Moving to United Arab Emirates from Arizona

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Arizona to United Arab Emirates — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Arizona to United Arab Emirates, you would find that United Arab Emirates is 14.1% cheaper than Arizona. A $75,000 salary in Arizona would need to be roughly AED282,467 in United Arab Emirates to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Arabic.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Arizona to United Arab Emirates.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 AED282,467

To maintain the same standard of living in United Arab Emirates

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 54.9% less

Groceries

pay 28.4% less

Transportation

pay 10.9% less

Housing

pay 12.0% less

Childcare

pay 49.7% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 25.8% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (August 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Cost of living by city

Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).

On average, cities in United Arab Emirates cost about 16% less than cities in Arizona.

Arizona

Tempe 68%
Mesa 66%

United Arab Emirates

Dubai 60%
Al Ain 48%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Arizona to United Arab Emirates, and how the trend has changed.

Living there in 2020
15,620 ↑ 9% vs 2015

people born in United States live in United Arab Emirates · UN DESA

Who's moving to United Arab Emirates?

Top countries of origin for United Arab Emirates's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Arizona and United Arab Emirates stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

AZ
33.6%
AE
31.7%

United Arab Emirates performs significantly better than Arizona across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

AZ
90.5%
AE
100.0%

United Arab Emirates performs significantly better than Arizona across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

AZ
4.0%
AE
2.7%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

AZ
$58,628
AE
$75,600

United Arab Emirates generally does better on employment & economy, though Arizona leads in poverty rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2022

average years of life at birth

AZ
76.3 yrs
AE
79.6 yrs

United Arab Emirates performs significantly better than Arizona across all family life metrics.

Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Phoenix Rain: 8.2 in/yr (208 mm)
87° / 63°F

Avg. annual high / low

Abu Dhabi Rain: 3.5 in/yr (89 mm)
93° / 68°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Phoenix Abu Dhabi
Jan–Mar 73°/49°F (23°/10°C) 78°/56°F (26°/14°C)
Apr–Jun 95°/69°F (35°/20°C) 99°/72°F (37°/22°C)
Jul–Sep 103°/80°F (40°/27°C) 106°/81°F (41°/27°C)
Oct–Dec 77°/54°F (25°/12°C) 87°/64°F (31°/18°C)
View all months
Month Phoenix Abu Dhabi
Jan 69°/46°F (20.3°/7.6°C) 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.8°C)
Feb 72°/49°F (22.1°/9.3°C) 76°/56°F (24.6°/13.2°C)
Mar 78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C) 83°/60°F (28.6°/15.8°C)
Apr 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.7°C) 92°/66°F (33.4°/19.1°C)
May 95°/69°F (34.8°/20.6°C) 101°/73°F (38.4°/22.8°C)
Jun 104°/77°F (39.9°/25.1°C) 103°/77°F (39.6°/24.8°C)
Jul 106°/83°F (41.0°/28.1°C) 108°/82°F (42.0°/27.6°C)
Aug 104°/82°F (40.1°/27.8°C) 107°/84°F (41.5°/28.7°C)
Sep 100°/75°F (37.8°/24.1°C) 104°/78°F (40.1°/25.6°C)
Oct 89°/64°F (31.8°/18.0°C) 96°/71°F (35.8°/21.8°C)
Nov 76°/52°F (24.7°/11.1°C) 87°/64°F (30.6°/17.5°C)
Dec 67°/45°F (19.6°/7.1°C) 78°/57°F (25.7°/14.1°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between United States and United Arab Emirates. To live, work, or study long-term in United Arab Emirates, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United Arab Emirates's immigration authority.

United States passport

United States passport holder visiting United Arab Emirates

Visa on Arrival
United States passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival in United Arab Emirates.
United Arab Emirates passport

United Arab Emirates passport holder visiting United States

Visa Required
United Arab Emirates passport holders need a visa to enter United States.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in United Arab Emirates than Arizona?

Day-to-day costs in United Arab Emirates run about 3% higher than Arizona on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to United Arab Emirates?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around AED70,617 in United Arab Emirates for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from United Arab Emirates?

Working remotely from United Arab Emirates's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Arizona and United Arab Emirates.

How is healthcare in United Arab Emirates compared to Arizona?

United Arab Emirates performs significantly better than Arizona across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in United Arab Emirates compared to Arizona?

The average high temperature in Abu Dhabi is 93°F, compared to 87°F in Phoenix. Abu Dhabi receives around 3.5 in of rainfall per year, while Phoenix gets 8.2 in.

What language do they speak in United Arab Emirates?

The official language in United Arab Emirates is Arabic. In Arizona, the official language is English.

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At a Glance

AE
Population 6,392,017 9,915,803
Currency United States Dollar ($) United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED)
Languages English Arabic
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +1 +971
Time zones 11 1
Emergency number 911 999