Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Abu Dhabi 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Consumer Prices in Abu Dhabi are 11.7% lower than in Dubai (without rent) | |
| Consumer Prices Including Rent in Abu Dhabi are 10.0% lower than in Dubai | |
| Rent Prices in Abu Dhabi are 7.5% lower than in Dubai | |
| Restaurant Prices in Abu Dhabi are 12.2% lower than in Dubai | |
| Groceries Prices in Abu Dhabi are 11.3% lower than in Dubai | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Abu Dhabi is 8.6% lower than in Dubai | |
Restaurants | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 40.00 AED | 35.00 AED | -12.5 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 296.91 AED | 245.00 AED | -17.5 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 30.00 AED | 30.00 AED | 0.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 48.00 AED | 45.00 AED | -6.2 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 49.00 AED | 42.00 AED | -14.3 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 19.38 AED | 18.92 AED | -2.4 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 4.00 AED | 3.59 AED | -10.4 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.05 AED | 1.24 AED | -39.3 % |
Markets | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 25.71 AED | 25.06 AED | -2.6 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 4.98 AED | 4.31 AED | -13.4 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 3.39 AED | 2.93 AED | -13.6 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 11.60 AED | 10.12 AED | -12.7 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 17.76 AED | 13.09 AED | -26.3 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 14.57 AED | 12.61 AED | -13.5 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 18.10 AED | 17.74 AED | -2.0 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 3.75 AED | 3.57 AED | -4.8 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 2.97 AED | 2.76 AED | -6.9 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 3.05 AED | 2.86 AED | -6.0 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.56 AED | 2.27 AED | -11.2 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.86 AED | 1.75 AED | -5.9 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.59 AED | 1.59 AED | +0.4 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 5.90 AED | 4.73 AED | -19.8 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.22 AED | 2.11 AED | -4.9 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 65.00 AED | 60.00 AED | -7.7 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 12.84 AED | 9.57 AED | -25.5 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 24.25 AED | 12.21 AED | -49.6 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 22.00 AED | 22.00 AED | 0.0 % |
Transportation | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 5.75 AED | 2.00 AED | -65.2 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 340.00 AED | 80.00 AED | -76.5 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 12.00 AED | 12.00 AED | 0.0 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 4.83 AED | 3.22 AED | -33.3 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 30.00 AED | 30.00 AED | -0.0 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 12.91 AED | 14.37 AED | +11.3 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 99,500.00 AED | 89,500.00 AED | -10.1 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 76,778.96 AED | 75,800.00 AED | -1.3 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 720.51 AED | 646.03 AED | -10.3 % |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local (No Discounts or Plans) | 0.54 AED | 0.72 AED | +31.4 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 353.99 AED | 380.21 AED | +7.4 % |
Sports And Leisure | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 270.69 AED | 262.13 AED | -3.2 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 134.59 AED | 140.56 AED | +4.4 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 47.00 AED | 45.00 AED | -4.3 % |
Childcare | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 2,784.40 AED | 2,242.03 AED | -19.5 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 40,877.78 AED | 34,639.84 AED | -15.3 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 213.17 AED | 196.32 AED | -7.9 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 189.31 AED | 171.27 AED | -9.5 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 321.87 AED | 336.88 AED | +4.7 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 325.33 AED | 348.12 AED | +7.0 % |
Rent Per Month | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 6,968.29 AED | 5,774.45 AED | -17.1 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 4,027.71 AED | 4,452.49 AED | +10.5 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 12,365.00 AED | 10,483.14 AED | -15.2 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 7,512.24 AED | 7,853.74 AED | +4.5 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 1,208.11 AED | 1,338.88 AED | +10.8 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 757.04 AED | 1,254.01 AED | +65.6 % |
Salaries And Financing | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 15,709.76 AED | 12,931.02 AED | -17.7 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 3.84 | 4.80 | +25.1 % |
| Last update: | April 2023 | March 2023 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 984 | 268 |
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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 |