Moving to United Arab Emirates from China
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from China to United Arab Emirates — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from China to United Arab Emirates, you would find that United Arab Emirates is 2.1 times more expensive than China overall. A CN¥500,000 salary in China would need to be roughly AED586,000 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 64°F in Beijing, making it significantly warmer.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from China to United Arab Emirates.
What does your salary buy?
CN¥500,000 → AED586,000
To maintain the same standard of living in United Arab Emirates
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 2.1 times more
Groceries
pay 20.9% more
Transportation
pay 39.2% more
Housing
pay 4.5 times more
Childcare
pay 35.4% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.5 times 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.
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 60% more than cities in China.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from China to United Arab Emirates.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
China generally does better on safety, though United Arab Emirates leads in road traffic deaths.
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
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
China generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United Arab Emirates leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
China 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
share of households with internet
China generally does better on infrastructure, though United Arab Emirates leads in electricity per capita.
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
share of people below the poverty line
United Arab Emirates generally does better on employment & economy, though China leads in poverty rate.
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
percentage of adults who can read and write
United Arab Emirates generally does better on family life, though China leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), State Administration of Taxation (2016), Ministry of Finance (2016), The World Factbook (2003). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Beijing | Abu Dhabi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 42°/22°F (6°/-6°C) | 78°/56°F (26°/14°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/55°F (26°/13°C) | 99°/72°F (37°/22°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 83°/66°F (29°/19°C) | 106°/81°F (41°/27°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 51°/32°F (11°/0°C) | 87°/64°F (31°/18°C) |
View all months
| Month | Beijing | Abu Dhabi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/15°F (1.6°/-9.4°C) | 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.8°C) |
| Feb | 39°/20°F (4.0°/-6.9°C) | 76°/56°F (24.6°/13.2°C) |
| Mar | 52°/31°F (11.3°/-0.6°C) | 83°/60°F (28.6°/15.8°C) |
| Apr | 68°/45°F (19.9°/7.2°C) | 92°/66°F (33.4°/19.1°C) |
| May | 80°/56°F (26.4°/13.2°C) | 101°/73°F (38.4°/22.8°C) |
| Jun | 87°/65°F (30.3°/18.2°C) | 103°/77°F (39.6°/24.8°C) |
| Jul | 87°/71°F (30.8°/21.6°C) | 108°/82°F (42.0°/27.6°C) |
| Aug | 85°/69°F (29.5°/20.4°C) | 107°/84°F (41.5°/28.7°C) |
| Sep | 78°/58°F (25.8°/14.2°C) | 104°/78°F (40.1°/25.6°C) |
| Oct | 66°/45°F (19.0°/7.3°C) | 96°/71°F (35.8°/21.8°C) |
| Nov | 50°/31°F (10.1°/-0.4°C) | 87°/64°F (30.6°/17.5°C) |
| Dec | 38°/20°F (3.3°/-6.9°C) | 78°/57°F (25.7°/14.1°C) |
China Meteorological AdministrationVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between China 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.
China passport holder visiting United Arab Emirates
Visa Free
United Arab Emirates passport holder visiting China
Visa FreeData: 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 China?
No — United Arab Emirates is on average about 114% more expensive than China. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to United Arab Emirates?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly AED146,500 in United Arab Emirates on a CN¥500,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from United Arab Emirates?
Internet is rarely the blocker — United Arab Emirates has 40.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is United Arab Emirates safe for expats?
China generally does better on safety, though United Arab Emirates leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in United Arab Emirates is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.5 in China.
How is healthcare in United Arab Emirates compared to China?
China generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United Arab Emirates leads in health coverage index. There are 29.9 doctors per 10,000 people in United Arab Emirates, compared to 31.1 in China. United Arab Emirates scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (China: 81).
What's the weather like in United Arab Emirates compared to China?
The average high temperature in Abu Dhabi is 93°F, compared to 64°F in Beijing. Abu Dhabi receives around 3.5 in of rainfall per year, while Beijing gets 22.8 in.
What language do they speak in United Arab Emirates?
The official language in United Arab Emirates is Arabic. In China, the official language is Chinese.
