Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Abu Dhabi 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Abu Dhabi is 9.9% lower than in Dubai (without rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Abu Dhabi is 19.0% lower than in Dubai | |
| Rent Prices in Abu Dhabi are 30.8% lower than in Dubai | |
| Restaurant Prices in Abu Dhabi are 8.8% lower than in Dubai | |
| Groceries Prices in Abu Dhabi are 6.3% lower than in Dubai | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Abu Dhabi is 21.0% higher than in Dubai | |
Restaurants | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 40.00 AED | 40.00 AED | 0.0 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 296.92 AED | 250.00 AED | -15.8 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 35.00 AED | 32.50 AED | -7.1 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 45.00 AED | 40.00 AED | -11.1 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 45.00 AED | 40.00 AED | -11.1 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 21.79 AED | 21.58 AED | -1.0 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 4.21 AED | 4.26 AED | +1.1 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.75 AED | 1.56 AED | -43.2 % |
Markets | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 26.96 AED | 25.40 AED | -5.8 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 5.32 AED | 4.45 AED | -16.4 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 3.80 AED | 2.89 AED | -23.9 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 11.96 AED | 9.99 AED | -16.5 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 16.22 AED | 14.14 AED | -12.8 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 13.00 AED | 11.39 AED | -12.3 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 15.62 AED | 18.84 AED | +20.6 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 3.81 AED | 3.83 AED | +0.3 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 3.14 AED | 2.99 AED | -4.6 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 2.96 AED | 2.92 AED | -1.4 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.62 AED | 2.47 AED | -5.9 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.63 AED | 1.80 AED | +10.1 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 2.02 AED | 1.81 AED | -10.8 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 6.14 AED | 5.19 AED | -15.5 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.28 AED | 2.00 AED | -12.5 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 55.00 AED | 50.00 AED | -9.1 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 11.54 AED | 7.58 AED | -34.3 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 17.07 AED | 9.27 AED | -45.7 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 23.00 AED | 22.50 AED | -2.2 % |
Transportation | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 6.00 AED | 2.00 AED | -66.7 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 300.00 AED | 80.00 AED | -73.3 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 12.00 AED | 12.00 AED | 0.0 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 4.83 AED | 3.06 AED | -36.7 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 30.00 AED | 30.00 AED | 0.0 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 11.56 AED | 11.25 AED | -2.7 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 140,000.00 AED | 162,224.00 AED | +15.9 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 83,400.17 AED | 80,477.27 AED | -3.5 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 739.79 AED | 634.58 AED | -14.2 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 215.48 AED | 201.82 AED | -6.3 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 352.91 AED | 392.23 AED | +11.1 % |
Sports And Leisure | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 324.04 AED | 281.44 AED | -13.1 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 179.04 AED | 119.33 AED | -33.3 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 50.00 AED | 50.00 AED | 0.0 % |
Childcare | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 2,768.75 AED | 2,550.00 AED | -7.9 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 52,658.52 AED | 46,378.27 AED | -11.9 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 224.60 AED | 277.20 AED | +23.4 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 215.59 AED | 206.28 AED | -4.3 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 354.49 AED | 381.79 AED | +7.7 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 345.62 AED | 396.32 AED | +14.7 % |
Rent Per Month | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 7,801.91 AED | 4,750.00 AED | -39.1 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 4,793.10 AED | 3,566.67 AED | -25.6 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 15,096.88 AED | 10,182.65 AED | -32.6 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 10,176.60 AED | 7,711.87 AED | -24.2 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 1,632.28 AED | 1,660.12 AED | +1.7 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 938.25 AED | 1,418.00 AED | +51.1 % |
Salaries And Financing | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 14,632.99 AED | 14,334.56 AED | -2.0 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 4.95 | 5.37 | +8.4 % |
| Last update: | May 2024 | May 2024 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 758 | 212 |
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Cities near Dubai: | Cost of Living in Ras al-Khaimah | 62.60 miles |
| Cost of Living in Fujairah | 80.82 miles |
| Cost of Living in Kalba | 84.26 miles |
| Cost of Living in Abu Dhabi | 94.68 miles |
Cities near Abu Dhabi: | Cost of Living in Dubai | 94.76 miles |
| Cost of Living in Sharjah | 105.93 miles |
| Cost of Living in Ras al-Khaimah | 154.78 miles |
| Cost of Living in Fujairah | 171.06 miles |
| Cost of Living in Kalba | 175.87 miles |