Cost of Living in Abu Dhabi
Summary of cost of living in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates:
- The estimated monthly costs for a family of four are 3,341.3$ (12,270.8AED), excluding rent (using our estimator).
- The estimated monthly costs for a single person are 940.5$ (3,454.1AED), excluding rent.
- Abu Dhabi is 37.1% less expensive than Seattle (excluding rent, see our cost of living index).
- Rent in Abu Dhabi is, on average, 29.8% lower than in Seattle.
Restaurants |  Edit |
Range |
|---|---|---|
| Meal at an Inexpensive Restaurant | 40.00 AED | |
| Meal for Two at a Mid-Range Restaurant (Three Courses, Without Drinks) | 250.00 AED | |
| Combo Meal at McDonald's (or Equivalent Fast-Food Meal) | 35.00 AED | |
| Domestic Draft Beer (1 Pint) | 42.71 AED | |
| Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle) | 40.00 AED | |
| Cappuccino (Regular Size) | 20.33 AED | |
| Soft Drink (Coca-Cola or Pepsi, 12 oz Small Bottle) | 4.87 AED | |
| Bottled Water (12 oz) | 1.59 AED | |
Markets | Edit |
|
| Milk (Regular, 1 Liter) | 7.34 AED | |
| Fresh White Bread (1 lb Loaf) | 5.26 AED | |
| White Rice (1 lb) | 4.11 AED | |
| Eggs (12, Large Size) | 12.56 AED | |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 17.38 AED | |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 15.10 AED | |
| Beef Round or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat (1 lb) | 19.04 AED | |
| Apples (1 lb) | 4.00 AED | |
| Bananas (1 lb) | 3.05 AED | |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 3.04 AED | |
| Tomatoes (1 lb) | 2.41 AED | |
| Potatoes (1 lb) | 1.98 AED | |
| Onions (1 lb) | 2.35 AED | |
| Lettuce (1 Head) | 6.19 AED | |
| Bottled Water (50 oz) | 2.23 AED | |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 50.00 AED | |
| Domestic Beer (16.9 oz Bottle) | 9.02 AED | |
| Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle) | 8.77 AED | |
| Cigarettes (Pack of 20, Marlboro) | 23.00 AED | |
Transportation | Edit |
|
| One-Way Ticket (Local Transport) | 2.50 AED | |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (Regular Price) | 95.00 AED | |
| Taxi Start (Standard Tariff) | 12.00 AED | |
| Taxi 1 mile (Standard Tariff) | 4.02 AED | |
| Taxi 1 Hour Waiting (Standard Tariff) | 30.00 AED | |
| Gasoline (1 Liter) | 2.85 AED | |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.5 (or Equivalent New Compact Car) | 165,382.00 AED | |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6 (or Equivalent New Mid-Size Car) | 81,735.00 AED | |
Utilities (Monthly) | Edit |
|
| Basic Utilities for 915 Square Feet Apartment (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) | 570.42 AED | |
| Mobile Phone Plan (Monthly, with Calls and 10GB+ Data) | 190.83 AED | |
| Broadband Internet (Unlimited Data, 60 Mbps or Higher) | 363.59 AED | |
Sports And Leisure | Edit |
|
| Monthly Fitness Club Membership | 230.98 AED | |
| Tennis Court Rental (1 Hour, Weekend) | 151.25 AED | |
| Cinema Ticket (International Release) | 50.00 AED | |
Childcare | Edit |
|
| Private Full-Day Preschool or Kindergarten, Monthly Fee per Child | 2,216.67 AED | |
| International Primary School, Annual Tuition per Child | 46,682.80 AED | |
Clothing And Shoes | Edit |
|
| Jeans (Levi's 501 or Similar) | 213.75 AED | |
| Summer Dress in a Chain Store (e.g. Zara or H&M) | 185.00 AED | |
| Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 346.43 AED | |
| Men's Leather Business Shoes | 343.81 AED | |
Rent Per Month | Edit |
|
| 1 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre | 5,607.17 AED | |
| 1 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre | 4,082.58 AED | |
| 3 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre | 12,613.59 AED | |
| 3 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre | 9,055.30 AED | |
Buy Apartment Price | Edit |
|
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 1,873.33 AED | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 4,084.05 AED | |
Salaries And Financing | Edit |
|
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 11,659.09 AED | |
| Annual Mortgage Interest Rate (20-Year Fixed, in %) | 5.00 |
Prices in Abu Dhabi
This city had 1585 entries in the past 12 months by 206 different contributors.
Last update: 14 November 2025
Last update: 14 November 2025
Sources and References
Moving to Abu Dhabi? Explore:
Distribution of Expenses Using Our Statistical Model:
Nearby Cities:| 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 |
This Page in Other Languages:
 DeutschLebenshaltungskosten in Abu Dhabi
|
 PortuguêsCusto de Vida em Abu Dhabi
|
 ItalianoCosto della vita a Abu Dhabi
|
 FrançaisCoût de la vie à Abou Dabi
|
 EspañolCoste de vida en Abu Dabi
|
Salary Calculator:Got a job offer in Abu Dhabi? Estimate your take-home pay with our Salary Calculator for Abu Dhabi.
If you are a western expat you cannot live anywhere but Reem, Saadiyat, Yas or Al raha.
Prices and availability is a major issue. You cannot live on most buildings in Reem, as they are worn out second class interiors. Comparable to social housing in europe.
Good finishing decent view / not too high apartments will be impossible to find. Only SAAS builds high end finishing that a upper middle class western expat considers normal. Like Siemens whitegood, villeroy boch basins etc... Or you go stay in weird places that cost still 200k but neighbors are not behaving as you would expect.
So, a 3 bedroom apartment on Saadiyat is impossible. Reem is scarce. Prices are crazy
URL: https://nexushomesproperties.com/cost-of-living-in-abu-dhabi-in-2025/
Additionally only Family Visa is Offred & Medical insurance for Employee.
Rent is so bad that for the same price I got my 2 bedroom apartment on Yas Island I can now only afford a 2 bedroom in what looks like a slum in the middle of the desert.
The people in the UAE are lovely, the city is safe, and there is plenty to do (if you can afford it). I would say come for a holiday, but don't move here.
If you are a middle class westerner please don't trust the numbers on this site. You will be miserable and won't be able to have the same lifestyle you are used to living. I would say if you are frugal MAYBE you can get by on a salary of 23,000 AED/month, but really I wouldn't suggest you move for that salary.
So can i survive with this salary?
actually Bangkok 3000usd per mont enough .
So I ma RF Engineer more experience 20year I am focus 5000 usd at there
Thank
I got an offer costing 15,000 Emarati Dirham . Can i survive with this salary me and my wife & one school going kid.
These prices are unbelievable and you owe it to the Germans to come in and create a bubble in real estate prices.
If you want send me where you owe the price difference. I am not referring to very expensive areas of Dubai but to popular neighborhoods within the city center.
I have lived in abu dhabi for a long time and I feel I can help anyone with making a few pointers
A good studio in abu dhabi is around 3.5k monthly
A good one bedroom is around 4.5k monthly
2 bedroom 7.5k monthly
3 bedroom 9k monthly
For food and groceries I would expect around 1k monthly if you enjoy cooking at home per person
But if you eat out a lot expect more of 1.8/2k monthly per person
If you have kids it really does vary, it can be 2k a month and can go up to 6k depending on the school, some really good schools are 2k a month so I would not stress over very expensive education.
For leisure, if you are not a big spender 600AED a month is good but if you like entertainment and a lot of things then again expect 1.5k or more a month.
For reference a movie ticket is 40AED per person
The biggest controversy here is transpor, public transport is cheap but not good around 60AED, taxis can get pretty expensive averaging 15AED per ride. Buying a car is costly, a brand new bmw youre looking at 200k or a new toyota is 100k but if you decide on a cheaper option and get monthly payments then it is 100% doable as UAE weather definitely needs a car. For example I bought a brand new 2020 CIVIC LX sport for 70k, 20% downpayment of 14k and a monthly 1.1k for 36 months. Another example, a 2016 lancer with low mileage would be around 22k.
If you have any other questions Id love to help with no cost just email me on srh-01@hotmail .com