Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Abu Dhabi 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Abu Dhabi is 9.5% lower than in Dubai (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Abu Dhabi is 19.2% lower than in Dubai | |
| Rent Prices in Abu Dhabi are 32.2% lower than in Dubai | |
| Restaurant Prices in Abu Dhabi are 8.1% lower than in Dubai | |
| Groceries Prices in Abu Dhabi are 2.1% lower than in Dubai | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Abu Dhabi is 0.4% 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 | 300.00 AED | 250.00 AED | -16.7 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 35.00 AED | 35.00 AED | 0.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 45.00 AED | 40.00 AED | -11.1 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 50.00 AED | 40.62 AED | -18.8 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 20.57 AED | 21.18 AED | +3.0 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 4.53 AED | 4.85 AED | +7.0 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 3.53 AED | 1.49 AED | -57.8 % |
Markets | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 27.38 AED | 26.84 AED | -2.0 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 4.70 AED | 4.99 AED | +6.1 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 3.84 AED | 4.00 AED | +4.2 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 12.14 AED | 12.08 AED | -0.5 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 16.30 AED | 17.99 AED | +10.3 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 14.96 AED | 13.73 AED | -8.3 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 20.04 AED | 19.19 AED | -4.2 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 3.96 AED | 4.09 AED | +3.3 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 3.12 AED | 2.96 AED | -4.8 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 3.18 AED | 3.08 AED | -3.1 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.53 AED | 2.48 AED | -2.3 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.99 AED | 1.91 AED | -3.9 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 2.12 AED | 2.34 AED | +10.6 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 5.02 AED | 6.61 AED | +31.5 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.37 AED | 2.29 AED | -3.3 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 60.00 AED | 50.00 AED | -16.7 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 9.83 AED | 8.71 AED | -11.4 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 12.70 AED | 8.07 AED | -36.5 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 24.00 AED | 23.00 AED | -4.2 % |
Transportation | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 6.00 AED | 2.50 AED | -58.3 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 300.00 AED | 95.00 AED | -68.3 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 12.00 AED | 12.00 AED | 0.0 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 4.02 AED | 3.22 AED | -20.0 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 30.00 AED | 30.00 AED | 0.0 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 10.66 AED | 10.91 AED | +2.3 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 120,000.00 AED | 165,382.00 AED | +37.8 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 85,130.00 AED | 81,414.29 AED | -4.4 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 798.22 AED | 524.64 AED | -34.3 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 224.75 AED | 196.00 AED | -12.8 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 370.58 AED | 375.72 AED | +1.4 % |
Sports And Leisure | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 315.47 AED | 240.77 AED | -23.7 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 155.88 AED | 117.50 AED | -24.6 % |
| 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 | 3,114.71 AED | 2,422.81 AED | -22.2 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 50,638.38 AED | 45,146.48 AED | -10.8 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 285.49 AED | 211.04 AED | -26.1 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 231.75 AED | 211.18 AED | -8.9 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 412.72 AED | 339.42 AED | -17.8 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 411.54 AED | 334.80 AED | -18.6 % |
Rent Per Month | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 8,706.01 AED | 4,996.55 AED | -42.6 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 5,590.35 AED | 3,755.17 AED | -32.8 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 16,629.46 AED | 11,130.89 AED | -33.1 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 10,990.00 AED | 8,515.94 AED | -22.5 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 2,367.17 AED | 1,980.10 AED | -16.4 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 1,275.26 AED | 1,812.57 AED | +42.1 % |
Salaries And Financing | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 14,878.11 AED | 12,065.07 AED | -18.9 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 4.42 | 5.38 | +21.6 % |
| Last update: | May 2025 | May 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 620 | 198 |
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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 |