AED 6.44

$1.46 ¥9.90

19.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 AED 5.26

$1.20 ¥8.15

19.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 AED 4.19

$0.76 ¥5.14

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 AED 4.50

$0.88 ¥5.93

39.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 AED 5.71

$0.57 ¥3.86

173.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 AED 2.22

$0.54 ¥3.63

11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.11 AED 22.43

$3.42 ¥23.17

78.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.82 AED 54.4

$11.75 ¥79.5

26.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 AED 8.73

$0.80 ¥5.40

197.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 AED 10.47

$1.62 ¥10.95

75.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 AED 5.06

$0.43 ¥2.94

220.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.7 AED 201

$20.47 ¥139

167.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 AED 12.16

$1.36 ¥9.24

143.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 AED 2.58

$0.35 ¥2.39

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.05 AED 29.55

$6.50 ¥43.97

23.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.75 AED 2.75

$1.12 ¥7.59

-33.04%

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

$44.5K AED 163.3K

$19.5K ¥131.8K

128.30%

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

$22.6K AED 83.0K

$16.9K ¥114.1K

33.96%

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

$180 AED 662

$51.7 ¥350

248.74%

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

$58.5 AED 215

$10.17 ¥68.8

475.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$99.7 AED 366

$11.16 ¥75.5

793.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.0 AED 257

$39.62 ¥268

76.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.16 AED 144

$14.53 ¥98.3

169.51%

Cinema Ticket

$13.76 AED 50.5

$6.38 ¥43.19

115.67%

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

$684 AED 2,511

$407 ¥2,756

67.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K AED 44.7K

$17.8K ¥120.7K

-31.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.3 AED 251

$45.53 ¥308

49.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.1 AED 239

$32.31 ¥219

101.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 AED 371

$72.6 ¥491

39.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 AED 387

$74.4 ¥504

41.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,705 AED 6,261

$443 ¥2,996

285.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 AED 4,351

$258 ¥1,747

358.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,292 AED 12.1K

$910 ¥6,162

261.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 AED 8,983

$543 ¥3,677

350.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,000 AED 22.0K

$4,934 ¥33.4K

21.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,034 AED 11.1K

$2,398 ¥16.2K

26.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,844 AED 10.4K

$1,065 ¥7,205

167.11%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for China: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,121 in United Arab Emirates, $287 in China. Capital cities: $1,481 in Abu Dhabi vs $894 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $2,860 in United Arab Emirates, $855 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 291% 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 235% 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

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

At $862 per month in China and $2,165 in United Arab Emirates, there's a 151% 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 China: 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 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 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: 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.