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: $2,096 in United Arab Emirates versus $449 in Pakistan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,501 in United Arab Emirates versus $677 in Pakistan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,905 in United Arab Emirates versus $904 in Pakistan.

Living in United Arab Emirates is roughly 367% more expensive than in Pakistan on average.

United Arab Emirates (53% above) and Pakistan (67% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in United Arab Emirates: monthly costs span $1,432 to $3,157, compared to $300–$589 in Pakistan. City choice carries more weight in United Arab Emirates.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.64 AED 35.40

$2.22 PKR 616

334.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.9 AED 220

$14.09 PKR 3,904

325.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.65 AED 35.44

$5.31 PKR 1,472

81.73%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.11 PKR 585

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 PKR 1,129

Cappuccino

$5.36 AED 19.68

$1.97 PKR 547

172.08%

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

$1.14 AED 4.17

$0.34 PKR 95.0

235.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 AED 1.76

$0.22 PKR 60.6

118.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.83 AED 39.76

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.18 AED 44.74

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 AED 6.50

$0.82 PKR 227

115.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 AED 5.35

$0.62 PKR 173

135.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 AED 8.13

$1.22 PKR 339

81.15%

Eggs

$3.08 AED 11.33

$1.23 PKR 340

150.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.77 AED 39.53

$5.61 PKR 1,556

91.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.90 AED 32.67

$2.74 PKR 761

224.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.59 AED 42.56

$4.89 PKR 1,356

137.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 AED 8.53

$1.13 PKR 314

105.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 AED 6.40

$0.66 PKR 184

163.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 AED 6.17

$0.87 PKR 240

93.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 AED 4.84

$0.58 PKR 160

127.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 AED 4.01

$0.32 PKR 88.2

240.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 AED 3.89

$0.39 PKR 108

171.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 AED 5.32

$0.35 PKR 96.0

314.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 AED 2.08

$0.41 PKR 112

39.02%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.92 PKR 533

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 PKR 313

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 PKR 631

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.17 AED 22.67

$2.10 PKR 582

193.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.68 AED 53.9

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 AED 9.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 AED 10.28

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 AED 6.06

$0.17 PKR 46.59

870.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.39 AED 178

$10.08 PKR 2,794

380.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 AED 11.81

$0.92 PKR 255

248.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 AED 2.44

$0.53 PKR 147

26.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.32 AED 30.56

$2.11 PKR 584

294.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 AED 3.12

$1.22 PKR 339

-30.33%

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

$44.9K AED 164.9K

$18.2K PKR 5.0M

146.64%

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

$22.3K AED 82.0K

$25.0K PKR 6.9M

-10.59%

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

$194 AED 711

$106 PKR 29.4K

82.43%

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

$51.7 AED 190

$5.27 PKR 1,462

880.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.4 AED 336

$15.28 PKR 4,235

498.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.3 AED 269

$15.96 PKR 4,423

359.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.23 AED 129

$10.70 PKR 2,967

229.25%

Cinema Ticket

$13.35 AED 49.02

$4.36 PKR 1,209

206.19%

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

$550 AED 2,018

$42.86 PKR 11.9K

1182.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K AED 46.0K

$1,314 PKR 364.1K

853.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 AED 235

$15.45 PKR 4,282

314.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.6 AED 212

$23.06 PKR 6,391

149.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$76.2 PKR 21.1K

34.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 AED 376

$32.87 PKR 9,110

211.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,616 AED 5,933

$134 PKR 37.2K

1105.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,146 AED 4,207

$75.4 PKR 20.9K

1419.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,695 AED 9,898

$295 PKR 81.7K

814.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,025 AED 7,438

$168 PKR 46.5K

1108.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,680 AED 20.9K

$1,000 PKR 277.3K

467.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,993 AED 11.0K

$524 PKR 145.3K

470.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,789 AED 10.2K

$189 PKR 52.4K

1374.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.63

13.99

-66.90%

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

Last update for United Arab Emirates: August 29, 2026

Last update for Pakistan: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,278 in United Arab Emirates, $122 in Pakistan. Capital cities: $1,943 in Abu Dhabi vs $277 in Islamabad.

National salary averages: $2,875 in United Arab Emirates, $182 in Pakistan. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 948% higher in United Arab Emirates.

Dining out costs 285% more in United Arab Emirates.

Public transport is 378% 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 $445 per month in Pakistan and $2,295 in United Arab Emirates, there's a 416% 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.