Abu Dhabi vs Dubai - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Abu Dhabi Dubai
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2133
$2470
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$4670
$5467
🏠 One person rent
$1489
$1665
🏘️ Family rent
$2612
$2923
🍽️ Food expenses
$432
$473
🚐 Transport expenses
$73.8
$186
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$2773
$4153
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
11 km
7 km
🎓 Higher education
51
66
😀 Quality of life
85
90
🏙️ Population
1.57M
3.94M

The cost of living in Abu Dhabi is 14% less expensive than in Dubai. Cities ranked 1650th and 947th ($2133 vs $2470) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 3rd and 1st in the United Arab Emirates.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.3 months in Abu Dhabi compared to 1.7 months in Dubai. Ranked 3rd vs 1st best cities to live in the United Arab Emirates, and 424th vs 184th among the best cities to live in the world.

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the estimated difference in money purchasing power

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Prices in Abu Dhabi vs Dubai

Prices for goods and services in Abu Dhabi and Dubai are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Abu Dhabi Dubai
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$8.11
$11.9
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$67.9
$68.6
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$9.6
$9.74
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$11.9
$13.5
☕ Cappuccino
$5.69
$6.41
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.14
$1.48
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1728
$2083
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1197
$1266
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3067
$3820
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2202
$2306
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$97
$143
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$149
$222
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$88
$92.6
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
4.64%
4.56%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$4681
$7283
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$8556
$4305
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.68
$1.63
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$25.6
$82.5
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$7.63
$10.1
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$0.86
$0.83
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.87
$1.85
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.59
$1.43
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.18
$2.17
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.17
$3.62
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$10.8
$12
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$8.69
$9.4
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$10.2
$11.7
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.4
$2.62
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.95
$1.9
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.96
$1.84
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.41
$1.47
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.18
$1.09
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.17
$0.97
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.38
$0.43
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.48
$1.92
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$13.5
$16
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.37
$2.94
🚬 Cigarette pack
$6.55
$6.13
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$5.49
$8.07
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$5.98
$5.99
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$4.56
$3.4
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$4.22
$3.1
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$72.8
$82.8
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$13.5
$14.3
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$66.9
$75.6
💇 Haircut, simple
$14.3
$10.3
👖 Brand Jeans
$63.1
$73.7
👟 Brand Sneakers
$103
$102
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$628
$870
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$14421
$17401

Cost of living in other countries

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Abu Dhabi

Distance City Cost of living
117 km or 73 mi Madinat Zayed
$1791
129 km or 80 mi Dubai
$2470
142 km or 88 mi Sharjah
$1543
143 km or 89 mi Al Ain
$1455
152 km or 94 mi Ajman
$2356
170 km or 105 mi Umm al-Quwain
$1170
211 km or 131 mi Fujairah
$1173
237 km or 147 mi Ras al-Khaimah
$1355
300 km or 187 mi Doha
$2100
318 km or 198 mi Al Khor
$2015
356 km or 221 mi Bandar Abbas
$620
365 km or 227 mi Nizwa
$797
395 km or 246 mi Seeb
$1082
425 km or 264 mi Riffa
$1062
427 km or 265 mi Manama
$1340
428 km or 266 mi Isa Town
$1218
439 km or 273 mi Muscat
$1193
454 km or 282 mi Jahrom
$494
468 km or 291 mi Dhahran
$965
481 km or 299 mi Dammam
$1059
486 km or 302 mi Al-Mubarraz
$821
501 km or 311 mi Fasa
$497
514 km or 320 mi Qatif
$778
548 km or 341 mi Jubail
$917
568 km or 353 mi Sirjan
$521
575 km or 357 mi Jiroft
$526
599 km or 372 mi Shiraz
$505
610 km or 379 mi Bushehr
$454
617 km or 384 mi Borazjan
$457
620 km or 385 mi Marvdasht
$485
632 km or 392 mi Kazerun
$471
637 km or 396 mi Chabahar
$530
649 km or 404 mi Bam
$514
678 km or 421 mi Rafsanjan
$558
698 km or 434 mi Kerman
$700
701 km or 435 mi Iranshahr
$559
741 km or 460 mi Yasuj
$459
775 km or 481 mi Riyadh
$1628
790 km or 491 mi Al Wafrah
$1247
792 km or 492 mi Behbahan
$469

Cities near Dubai

Distance City Cost of living
13 km or 8 mi Sharjah
$1543
22 km or 14 mi Ajman
$2356
41 km or 25 mi Umm al-Quwain
$1170
104 km or 65 mi Fujairah
$1173
108 km or 67 mi Ras al-Khaimah
$1355
126 km or 78 mi Al Ain
$1455
129 km or 80 mi Abu Dhabi
$2133
234 km or 146 mi Bandar Abbas
$620
246 km or 153 mi Madinat Zayed
$1791
339 km or 211 mi Seeb
$1082
344 km or 214 mi Nizwa
$797
380 km or 236 mi Doha
$2100
380 km or 236 mi Muscat
$1193
385 km or 239 mi Al Khor
$2015
399 km or 248 mi Jahrom
$494
440 km or 273 mi Fasa
$497
449 km or 279 mi Jiroft
$526
466 km or 290 mi Sirjan
$521
485 km or 301 mi Manama
$1340
486 km or 302 mi Riffa
$1062
487 km or 303 mi Isa Town
$1218
523 km or 325 mi Bam
$514
528 km or 328 mi Dhahran
$965
534 km or 332 mi Chabahar
$530
537 km or 334 mi Dammam
$1059
554 km or 345 mi Shiraz
$505
560 km or 348 mi Qatif
$778
568 km or 353 mi Al-Mubarraz
$821
568 km or 353 mi Marvdasht
$485
574 km or 357 mi Rafsanjan
$558
578 km or 359 mi Iranshahr
$559
584 km or 363 mi Kerman
$700
595 km or 370 mi Jubail
$917
601 km or 373 mi Borazjan
$457
603 km or 375 mi Kazerun
$471
604 km or 375 mi Bushehr
$454
703 km or 437 mi Yasuj
$459
721 km or 448 mi Zahedan
$717
743 km or 461 mi Yazd
$517
773 km or 481 mi Behbahan
$469