Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Abu Dhabi 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Consumer Prices in Abu Dhabi are 5.3% lower than in Dubai (without rent) | |
| Consumer Prices Including Rent in Abu Dhabi are 10.4% lower than in Dubai | |
| Rent Prices in Abu Dhabi are 17.5% lower than in Dubai | |
| Restaurant Prices in Abu Dhabi are 8.5% higher than in Dubai | |
| Groceries Prices in Abu Dhabi are 9.3% lower than in Dubai | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Abu Dhabi is 1.7% higher than in Dubai | |
Restaurants | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 40.00 AED | 50.00 AED | +25.0 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 250.00 AED | 270.00 AED | +8.0 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 35.00 AED | 32.00 AED | -8.6 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 45.00 AED | 48.31 AED | +7.4 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 45.00 AED | 45.00 AED | 0.0 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 20.20 AED | 19.94 AED | -1.3 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 4.83 AED | 4.33 AED | -10.3 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.55 AED | 1.43 AED | -43.8 % |
Markets | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 26.06 AED | 27.66 AED | +6.2 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 5.17 AED | 4.36 AED | -15.7 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 3.40 AED | 3.11 AED | -8.6 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 11.40 AED | 10.28 AED | -9.9 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 21.32 AED | 14.15 AED | -33.6 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 13.94 AED | 12.12 AED | -13.0 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 17.10 AED | 18.70 AED | +9.4 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 3.71 AED | 3.66 AED | -1.2 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 3.02 AED | 2.95 AED | -2.3 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 3.00 AED | 3.10 AED | +3.5 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.42 AED | 2.40 AED | -0.7 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.59 AED | 1.84 AED | +15.9 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.42 AED | 1.59 AED | +11.4 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 6.50 AED | 5.14 AED | -21.0 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.18 AED | 2.05 AED | -5.9 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 60.00 AED | 55.00 AED | -8.3 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 12.72 AED | 8.83 AED | -30.5 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 22.56 AED | 10.69 AED | -52.6 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 22.50 AED | 22.00 AED | -2.2 % |
Transportation | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 7.00 AED | 2.00 AED | -71.4 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 300.00 AED | 80.00 AED | -73.3 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 12.00 AED | 12.00 AED | 0.0 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 4.83 AED | 3.14 AED | -35.0 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 30.00 AED | 30.00 AED | 0.0 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 12.01 AED | 12.78 AED | +6.4 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 110,000.00 AED | 98,000.00 AED | -10.9 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 79,666.44 AED | 77,747.06 AED | -2.4 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 740.47 AED | 712.12 AED | -3.8 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 234.54 AED | 226.92 AED | -3.2 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 340.94 AED | 413.13 AED | +21.2 % |
Sports And Leisure | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 295.59 AED | 266.41 AED | -9.9 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 139.34 AED | 146.05 AED | +4.8 % |
| 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 | 2,768.44 AED | 2,747.73 AED | -0.7 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 49,613.57 AED | 38,161.17 AED | -23.1 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 218.53 AED | 267.97 AED | +22.6 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 207.60 AED | 225.13 AED | +8.4 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 348.27 AED | 386.56 AED | +11.0 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 347.19 AED | 399.22 AED | +15.0 % |
Rent Per Month | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 7,286.59 AED | 5,604.31 AED | -23.1 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 4,247.75 AED | 4,327.54 AED | +1.9 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 14,411.13 AED | 11,468.34 AED | -20.4 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 9,670.38 AED | 7,996.76 AED | -17.3 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 1,433.61 AED | 1,588.92 AED | +10.8 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 859.15 AED | 1,479.71 AED | +72.2 % |
Salaries And Financing | Dubai Edit |
Abu Dhabi Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 14,837.46 AED | 13,513.25 AED | -8.9 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 4.66 | 5.59 | +19.9 % |
| Last update: | November 2023 | November 2023 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 871 | 308 |
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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 |