Moving to United Arab Emirates from Australia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Australia to United Arab Emirates — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Australia to United Arab Emirates, you would find that United Arab Emirates is 15.0% cheaper than Australia overall. A A$104,312 salary in Australia would need to be roughly AED279,406 in United Arab Emirates to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Arabic. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Abu Dhabi averages 93°F vs 67°F in Canberra, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Australia to United Arab Emirates.
What does your salary buy?
A$104,312 → AED279,406
To maintain the same standard of living in United Arab Emirates
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 50.2% less
Groceries
pay 29.5% less
Transportation
pay 19.7% less
Housing
pay 25.0% more
Childcare
pay 53.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 14.3% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Australia and United Arab Emirates stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Australia generally does better on safety, though United Arab Emirates leads in homicide rate.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Australia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United Arab Emirates leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Australia performs better than United Arab Emirates across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
United Arab Emirates generally does better on infrastructure, though Australia leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
United Arab Emirates performs significantly better than Australia across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Australia performs better than United Arab Emirates across all family life metrics.
Data: Australian Taxation Office, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Canberra | Abu Dhabi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 80°/54°F (26°/12°C) | 78°/56°F (26°/14°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) | 99°/72°F (37°/22°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 56°/35°F (13°/1°C) | 106°/81°F (41°/27°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 73°/47°F (23°/9°C) | 87°/64°F (31°/18°C) |
View all months
| Month | Canberra | Abu Dhabi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C) | 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.8°C) |
| Feb | 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C) | 76°/56°F (24.6°/13.2°C) |
| Mar | 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C) | 83°/60°F (28.6°/15.8°C) |
| Apr | 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C) | 92°/66°F (33.4°/19.1°C) |
| May | 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C) | 101°/73°F (38.4°/22.8°C) |
| Jun | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) | 103°/77°F (39.6°/24.8°C) |
| Jul | 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C) | 108°/82°F (42.0°/27.6°C) |
| Aug | 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C) | 107°/84°F (41.5°/28.7°C) |
| Sep | 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C) | 104°/78°F (40.1°/25.6°C) |
| Oct | 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) | 96°/71°F (35.8°/21.8°C) |
| Nov | 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C) | 87°/64°F (30.6°/17.5°C) |
| Dec | 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C) | 78°/57°F (25.7°/14.1°C) |
Data:
Bureau of Meteorology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Australia 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.
Australia passport holder visiting United Arab Emirates
Visa on Arrival
United Arab Emirates passport holder visiting Australia
Visa RequiredData: 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 Australia?
Headline costs are within a few percent between United Arab Emirates and Australia; rent and dining are where you'll actually feel differences.
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 A$104,312 comparable salary, that's around AED69,852 in United Arab Emirates for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from United Arab Emirates?
With 40.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, United Arab Emirates can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Australia and United Arab Emirates.
Is United Arab Emirates safe for expats?
Australia generally does better on safety, though United Arab Emirates leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in United Arab Emirates is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Australia.
How is healthcare in United Arab Emirates compared to Australia?
Australia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United Arab Emirates leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 29.1 doctors per 10,000 people in United Arab Emirates, compared to 39.8 in Australia. United Arab Emirates scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Australia: 87).
What's the weather like in United Arab Emirates compared to Australia?
The average high temperature in Abu Dhabi is 93°F, compared to 67°F in Canberra. Abu Dhabi receives around 3.5 in of rainfall per year, while Canberra gets 24.8 in.
What language do they speak in United Arab Emirates?
The official language in United Arab Emirates is Arabic. In Australia, the official language is English.
