Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Abu Dhabi 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Consumer Prices in Abu Dhabi are 10.84% lower than in Dubai (without rent) | |
| Consumer Prices Including Rent in Abu Dhabi are 11.66% lower than in Dubai | |
| Rent Prices in Abu Dhabi are 12.85% lower than in Dubai | |
| Restaurant Prices in Abu Dhabi are 20.21% lower than in Dubai | |
| Groceries Prices in Abu Dhabi are 3.02% lower than in Dubai | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Abu Dhabi is 9.62% higher than in Dubai | |
Restaurants | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 35.00 AED | 25.00 AED | -28.57 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 250.00 AED | 170.00 AED | -32.00 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 29.00 AED | 30.00 AED | +3.45 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 45.00 AED | 40.00 AED | -11.11 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 45.00 AED | 45.00 AED | 0.00 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 18.86 AED | 18.03 AED | -4.40 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 4.45 AED | 3.23 AED | -27.36 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 1.66 AED | 1.34 AED | -19.06 % |
Markets | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 22.30 AED | 22.86 AED | +2.53 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 4.52 AED | 4.27 AED | -5.56 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 3.05 AED | 3.69 AED | +20.65 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 9.63 AED | 9.43 AED | -2.12 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 16.84 AED | 15.40 AED | -8.54 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 12.47 AED | 11.31 AED | -9.34 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 18.30 AED | 16.61 AED | -9.25 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 3.46 AED | 3.45 AED | -0.31 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 2.71 AED | 2.96 AED | +8.90 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 3.05 AED | 3.24 AED | +6.46 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.40 AED | 2.53 AED | +5.04 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.71 AED | 1.58 AED | -7.46 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.50 AED | 1.56 AED | +4.08 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 6.26 AED | 6.96 AED | +11.15 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.22 AED | 2.26 AED | +1.86 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 60.00 AED | 60.00 AED | 0.00 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 15.01 AED | 13.18 AED | -12.20 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 19.43 AED | 15.62 AED | -19.63 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 22.00 AED | 22.00 AED | 0.00 % |
Transportation | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 5.00 AED | 2.00 AED | -60.00 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 300.00 AED | 80.00 AED | -73.33 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 12.00 AED | 12.00 AED | 0.00 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 3.22 AED | 3.22 AED | 0.00 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 30.00 AED | 30.00 AED | 0.00 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 7.58 AED | 8.34 AED | +10.11 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 90,000.00 AED | 82,500.00 AED | -8.33 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 71,247.76 AED | 72,326.67 AED | +1.51 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 645.44 AED | 480.59 AED | -25.54 % |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local (No Discounts or Plans) | 0.49 AED | 0.58 AED | +19.33 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 355.66 AED | 368.49 AED | +3.61 % |
Sports And Leisure | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 291.69 AED | 286.43 AED | -1.80 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 115.30 AED | 124.01 AED | +7.55 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 40.00 AED | 40.00 AED | 0.00 % |
Childcare | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 2,193.64 AED | 1,961.20 AED | -10.60 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 41,395.77 AED | 38,571.43 AED | -6.82 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 212.15 AED | 240.94 AED | +13.57 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 191.65 AED | 196.71 AED | +2.64 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 323.96 AED | 326.15 AED | +0.68 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 329.62 AED | 312.63 AED | -5.15 % |
Rent Per Month | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 5,802.31 AED | 4,626.88 AED | -20.26 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 3,831.59 AED | 3,661.90 AED | -4.43 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 11,180.00 AED | 9,363.46 AED | -16.25 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 7,909.21 AED | 7,380.00 AED | -6.69 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 1,259.94 AED | 1,100.49 AED | -12.66 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 833.33 AED | 886.38 AED | +6.37 % |
Salaries And Financing | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 10,894.19 AED | 10,549.29 AED | -3.17 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 4.20 | 3.98 | -5.44 % |
| Last update: | January 2021 | January 2021 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 726 | 168 |
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 |
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