Global CityIntelligence

Cost of living

Cost of Living in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

This page summarises typical cost of living in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, expressed in AED. A single person can expect to budget around 6,100 AED per month before rent-driven variation, with an affordability score of 66/100 (higher means more affordable). On that scale Abu Dhabi is moderate relative to other cities in the dataset. These are deterministic planning estimates derived from a country cost baseline adjusted for the city's affordability and size — they are not live market prices, not a ranking, and should be verified against current local sources before relocation or travel decisions.

Single / month
6,100 AED
Affordability
66/100

Overview

This page summarises typical cost of living in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, expressed in AED. A single person can expect to budget around 6,100 AED per month before rent-driven variation, with an affordability score of 66/100 (higher means more affordable). On that scale Abu Dhabi is moderate relative to other cities in the dataset. These are deterministic planning estimates derived from a country cost baseline adjusted for the city's affordability and size — they are not live market prices, not a ranking, and should be verified against current local sources before relocation or travel decisions.

Currency: AED. Data year 2025; last updated 2026-05-16.

Monthly budget

Indicative total monthly spending by household type, before housing-market variation.

Monthly budget

  • Single person6,100 AED
  • Couple10,400 AED
  • Family15,600 AED

Housing costs

Typical monthly rent by dwelling size.

Housing costs

  • Studio2,400 AED
  • One-bedroom3,240 AED
  • Three-bedroom6,000 AED

Food costs

Everyday food and drink reference prices.

Food costs

  • Restaurant meal53 AED
  • Coffee12 AED

Transport costs

Public transport reference price.

Transport costs

  • Monthly transit pass210 AED

Affordability score

A 0–100 comparison score; higher means more affordable. Mirrors the affordability dimension used across the platform's rankings.

Affordability score

Abu Dhabi has an affordability score of 66/100, which places it in the moderate range relative to other indexed cities. Because every city profile uses the same scale, this score is the most reliable cross-city comparison — local-currency totals above are not directly comparable between countries.

Cost comparison summary

Neutral, source-grounded comparison with related cities. Not a ranking and not a recommendation.

Cost comparison summary

In Abu Dhabi a single-person monthly budget is around 6,100 AED and a one-bedroom rent around 3,240 AED. Use the affordability score (66/100) to compare across countries, since amounts are shown in each city's local currency.

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Related guides

Keep exploring Abu Dhabi across the rest of the dataset — its full profile, travel guides and nearby nature.

Abu Dhabi city profileFull intelligence profile with quick answers, FAQs and every indexed dimension.