Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Abu Dhabi 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Abu Dhabi is 9.7% lower than in Dubai (without rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Abu Dhabi is 18.6% lower than in Dubai | |
| Rent Prices in Abu Dhabi are 31.0% lower than in Dubai | |
| Restaurant Prices in Abu Dhabi are 6.3% lower than in Dubai | |
| Groceries Prices in Abu Dhabi are 4.5% lower than in Dubai | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Abu Dhabi is 24.7% higher than in Dubai | |
Restaurants | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 45.00 AED | 40.00 AED | -11.1 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 255.00 AED | 250.00 AED | -2.0 % |
| 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 | 40.00 AED | -20.0 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 21.18 AED | 21.34 AED | +0.7 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 4.59 AED | 4.05 AED | -11.9 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 4.35 AED | 1.56 AED | -64.1 % |
Markets | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 25.60 AED | 26.34 AED | +2.9 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 4.79 AED | 4.65 AED | -2.9 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 4.15 AED | 3.78 AED | -8.9 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 11.87 AED | 11.57 AED | -2.5 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 15.60 AED | 15.28 AED | -2.0 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 14.90 AED | 13.45 AED | -9.7 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 19.77 AED | 20.12 AED | +1.8 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 4.04 AED | 3.82 AED | -5.4 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 3.07 AED | 2.92 AED | -4.8 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 3.23 AED | 2.98 AED | -7.6 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.63 AED | 2.51 AED | -4.5 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.96 AED | 1.86 AED | -5.3 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 2.48 AED | 2.35 AED | -5.3 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 5.21 AED | 6.81 AED | +30.6 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.35 AED | 2.18 AED | -7.3 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 60.00 AED | 50.00 AED | -16.7 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 9.35 AED | 7.72 AED | -17.5 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 12.72 AED | 7.87 AED | -38.1 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 24.00 AED | 23.00 AED | -4.2 % |
Transportation | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 6.50 AED | 2.50 AED | -61.5 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 300.00 AED | 90.00 AED | -70.0 % |
| 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) | 11.16 AED | 10.97 AED | -1.7 % |
| 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) | 83,928.74 AED | 80,718.18 AED | -3.8 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 835.76 AED | 566.74 AED | -32.2 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 229.41 AED | 199.74 AED | -12.9 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 368.95 AED | 384.14 AED | +4.1 % |
Sports And Leisure | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 301.85 AED | 245.50 AED | -18.7 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 160.26 AED | 130.71 AED | -18.4 % |
| 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 | 3,013.33 AED | 2,268.94 AED | -24.7 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 48,736.75 AED | 46,173.91 AED | -5.3 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 276.12 AED | 223.48 AED | -19.1 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 221.95 AED | 205.00 AED | -7.6 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 380.99 AED | 356.48 AED | -6.4 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 402.50 AED | 348.27 AED | -13.5 % |
Rent Per Month | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 8,213.16 AED | 5,068.80 AED | -38.3 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 5,372.12 AED | 3,707.41 AED | -31.0 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 15,959.29 AED | 10,684.16 AED | -33.1 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 10,346.19 AED | 8,065.18 AED | -22.0 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 2,295.25 AED | 1,758.82 AED | -23.4 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 1,193.42 AED | 1,560.00 AED | +30.7 % |
Salaries And Financing | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 14,383.19 AED | 14,608.82 AED | +1.6 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 4.49 | 5.20 | +15.7 % |
| Last update: | January 2025 | January 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 629 | 167 |
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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 |