Moving to United Arab Emirates from California
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from California to United Arab Emirates — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from California to United Arab Emirates, you would find that United Arab Emirates is 27.2% cheaper than California. A $75,000 salary in California would need to be roughly AED231,279 in United Arab Emirates to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Arabic. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Abu Dhabi averages 93°F vs 74°F in Sacramento, making it significantly warmer.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from California to United Arab Emirates.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → AED231,279
To maintain the same standard of living in United Arab Emirates
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 58.3% less
Groceries
pay 42.5% less
Transportation
pay 20.3% less
Housing
pay 17.7% less
Childcare
pay 71.3% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.4% less
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 35% less than cities in California.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from California to United Arab Emirates, and how the trend has changed.
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.
- 3,471,300
- 1,095,231
- 996,288
- 899,612
- 564,769
- 318,809
- · · ·
-
20.15,620
United States
Key Indicator Comparison
How California and United Arab Emirates stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
California performs better than United Arab Emirates across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
United Arab Emirates performs significantly better than California across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
California generally does better on employment & economy, though United Arab Emirates leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
United Arab Emirates performs significantly better than California 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.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Sacramento | Abu Dhabi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) | 78°/56°F (26°/14°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) | 99°/72°F (37°/22°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) | 106°/81°F (41°/27°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) | 87°/64°F (31°/18°C) |
View all months
| Month | Sacramento | Abu Dhabi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) | 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.8°C) |
| Feb | 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) | 76°/56°F (24.6°/13.2°C) |
| Mar | 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) | 83°/60°F (28.6°/15.8°C) |
| Apr | 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) | 92°/66°F (33.4°/19.1°C) |
| May | 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) | 101°/73°F (38.4°/22.8°C) |
| Jun | 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) | 103°/77°F (39.6°/24.8°C) |
| Jul | 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) | 108°/82°F (42.0°/27.6°C) |
| Aug | 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) | 107°/84°F (41.5°/28.7°C) |
| Sep | 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) | 104°/78°F (40.1°/25.6°C) |
| Oct | 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) | 96°/71°F (35.8°/21.8°C) |
| Nov | 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) | 87°/64°F (30.6°/17.5°C) |
| Dec | 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) | 78°/57°F (25.7°/14.1°C) |
Data:
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 holder visiting United Arab Emirates
Visa on Arrival
United Arab Emirates passport holder visiting United States
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 California?
Generally yes: United Arab Emirates runs about 16% cheaper than California on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
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 AED57,820 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 California and United Arab Emirates.
How is healthcare in United Arab Emirates compared to California?
California performs better than United Arab Emirates across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in United Arab Emirates compared to California?
The average high temperature in Abu Dhabi is 93°F, compared to 74°F in Sacramento. Abu Dhabi receives around 3.5 in of rainfall per year, while Sacramento gets 18.5 in.
What language do they speak in United Arab Emirates?
The official language in United Arab Emirates is Arabic. In California, the official language is English.
