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

Name: Italy
Address: IT

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,931 in United Arab Emirates versus $1,719 in Italy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,007 in United Arab Emirates versus $2,625 in Italy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,083 in United Arab Emirates versus $3,531 in Italy.

Living in United Arab Emirates is roughly 12% more expensive than Italy on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: United Arab Emirates 44% above, Italy 28% above.

United Arab Emirates ($1,463–$2,920) and Italy ($1,156–$2,452) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.00 AED 29.37

$17.02 €14.66

-53.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 AED 246

$82.3 €71.0

-18.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.36 AED 34.39

$11.62 €10.01

-19.45%

Cappuccino

$5.34 AED 19.63

$1.91 €1.64

179.58%

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

$1.07 AED 3.93

$3.02 €2.60

-64.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 AED 2.14

$1.31 €1.13

-55.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.44 AED 42.01

$5.81 €5.01

96.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.33 AED 45.28

$5.12 €4.41

140.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$1.64 €1.42

16.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 AED 5.14

$2.42 €2.09

-42.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 AED 7.90

$2.92 €2.52

-26.37%

Eggs

$3.11 AED 11.41

$4.12 €3.55

-24.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.39 AED 38.17

$16.70 €14.39

-37.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.85 AED 32.52

$12.60 €10.86

-29.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.66 AED 42.83

$20.61 €17.76

-43.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 AED 8.15

$2.48 €2.14

-10.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 AED 6.49

$2.15 €1.85

-17.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 AED 6.35

$2.72 €2.35

-36.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 AED 5.32

$3.25 €2.80

-55.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 AED 3.98

$1.94 €1.67

-44.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 AED 4.70

$1.81 €1.56

-29.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 AED 5.74

$1.48 €1.27

5.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 AED 2.24

$0.54 €0.47

12.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.39 AED 23.48

$6.82 €5.87

-6.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.51 AED 49.63

$7.33 €6.32

84.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 AED 8.49

$1.80 €1.55

28.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 AED 10.49

$2.54 €2.19

12.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 AED 5.04

$2.01 €1.73

-31.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.2 AED 203

$41.70 €35.93

32.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 AED 12.37

$5.90 €5.09

-42.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 AED 2.54

$1.52 €1.31

-54.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.06 AED 29.59

$34.23 €29.50

-76.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 AED 2.96

$2.13 €1.83

-61.97%

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

$43.9K AED 161.1K

$32.8K €28.3K

33.60%

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

$22.0K AED 80.8K

$33.5K €28.9K

-34.32%

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

$184 AED 675

$226 €194

-18.51%

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

$59.7 AED 219

$13.32 €11.48

348.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$100 AED 367

$31.26 €26.94

220.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.3 AED 258

$56.9 €49.02

23.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.23 AED 144

$25.71 €22.15

52.59%

Cinema Ticket

$13.56 AED 49.82

$10.35 €8.92

31.01%

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

$673 AED 2,470

$579 €499

16.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K AED 43.6K

$10.5K €9,076

12.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.5 AED 248

$90.2 €77.7

-25.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.7 AED 238

$40.79 €35.15

58.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 AED 367

$98.7 €85.1

1.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 AED 383

$133 €115

-21.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,735 AED 6,373

$853 €735

103.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 AED 4,285

$667 €575

74.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,376 AED 12.4K

$1,517 €1,307

122.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,424 AED 8,902

$1,083 €933

123.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,934 AED 21.8K

$3,767 €3,245

57.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,098 AED 11.4K

$2,403 €2,071

28.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,103 AED 11.4K

$1,986 €1,711

56.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.63

4.41

4.99%

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

Last update for United Arab Emirates: June 7, 2026

Last update for Italy: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,111 in United Arab Emirates, $742 in Italy. Capital cities: $1,458 in Abu Dhabi vs $1,368 in Rome.

National salary averages: $2,954 in United Arab Emirates, $1,931 in Italy. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 50% higher in United Arab Emirates.

Dining out costs 45% more in Italy.

Public transport is 18% more expensive in United Arab Emirates.

Salaries are 53% 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 Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,804 per month in Italy and $2,192 in United Arab Emirates, there's a 21% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Italy 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 Italy across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Italy, $2,500 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. Italy wins on affordability; United Arab Emirates may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.