Moving to United Arab Emirates from Dominican Republic

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Dominican Republic to United Arab Emirates — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Dominican Republic to United Arab Emirates, you would find that United Arab Emirates is 74.4% more expensive than Dominican Republic overall. A DOP4,408,790 salary in Dominican Republic would need to be roughly AED485,141 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?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Dominican Republic to United Arab Emirates.

What does your salary buy?

DOP4,408,790 AED485,141

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 9.8% more

Groceries

pay 19.9% more

Transportation

pay 5.4% more

Housing

pay 2.8 times more

Childcare

pay 2.0 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.6 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 DOP = 0.0625 AED (July 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 61% more than cities in Dominican Republic.

Dominican Republic

Santiago 25%

United Arab Emirates

Dubai 60%
Al Ain 48%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Dominican Republic to United Arab Emirates.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

DO
12.4
AE
0.5
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

DO
27.4
AE
5.9

United Arab Emirates performs significantly better than Dominican Republic across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

DO
$1,169
AE
$3,727
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

DO
22.3
AE
29.1

Dominican Republic generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United Arab Emirates leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

DO
27.0
AE
70.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

DO
3.0t
AE
18.3t

Dominican Republic performs better than United Arab Emirates across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

DO
10.7
AE
40.0
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

DO
39.5%
AE
1533.3%

United Arab Emirates generally does better on infrastructure, though Dominican Republic leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

DO
5.6%
AE
2.7%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

DO
$23,100
AE
$75,600

United Arab Emirates performs significantly better than Dominican Republic across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

DO
72.6 yrs
AE
79.6 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

DO
21.2
AE
5.1

United Arab Emirates generally does better on family life, though Dominican Republic leads in education spending.

Data: Direccion General de Impuestos Internos, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Santo Domingo Rain: 57.0 in/yr (1447 mm)
87° / 71°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Santo Domingo Abu Dhabi
Jan–Mar 85°/67°F (29°/20°C) 78°/56°F (26°/14°C)
Apr–Jun 87°/72°F (30°/22°C) 99°/72°F (37°/22°C)
Jul–Sep 89°/73°F (31°/23°C) 106°/81°F (41°/27°C)
Oct–Dec 87°/71°F (30°/21°C) 87°/64°F (31°/18°C)
View all months
Month Santo Domingo Abu Dhabi
Jan 85°/67°F (29.2°/19.6°C) 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.8°C)
Feb 85°/67°F (29.2°/19.7°C) 76°/56°F (24.6°/13.2°C)
Mar 85°/68°F (29.6°/20.2°C) 83°/60°F (28.6°/15.8°C)
Apr 86°/70°F (30.2°/21.1°C) 92°/66°F (33.4°/19.1°C)
May 87°/72°F (30.4°/22.2°C) 101°/73°F (38.4°/22.8°C)
Jun 87°/73°F (30.8°/22.9°C) 103°/77°F (39.6°/24.8°C)
Jul 88°/73°F (31.3°/22.8°C) 108°/82°F (42.0°/27.6°C)
Aug 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.7°C) 107°/84°F (41.5°/28.7°C)
Sep 89°/73°F (31.4°/22.7°C) 104°/78°F (40.1°/25.6°C)
Oct 88°/72°F (31.1°/22.3°C) 96°/71°F (35.8°/21.8°C)
Nov 87°/71°F (30.6°/21.4°C) 87°/64°F (30.6°/17.5°C)
Dec 85°/69°F (29.6°/20.3°C) 78°/57°F (25.7°/14.1°C)

Data: Oficina Nacional de Meteorologiá Oficina Nacional de Meteorologiá

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Dominican Republic 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.

Dominican Republic passport

Dominican Republic passport holder visiting United Arab Emirates

Visa Online (e-Visa)
Dominican Republic passport holders need to apply for an e-Visa before travelling to United Arab Emirates.
United Arab Emirates passport

United Arab Emirates passport holder visiting Dominican Republic

Visa Free
United Arab Emirates passport holders can enter Dominican Republic without a visa.

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 Dominican Republic?

No — United Arab Emirates is on average about 76% more expensive than Dominican Republic. 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 AED121,285 in United Arab Emirates on a DOP4,408,790 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 40.0 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?

United Arab Emirates performs significantly better than Dominican Republic across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in United Arab Emirates is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 12.4 in Dominican Republic.

How is healthcare in United Arab Emirates compared to Dominican Republic?

Dominican Republic generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United Arab Emirates leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 29.1 doctors per 10,000 people in United Arab Emirates, compared to 22.3 in Dominican Republic. United Arab Emirates scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Dominican Republic: 77).

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

The average high temperature in Abu Dhabi is 93°F, compared to 87°F in Santo Domingo. Abu Dhabi receives around 3.5 in of rainfall per year, while Santo Domingo gets 57.0 in.

What language do they speak in United Arab Emirates?

The official language in United Arab Emirates is Arabic. In Dominican Republic, the official language is Spanish.

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At a Glance

DO AE
Population 10,694,700 9,915,803
Currency Dominican Peso (DOP) United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED)
Languages Spanish Arabic
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +1 +971
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 911 999