Moving to United Arab Emirates from Italy

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What to Expect

Considering a move from Italy to United Arab Emirates? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Italy to United Arab Emirates, you would find that United Arab Emirates is 5.8% more expensive than Italy overall. A €65,700 salary in Italy would need to be roughly AED304,112 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 69°F in Rome, making it significantly warmer.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Italy and United Arab Emirates.

What does your salary buy?

€65,700 AED304,112

To maintain the same standard of living in United Arab Emirates

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 52.6% less

Groceries

pay 29.0% less

Transportation

pay 19.8% less

Housing

pay 90.8% more

Childcare

pay 12.7% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 57.0% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 4.19 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 1% more than cities in Italy.

Italy

Milan 69%
Varese 59%
Venice 59%
Monza 59%
Rome 57%

United Arab Emirates

Dubai 60%
Al Ain 48%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in United Arab Emirates compared to Italy.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

IT
0.6
AE
0.5
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

IT
5.0
AE
5.9

Italy generally does better on safety, though United Arab Emirates leads in homicide rate.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

IT
$4,993
AE
$3,727
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

IT
42.5
AE
29.1

Italy generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United Arab Emirates leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

IT
15.0
AE
70.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

IT
5.1t
AE
18.3t

Italy 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

IT
31.5
AE
40.0
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

IT
29.6%
AE
1533.3%

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

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

IT
7.6%
AE
2.7%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

IT
$52,700
AE
$75,600

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

IT
82.6 yrs
AE
79.6 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

IT
3.2
AE
5.1

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

Data: Italian Revenue Agency, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Rome Rain: 31.7 in/yr (804 mm)
69° / 50°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Rome Abu Dhabi
Jan–Mar 56°/39°F (13°/4°C) 78°/56°F (26°/14°C)
Apr–Jun 72°/53°F (22°/11°C) 99°/72°F (37°/22°C)
Jul–Sep 85°/63°F (29°/17°C) 106°/81°F (41°/27°C)
Oct–Dec 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) 87°/64°F (31°/18°C)
View all months
Month Rome Abu Dhabi
Jan 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.1°C) 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.8°C)
Feb 55°/38°F (13.0°/3.5°C) 76°/56°F (24.6°/13.2°C)
Mar 59°/41°F (15.2°/5.2°C) 83°/60°F (28.6°/15.8°C)
Apr 64°/46°F (17.7°/7.5°C) 92°/66°F (33.4°/19.1°C)
May 73°/53°F (22.8°/11.6°C) 101°/73°F (38.4°/22.8°C)
Jun 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.3°C) 103°/77°F (39.6°/24.8°C)
Jul 87°/64°F (30.3°/18.0°C) 108°/82°F (42.0°/27.6°C)
Aug 87°/65°F (30.6°/18.3°C) 107°/84°F (41.5°/28.7°C)
Sep 80°/59°F (26.5°/15.2°C) 104°/78°F (40.1°/25.6°C)
Oct 71°/52°F (21.4°/11.3°C) 96°/71°F (35.8°/21.8°C)
Nov 61°/44°F (15.9°/6.9°C) 87°/64°F (30.6°/17.5°C)
Dec 55°/40°F (12.6°/4.2°C) 78°/57°F (25.7°/14.1°C)

Data: Italian Air Force- Department of Meteorology Italian Air Force- Department of Meteorology

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Italy 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.

Italy passport

Italy passport holder visiting United Arab Emirates

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

United Arab Emirates passport holder visiting Italy

Visa Free
United Arab Emirates passport holders can enter Italy 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 Italy?

On average United Arab Emirates is around 10% pricier than Italy, with notable variation by city.

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

Budget about AED76,028 for 3 months in United Arab Emirates (based on a €65,700 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from United Arab Emirates?

Connectivity is usually fine (United Arab Emirates: 40.0 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does United Arab Emirates offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?

Is United Arab Emirates safe for expats?

Italy 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 0.6 in Italy.

How is healthcare in United Arab Emirates compared to Italy?

Italy 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 42.5 in Italy. United Arab Emirates scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Italy: 84).

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

The average high temperature in Abu Dhabi is 93°F, compared to 69°F in Rome. Abu Dhabi receives around 3.5 in of rainfall per year, while Rome gets 31.7 in.

What language do they speak in United Arab Emirates?

The official language in United Arab Emirates is Arabic. In Italy, the official languages are Catalan and Italian.

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At a Glance

IT AE
Population 61,095,551 9,915,803
Currency Euro (€) United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED)
Languages Catalan, Italian Arabic
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +39 +971
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 999