Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Abu Dhabi 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Consumer Prices in Abu Dhabi are 13.1% lower than in Dubai (without rent) | |
| Consumer Prices Including Rent in Abu Dhabi are 10.9% lower than in Dubai | |
| Rent Prices in Abu Dhabi are 7.8% lower than in Dubai | |
| Restaurant Prices in Abu Dhabi are 18.7% lower than in Dubai | |
| Groceries Prices in Abu Dhabi are 9.9% lower than in Dubai | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Abu Dhabi is 12.0% lower than in Dubai | |
Restaurants | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 40.00 AED | 30.00 AED | -25.0 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 300.00 AED | 232.50 AED | -22.5 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 31.00 AED | 30.00 AED | -3.2 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 48.50 AED | 40.00 AED | -17.5 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 49.00 AED | 40.00 AED | -18.4 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 19.56 AED | 19.17 AED | -2.0 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 4.11 AED | 3.49 AED | -15.0 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.23 AED | 1.26 AED | -43.5 % |
Markets | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 25.84 AED | 24.44 AED | -5.4 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 4.96 AED | 4.32 AED | -12.9 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 3.39 AED | 2.94 AED | -13.3 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 11.94 AED | 10.12 AED | -15.2 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 17.14 AED | 13.09 AED | -23.6 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 14.04 AED | 12.44 AED | -11.4 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 17.84 AED | 18.53 AED | +3.9 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 3.80 AED | 3.63 AED | -4.5 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 3.05 AED | 2.78 AED | -8.8 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 3.03 AED | 2.85 AED | -6.0 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.75 AED | 2.30 AED | -16.6 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.86 AED | 1.71 AED | -8.3 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.64 AED | 1.59 AED | -2.7 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 5.86 AED | 4.61 AED | -21.3 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.20 AED | 2.07 AED | -5.9 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 60.00 AED | 60.00 AED | 0.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 12.28 AED | 9.77 AED | -20.4 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 23.74 AED | 12.20 AED | -48.6 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 22.00 AED | 22.00 AED | 0.0 % |
Transportation | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 5.50 AED | 2.00 AED | -63.6 % |
| 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) | 14.52 AED | 14.50 AED | -0.2 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 99,000.00 AED | 89,500.00 AED | -9.6 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 76,841.45 AED | 75,800.00 AED | -1.4 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 698.63 AED | 625.15 AED | -10.5 % |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local (No Discounts or Plans) | 0.59 AED | 0.67 AED | +13.2 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 356.16 AED | 377.26 AED | +5.9 % |
Sports And Leisure | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 269.07 AED | 258.52 AED | -3.9 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 134.47 AED | 149.21 AED | +11.0 % |
| 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 | 2,783.10 AED | 2,301.33 AED | -17.3 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 42,255.26 AED | 34,686.32 AED | -17.9 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 230.21 AED | 195.73 AED | -15.0 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 197.37 AED | 181.50 AED | -8.0 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 327.89 AED | 338.70 AED | +3.3 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 341.17 AED | 348.12 AED | +2.0 % |
Rent Per Month | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 6,908.74 AED | 6,032.88 AED | -12.7 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 3,909.74 AED | 4,305.01 AED | +10.1 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 12,306.14 AED | 10,311.62 AED | -16.2 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 7,713.02 AED | 7,796.22 AED | +1.1 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 1,342.84 AED | 1,274.66 AED | -5.1 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 818.00 AED | 1,172.57 AED | +43.3 % |
Salaries And Financing | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 16,048.52 AED | 12,576.87 AED | -21.6 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 3.93 | 4.67 | +18.7 % |
| Last update: | February 2023 | February 2023 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 929 | 282 |
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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 |