Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Abu Dhabi 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Abu Dhabi is 6.8% lower than in Dubai (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Abu Dhabi is 17.4% lower than in Dubai | |
| Rent Prices in Abu Dhabi are 31.6% lower than in Dubai | |
| Restaurant Prices in Abu Dhabi are 7.9% lower than in Dubai | |
| Groceries Prices in Abu Dhabi are 2.6% lower than in Dubai | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Abu Dhabi is 0.5% lower 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 | 40.00 AED | -20.0 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 20.54 AED | 21.45 AED | +4.5 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 4.49 AED | 4.74 AED | +5.5 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 3.37 AED | 1.56 AED | -53.8 % |
Markets | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 27.04 AED | 27.35 AED | +1.1 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 4.68 AED | 5.23 AED | +11.9 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 3.72 AED | 4.00 AED | +7.4 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 12.36 AED | 13.40 AED | +8.4 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 16.87 AED | 17.97 AED | +6.5 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 15.57 AED | 14.32 AED | -8.0 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 21.01 AED | 18.88 AED | -10.2 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 3.88 AED | 4.05 AED | +4.4 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 3.18 AED | 2.97 AED | -6.4 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 3.13 AED | 3.08 AED | -1.7 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.53 AED | 2.47 AED | -2.6 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 2.02 AED | 1.91 AED | -5.3 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 2.14 AED | 2.34 AED | +9.3 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 5.20 AED | 6.69 AED | +28.8 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.45 AED | 2.23 AED | -9.2 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 60.00 AED | 50.00 AED | -16.7 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 9.83 AED | 8.55 AED | -13.0 % |
| 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) | 10.50 AED | 10.82 AED | +3.1 % |
| 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) | 83,848.15 AED | 81,652.38 AED | -2.6 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 791.18 AED | 524.64 AED | -33.7 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 229.55 AED | 187.14 AED | -18.5 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 372.65 AED | 375.72 AED | +0.8 % |
Sports And Leisure | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 322.03 AED | 240.77 AED | -25.2 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 169.79 AED | 126.33 AED | -25.6 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 55.00 AED | 50.00 AED | -9.1 % |
Childcare | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 3,075.00 AED | 2,324.07 AED | -24.4 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 52,258.21 AED | 45,146.16 AED | -13.6 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 302.11 AED | 212.50 AED | -29.7 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 232.73 AED | 207.50 AED | -10.8 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 414.48 AED | 338.54 AED | -18.3 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 444.83 AED | 328.18 AED | -26.2 % |
Rent Per Month | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 8,888.89 AED | 5,382.73 AED | -39.4 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 5,735.75 AED | 3,981.75 AED | -30.6 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 16,853.85 AED | 11,209.52 AED | -33.5 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 10,945.29 AED | 8,441.67 AED | -22.9 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 2,555.90 AED | 2,039.16 AED | -20.2 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 1,293.27 AED | 4,314.21 AED | +233.6 % |
Salaries And Financing | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 14,781.50 AED | 12,147.57 AED | -17.8 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 4.49 | 5.19 | +15.5 % |
| Last update: | 16 June 2025 | 28 May 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 612 | 195 |
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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 |