Cost of living in Abu Dhabi
Dubai’s tax profile at roughly 20% lower housing cost, with a quieter, more family-oriented and more car-dependent city.
Build your own budget
Monthly spending by category: Housing $1,700, Food $597, Transport $83, Utilities $255, Healthcare $42, Lifestyle $191, Other $93.
1-bed, city centre Median advertised rent for this unit type Estimated $1,700
Salary and tax in Abu Dhabi
| Gross salary (USD/yr) | Income tax | Social contributions | Take-home / month | Effective rate | Left after costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $0 | $0 | $3,333 | 0.0% | $373 |
| $75,000 | $0 | $0 | $6,250 | 0.0% | $3,290 |
| $120,000 | $0 | $0 | $10,000 | 0.0% | $7,040 |
| $200,000 | $0 | $0 | $16,667 | 0.0% | $13,707 |
- No personal income tax. 5% VAT applies to most goods and services.
People who actually live in Abu Dhabi
Quality of life
A year of weather in Abu Dhabi
Average monthly temperature in Abu Dhabi: January 20.7 degrees, February 21.4 degrees, March 23.7 degrees, April 27 degrees, May 31.5 degrees, June 33.7 degrees, July 35.2 degrees, August 35.9 degrees, September 34 degrees, October 31.1 degrees, November 27 degrees, December 22.8 degrees. The shaded band is the average daily high and low.
Where these numbers come from
Share of this budget, weighted by money rather than by field count, that rests on a published source rather than our model.
- Measured0%
- Taken directly from a published source. No modelling in between.
- Derived29%
- Anchored to a measured source, then adjusted. The adjustment is stated.
- Estimated71%
- Modelled from regional relationships. Nobody measured this one.
Prices in Abu Dhabi
| Item | USD | AED |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (monthly rent) | ||
| One-bedroom, city centre | $1,700 | AED 6,243 |
| One-bedroom, outside the centre | $1,150 | AED 4,223 |
| Three-bedroom, city centre | $3,400 | AED 12,487 |
| Three-bedroom, outside the centre | $2,200 | AED 8,080 |
| Buy price per m², city centre | $4,200 | AED 15,425 |
| Bills | ||
| Utilities, 85m² apartment | $250 | AED 918 |
| Home internet, 60 Mbps+ | $56 | AED 206 |
| Mobile plan | $36 | AED 132 |
| Food | ||
| Groceries, one adult per month | $400 | AED 1,469 |
| Meal at an inexpensive restaurant | $7.87 | AED 29 |
| Three-course dinner for two | $61 | AED 224 |
| Coffee | $3.44 | AED 13 |
| Beer in a bar | $7.87 | AED 29 |
| Transport | ||
| Monthly transit pass | $64 | AED 235 |
| Taxi, per km | $0.52 | AED 1.91 |
| Petrol, per litre | $0.80 | AED 2.94 |
| Health, family & lifestyle | ||
| Health insurance, per adult | $240 | AED 881 |
| Doctor visit, out of pocket | $85 | AED 312 |
| Full-time childcare, one child | $1,000 | AED 3,673 |
| International school, per year | $21,000 | AED 77,123 |
| Gym membership | $85 | AED 312 |
| Cinema ticket | $13 | AED 48 |
Prices are held in USD and converted at the August 2026 snapshot rate. Last reviewed 2026-08-01. Every figure carries its own provenance — see where these numbers come from.
Living and working here
One-year virtual-working programme requires ~$3,500/month in foreign income. No personal income tax.
1 USD ≈ AED 3.67
Asia/Dubai
arid climate
Compare Abu Dhabi with…
Getting set up in Abu Dhabi
The things people end up arranging in the first month in Abu Dhabi — usually in roughly this order. We have picked services that work before you have local residency, which is the constraint that catches most people out.
- AiraloesimData eSIM for the first weeks before you get a local number.
- SafetyWinginsuranceHealth and travel cover written for people living outside their home country.
- WisetransferMoving money between currencies without the bank spread.
- RevolutbankingA multi-currency account that works before you have local residency.
- Kiwi.comflightsOne-way and multi-city routing for a move rather than a return trip.
- Booking.comstaysSomewhere to land for the first month while you look at flats.
These are affiliate links: if you sign up, we may be paid a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not change what any of them costs, and it has no bearing on the numbers anywhere else on this page — those come from the model, not from anyone paying us.
Know what things really cost here?
No submissions yet. Yours would be the first.
We publish the median, not the mean — one mis-keyed rent should not move the number.
Frequently asked
How much money do you need per month to live in Abu Dhabi?
A single adult renting a one-bedroom in the centre and living moderately needs roughly $2,960 a month, of which $1,700 is rent. A couple sharing that flat needs about $3,889, and a family of four in a three-bedroom outside the centre with childcare needs about $7,558.
Is Abu Dhabi expensive?
On our index Abu Dhabi scores 46 where New York is 100 — about 54% below New York for the same household. The average local net salary of $3,900 a month covers 1.3× that budget.
What salary do you need in Abu Dhabi?
To cover the single-adult budget of $2,960 a month after tax, you need roughly $35,500 gross a year — before any saving. Add 30–40% on top if you want to save meaningfully.
How much is rent in Abu Dhabi?
A one-bedroom in the centre averages $1,700 a month, $1,150 outside the centre. A three-bedroom runs $3,400 central and $2,200 further out.
Can you work remotely from Abu Dhabi?
One-year virtual-working programme requires ~$3,500/month in foreign income. No personal income tax.
Sources
- World Bank – ICP price level & PPP indicators— price levels, purchasing power normalisation
- OECD – Prices and purchasing power parities— price levels, household consumption
- Open-Meteo historical climate archive— climate
- exchangerate.host / ECB reference rates— currency conversion
Figures are modelled estimates built for comparison between cities, not a quote for any individual. Read the full methodology.