Cost of living comparison
compared to
New York City vs. Abu Dhabi Cost of Living Summary
New York City is 2.5 times more expensive than Abu Dhabi.
- Restaurants
- pay 3.0 times more in New York City
- Groceries
- pay 2.4 times more in New York City
- Transportation
- pay 2.5 times more in New York City
- Housing
- pay 73.5% more in New York City
- Childcare
- pay 4.8 times more in New York City
- Entertainment and Sports
- pay 71.8% more in New York City
- Clothing
- pay 25.3% more in New York City
New York City vs. Abu Dhabi Cost Breakdown
If you lived in New York City instead of Abu Dhabi, you would:
pay 3.0 times more for restaurants
Abu Dhabi | New York City | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant | $10.89 AED40.00 | $25.00 | |
| Fast food combo meal McDonalds, or similar | $9.53 AED35.00 | $13.00 | |
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) | $1.29 AED4.74 | $3.09 | |
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) | $0.44 AED1.61 | $2.61 | |
Abu Dhabi vs. New York City - Cost of restaurants
pay 2.4 times more for groceries
Abu Dhabi | New York City | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bread 1 loaf | $1.60 AED5.89 | $4.75 | |
| Local cheese (8 oz) | $5.28 AED19.39 | $8.89 | |
| Milk (1 gallon) | $7.50 AED27.54 | $6.05 | |
| Eggs 1 dozen | $3.64 AED13.37 | $7.20 | |
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) | $4.12 AED15.11 | $7.07 | |
| Apples (1 lb) | $1.15 AED4.21 | $3.29 | |
| Bananas (1 lb) | $0.82 AED3.00 | $1.08 | |
| Oranges (1 lb) | $0.83 AED3.05 | $2.60 | |
| Tomatoes (1 lb) | $0.67 AED2.46 | $2.68 | |
| Potatoes (1 lb) | $0.53 AED1.96 | $1.63 | |
| Onions (1 lb) | $0.65 AED2.39 | $1.78 | |
Abu Dhabi vs. New York City - Cost of groceries
pay 2.5 times more for transportation
Abu Dhabi | New York City | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | $2.94 AED10.80 | $3.47 | |
| Monthly public transit pass | $25.87 AED95.00 | $132.00 | |
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) | $44,639.07 AED164K | $36,344.69 | |
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) | $7.62 AED28.00 | $22.39 | |
Abu Dhabi vs. New York City - Cost of transportation
pay 73.5% more for housing
Abu Dhabi | New York City | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet connection 50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl | $100.96 AED370.79 | $67.59 | |
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area | $1,490.68 AED5,474.52 | $4,037.06 | |
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center | $1,109.19 AED4,073.48 | $2,496.67 | |
| Utilities for two (700 sq ft apartment) including electric, gas, water, heating | $115.93 AED425.75 | $151.98 | |
Abu Dhabi vs. New York City - Cost of housing
pay 4.8 times more for childcare
Abu Dhabi | New York City | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly | $625.43 AED2,296.88 | $3,154.10 | |
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters | $12,786.81 AED46,959.57 | $57,250.00 | |
Abu Dhabi vs. New York City - Cost of childcare
pay 71.8% more for entertainment and sports
Abu Dhabi | New York City | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) | $11.29 AED41.45 | $8.00 | |
| Cappuccino in mid-range area | $5.77 AED21.18 | $5.71 | |
| Pack of cigarettes Marlboro or similar | $6.26 AED23.00 | $19.00 | |
| Monthly membership at local gym | $62.90 AED230.98 | $150.04 | |
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema | $13.61 AED50.00 | $20.00 | |
Abu Dhabi vs. New York City - Cost of entertainment and sports
pay 25.3% more for clothing
Abu Dhabi | New York City | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular jeans Levi's brand | $60.62 AED222.62 | $67.80 | |
| Regular dress from H&M or similar store | $51.93 AED190.71 | $49.94 | |
| Running shoes Nike or Adidas | $98.09 AED360.23 | $115.58 | |
| Men's business shoes (leather) | $96.21 AED353.33 | $168.76 | |
Abu Dhabi vs. New York City - Cost of clothing
The statistics used to build this comparison are calculated using data from users just like you. We average the price of thousands of data points entered by users across the world. Learn more about our data sources. Page last updated: June 2026
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