Abu Dhabi vs Johannesburg - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Abu Dhabi Johannesburg
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1802
$1079
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$4691
$2553
🏠 One person rent
$1140
$487
🏘️ Family rent
$2569
$837
🍽️ Food expenses
$442
$302
🚐 Transport expenses
$69.3
$204
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$3906
$1695
😷 Air quality
Bad
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
11 km
12 km
🎓 Higher education
52
72
😀 Quality of life
83
58
🏙️ Population
1.48M
4.43M

The cost of living in Abu Dhabi is 67% more expensive than in Johannesburg. Cities ranked 2486th and 5069th ($1802 vs $1079) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 3rd and 3rd in the United Arab Emirates and South Africa, respectively. Check the United Arab Emirates vs South Africa comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 2.2 months in Abu Dhabi compared to 1.6 months in Johannesburg. Abu Dhabi ranked 3rd best city to live in the United Arab Emirates vs Johannesburg ranked 2nd in South Africa, while ranked 405th and 5446th among best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in Abu Dhabi vs Johannesburg infographic

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Prices in Abu Dhabi vs Johannesburg

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

Abu Dhabi Johannesburg
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$10.9
$9.91
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$76.3
$40.5
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$9.62
$5.08
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$10.9
$2.31
☕ Cappuccino
$5.81
$2.04
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.09
$1.01
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1179
$405
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$880
$361
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2759
$781
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2207
$657
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$95.9
$72.2
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$147
$111
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$104
$44.3
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
5.18%
11.54%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$4957
$1096
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$4315
$753
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.67
$1.89
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$24.7
$81.8
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$7.28
$10.6
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$0.8
$1.37
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.79
$1.21
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.34
$1
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.04
$1.44
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.07
$2.66
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$9.41
$10.3
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$7.83
$5.16
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$11.7
$6.49
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.12
$1.7
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.8
$1.62
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.75
$1.48
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.47
$1.66
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.06
$1.4
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.24
$1.53
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.38
$0.62
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.66
$1.51
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$13.6
$6.14
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.21
$1.36
🚬 Cigarette pack
$6.21
$3.19
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$5.61
$6.05
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$5.03
$4.18
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$4.83
$2
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$4.95
$1.53
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$66.9
$33.1
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$13.7
$7.67
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$90.5
$29.8
💇 Haircut, simple
$13.7
$6.42
👖 Brand Jeans
$67.3
$51.5
👟 Brand Sneakers
$105
$91.2
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$667
$241
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$12787
$5865

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
$1630
129 km or 80 mi Dubai
$2309
142 km or 88 mi Sharjah
$1503
143 km or 89 mi Al Ain
$1050
152 km or 94 mi Ajman
$2084
170 km or 105 mi Umm al-Quwain
$1768
211 km or 131 mi Fujairah
$1232
237 km or 147 mi Ras al-Khaimah
$1603
300 km or 187 mi Doha
$1810
318 km or 198 mi Al Khor
$1719
356 km or 221 mi Bandar Abbas
$728
365 km or 227 mi Nizwa
$786
395 km or 246 mi Seeb
$994
425 km or 264 mi Riffa
$1218
427 km or 265 mi Manama
$1267
428 km or 266 mi Isa Town
$1226
439 km or 273 mi Muscat
$1110
454 km or 282 mi Jahrom
$561
468 km or 291 mi Dhahran
$870
481 km or 299 mi Dammam
$989
486 km or 302 mi Al-Mubarraz
$783
501 km or 311 mi Fasa
$556
514 km or 320 mi Qatif
$878
548 km or 341 mi Jubail
$928
568 km or 353 mi Sirjan
$520
575 km or 357 mi Jiroft
$547
599 km or 372 mi Shiraz
$558
610 km or 379 mi Bushehr
$548
617 km or 384 mi Borazjan
$541
620 km or 385 mi Marvdasht
$546
632 km or 392 mi Kazerun
$537
637 km or 396 mi Chabahar
$687
649 km or 404 mi Bam
$531
678 km or 421 mi Rafsanjan
$515
698 km or 434 mi Kerman
$467
701 km or 435 mi Iranshahr
$639
741 km or 460 mi Yasuj
$489
775 km or 481 mi Riyadh
$1586
790 km or 491 mi Al Wafrah
$1268
792 km or 492 mi Behbahan
$507

Cities near Johannesburg

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 6.8 mi Sandton
$997
13 km or 8 mi Randburg
$874
19 km or 12 mi Soweto
$971
28 km or 17 mi Benoni
$822
40 km or 25 mi Springs
$696
41 km or 25 mi Centurion
$838
53 km or 33 mi Pretoria
$909
53 km or 33 mi Vereeniging
$717
59 km or 36 mi Vanderbijlpark
$768
71 km or 44 mi Brits
$848
101 km or 62 mi Rustenburg
$943
109 km or 68 mi Potchefstroom
$717
143 km or 89 mi Bethal
$819
152 km or 94 mi Middelburg
$841
155 km or 97 mi Klerksdorp
$689
179 km or 111 mi Kroonstad
$788
237 km or 147 mi Welkom
$774
244 km or 152 mi Mmabatho
$809
262 km or 163 mi Lobatse
$692
275 km or 171 mi Gaborone
$718
287 km or 179 mi Butha-Buthe
$559
302 km or 188 mi Kanye
$690
311 km or 193 mi Mbabane
$623
323 km or 201 mi Vryheid
$791
325 km or 202 mi Molepolole
$654
329 km or 204 mi Teyateyaneng
$533
333 km or 207 mi Manzini
$459
350 km or 217 mi Maseru
$627
366 km or 228 mi Mahalapye
$663
369 km or 229 mi Bloemfontein
$696
409 km or 254 mi Mafeteng
$581
417 km or 259 mi Palapye
$554
429 km or 267 mi Kimberley
$859
442 km or 275 mi Pietermaritzburg
$674
443 km or 275 mi Matola
$1003
446 km or 277 mi Serowe
$600
454 km or 282 mi Maputo
$1116
501 km or 311 mi Durban
$834
562 km or 349 mi Francistown
$585
577 km or 358 mi Xai-Xai
$1045