Moving your family to Abu Dhabi & want to know what the cost of living will be? Here's our guide to help you make a budget.
12 August 2014
| Last updated on 28 May 2017
Are you moving to Abu Dhabi? Are you looking closely at your budget and want to know more about the cost of living in the emirate? You've come to the right page. We have averaged the costs of renting a flat or a villa, buying a used car, paying school fees and the cost of groceries, utilities and everyday things that you will need to buy or pay for in order to live comfortably as an expat family in Abu Dhabi.
We've tried to take a mid-price range for all of the listed items, so you might be able to get some things cheaper, or you might end up paying more. At the very least you will have a rough idea of the cost of living in Abu Dhabi and you will be able to assess whether moving here with a new job would be viable. It pays to do your sums when you're an expat to make sure you can afford to live where you are moving to.
See also: Abu Dhabi on a Budget
Here is a rough estimate on the things that you will need like a home rental, groceries and furniture. We have chose to look at the cost of living in popular expat aras such as Al Muneera, Al Reem Island, Al Raha Gardens and Khalifa City. Rent is paid annually in one, two, three or four cheques. Most houses come without white furniture so you would have to buy your own. Please be aware that there are many residential areas in Abu Dhabi where rent could be cheaper or more expensive.
Monthly Cost of Expat Living in Abu Dhabi
| Monthly Cost of Living | AED |
| Villa 3 Bed in an expat area / per annum | 200 000 |
| Flat 3 Bed in an expat area / per annum | 150 000 |
| School Nursery - per annum | 30 000 |
| School Primary - per annum | 40 000 |
| School Secondary - per annum | 55 000 |
| Car - hatchback used 2013 (Mazda/Toyota/Peugeot) | 40 000 |
| Car - 4x4 used 2013 (Mazda/Toyota/Peugeot) | 100 000 |
| Fuel per month - small car | 200 |
| Fuel per month - large car | 400 |
| Furniture for 2 bed apartment | 80 000 |
| Groceries for a couple | 2 000 |
| Utilities for a 3 bedroom house | 800 |
| Internet | 350 |
| Mobile | 300 |
| TV Package comes with the internet | 400 |
Obviously a lot of this will depend on your needs, for example a basic television package is a lot cheaper than one with all the movie and sports channels. The same is true of mobile packages. Some people only spend 150AED as they use a monthly data bundle and talk on social media, hence they spend less on their talk packages.
Groceries is also one that depends on you. If you choose to shop at the more expensive supermarkets you will be paying AED20 or more per kilogram for tomatoes, while if you choose a less expensive supermarket tomatoes will cost AED10 per kilogram.
The cost of entertainment also depends solely on you. If you like to socialize in pubs, bars and nightclubs than you are looking at spending around 40AED for a beer and up to 60AED on a cocktail. However if you are more into the cinema scene you will spend a lot less on going out as a cinema outing for two with drinks and popcorn tends to be around AED120. Gym memberships cost in the region of 300AED per month, but compounds and apartment buildings usually have gyms for the residents’ use.
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