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: $1,938 in United Arab Emirates versus $392 in Pakistan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,013 in United Arab Emirates versus $591 in Pakistan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,087 in United Arab Emirates versus $790 in Pakistan.

Living in United Arab Emirates is roughly 394% more expensive than Pakistan on average.

United Arab Emirates (45% above) and Pakistan (71% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in United Arab Emirates: monthly costs span $1,469 to $2,908, compared to $287–$529 in Pakistan. City choice carries more weight in United Arab Emirates.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.21 AED 30.14

$1.82 PKR 506

351.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.6 AED 252

$12.25 PKR 3,409

459.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.39 AED 34.48

$4.27 PKR 1,188

119.91%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.80 PKR 500

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 PKR 1,136

Cappuccino

$5.29 AED 19.44

$1.77 PKR 493

198.87%

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

$1.11 AED 4.09

$0.34 PKR 93.3

226.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 AED 2.15

$0.23 PKR 64.2

156.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.51 AED 42.29

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.08 AED 44.37

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 AED 6.93

$0.77 PKR 214

145.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 AED 5.11

$0.56 PKR 155

148.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 AED 7.63

$1.22 PKR 340

70.49%

Eggs

$3.16 AED 11.60

$1.21 PKR 337

161.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.27 AED 37.71

$5.68 PKR 1,579

80.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.66 AED 31.82

$3.00 PKR 835

188.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.31 AED 41.55

$4.29 PKR 1,193

163.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 AED 8.07

$1.02 PKR 284

115.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 AED 6.70

$0.62 PKR 174

193.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 AED 6.22

$0.77 PKR 213

119.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 AED 5.26

$0.49 PKR 138

191.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 AED 3.99

$0.35 PKR 98.2

211.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 AED 4.67

$0.48 PKR 134

164.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 AED 5.75

$0.38 PKR 106

310.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 AED 2.24

$0.36 PKR 99.7

69.44%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.91 PKR 532

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 PKR 304

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 PKR 557

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 AED 23.64

$1.96 PKR 546

228.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.80 AED 50.7

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 AED 8.39

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 AED 10.77

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.39 AED 5.12

$0.15 PKR 42.98

826.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.7 AED 197

$7.14 PKR 1,987

652.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 AED 12.10

$0.85 PKR 237

288.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 AED 2.43

$0.51 PKR 143

29.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.08 AED 29.66

$1.81 PKR 503

346.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 AED 2.88

$0.90 PKR 249

-13.33%

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

$44.6K AED 163.9K

$17.4K PKR 4.8M

156.02%

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

$22.7K AED 83.4K

$24.0K PKR 6.7M

-5.39%

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

$182 AED 667

$110 PKR 30.7K

64.75%

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

$59.8 AED 220

$4.72 PKR 1,313

1167.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$101 AED 370

$15.34 PKR 4,268

557.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.8 AED 264

$13.40 PKR 3,728

436.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.07 AED 140

$8.53 PKR 2,374

346.31%

Cinema Ticket

$13.65 AED 50.2

$4.31 PKR 1,199

216.71%

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

$672 AED 2,469

$38.86 PKR 10.8K

1629.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K AED 44.8K

$1,143 PKR 318.1K

967.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.7 AED 245

$15.81 PKR 4,398

322.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.2 AED 236

$23.47 PKR 6,529

173.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 376

$72.0 PKR 20.0K

42.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 AED 384

$33.27 PKR 9,255

214.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,745 AED 6,407

$111 PKR 30.9K

1472.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 AED 4,275

$67.3 PKR 18.7K

1629.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,285 AED 12.1K

$272 PKR 75.7K

1108.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,457 AED 9,022

$167 PKR 46.5K

1371.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,758 AED 21.1K

$983 PKR 273.4K

485.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,147 AED 11.6K

$519 PKR 144.4K

506.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,155 AED 11.6K

$185 PKR 51.5K

1605.72%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Pakistan: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,114 in United Arab Emirates, $78.0 in Pakistan. Capital cities: $1,473 in Abu Dhabi vs $198 in Islamabad.

National salary averages: $2,958 in United Arab Emirates, $187 in Pakistan. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1328% 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 1482% 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 Pakistan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $408 per month in Pakistan and $2,189 in United Arab Emirates, there's a 436% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Pakistan 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 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 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. 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.