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

Name: Pakistan
Address: PK

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,919 in United Arab Emirates versus $391 in Pakistan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,002 in United Arab Emirates versus $592 in Pakistan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,085 in United Arab Emirates versus $792 in Pakistan.

Living in United Arab Emirates is roughly 391% more expensive than in Pakistan on average.

United Arab Emirates (44% above) and Pakistan (71% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in United Arab Emirates: monthly costs span $1,498 to $2,832, compared to $286–$534 in Pakistan. City choice carries more weight in United Arab Emirates.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 AED 29.44

$1.81 PKR 502

343.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.0 AED 253

$12.15 PKR 3,370

467.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.48 AED 34.83

$4.29 PKR 1,189

120.98%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 PKR 484

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 PKR 1,105

Cappuccino

$5.47 AED 20.11

$1.74 PKR 482

214.37%

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

$1.12 AED 4.13

$0.36 PKR 100

211.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 AED 2.00

$0.21 PKR 58.2

157.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.52 AED 42.29

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.49 AED 45.87

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 AED 7.04

$0.78 PKR 215

146.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 AED 5.28

$0.56 PKR 154

157.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 AED 7.95

$1.21 PKR 337

79.34%

Eggs

$3.11 AED 11.44

$1.20 PKR 334

159.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.16 AED 37.33

$5.69 PKR 1,577

78.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.45 AED 31.03

$2.84 PKR 788

197.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.64 AED 42.74

$4.09 PKR 1,133

184.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 AED 8.40

$1.00 PKR 278

129.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 AED 6.53

$0.61 PKR 170

191.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 AED 6.44

$0.76 PKR 211

130.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 AED 5.26

$0.52 PKR 145

175.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 AED 4.19

$0.38 PKR 106

200.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 AED 4.50

$0.51 PKR 143

141.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 AED 5.71

$0.38 PKR 106

310.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 AED 2.22

$0.36 PKR 98.7

66.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.01 PKR 558

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 PKR 304

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 PKR 578

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.11 AED 22.43

$1.96 PKR 544

211.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.82 AED 54.4

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 AED 8.73

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 AED 10.47

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 AED 5.06

$0.20 PKR 56.1

590.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.7 AED 201

$7.24 PKR 2,008

655.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 AED 12.16

$0.84 PKR 232

294.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 AED 2.58

$0.52 PKR 145

34.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.05 AED 29.55

$1.79 PKR 496

349.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.75 AED 2.75

$0.89 PKR 248

-15.73%

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

$44.5K AED 163.3K

$17.8K PKR 4.9M

149.69%

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

$22.6K AED 83.0K

$23.7K PKR 6.6M

-4.86%

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

$180 AED 662

$110 PKR 30.5K

64.06%

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

$58.5 AED 215

$4.58 PKR 1,269

1177.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$99.7 AED 366

$15.58 PKR 4,320

539.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.0 AED 257

$13.28 PKR 3,682

426.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.16 AED 144

$8.84 PKR 2,453

342.99%

Cinema Ticket

$13.76 AED 50.5

$4.13 PKR 1,147

233.17%

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

$684 AED 2,511

$39.62 PKR 11.0K

1625.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K AED 44.7K

$1,170 PKR 324.5K

941.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.3 AED 251

$15.59 PKR 4,324

337.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.1 AED 239

$23.77 PKR 6,593

173.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 AED 371

$71.9 PKR 19.9K

40.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 AED 387

$32.15 PKR 8,916

227.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,705 AED 6,261

$115 PKR 31.9K

1383.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 AED 4,351

$66.3 PKR 18.4K

1686.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,292 AED 12.1K

$274 PKR 76.1K

1100.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 AED 8,983

$163 PKR 45.1K

1402.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,000 AED 22.0K

$965 PKR 267.7K

521.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,034 AED 11.1K

$502 PKR 139.2K

504.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,844 AED 10.4K

$186 PKR 51.5K

1430.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.63

18.97

-75.59%

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 Pakistan: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,121 in United Arab Emirates, $78.0 in Pakistan. Capital cities: $1,481 in Abu Dhabi vs $199 in Islamabad.

National salary averages: $2,860 in United Arab Emirates, $181 in Pakistan. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1337% higher in United Arab Emirates.

Dining out costs 364% more in United Arab Emirates.

Public transport is 629% more expensive in United Arab Emirates.

Salaries are 1480% 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 Pakistan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $410 per month in Pakistan and $2,165 in United Arab Emirates, there's a 428% 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 Pakistan: 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 Pakistan across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Pakistan, $1,000 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: Pakistan wins on affordability; United Arab Emirates may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.