Moving to United Arab Emirates from Kuwait
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Kuwait to United Arab Emirates — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Kuwait to United Arab Emirates, you would find that United Arab Emirates is 64.9% more expensive than Kuwait overall. A KWD23,156 salary in Kuwait would need to be roughly AED406,201 in United Arab Emirates to maintain the same lifestyle.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Kuwait to United Arab Emirates.
What does your salary buy?
KWD23,156 → AED406,201
To maintain the same standard of living in United Arab Emirates
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 36.8% more
Groceries
pay 30.7% more
Transportation
pay 44.8% more
Housing
pay 2.4 times more
Childcare
pay 72.2% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 72.1% 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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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Kuwait to United Arab Emirates, and how the trend has changed.
people born in Kuwait 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
- · · ·
-
11.67,525
Kuwait
Key Indicator Comparison
How Kuwait 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
Kuwait 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
United Arab Emirates generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kuwait 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
Kuwait generally does better on environment, though United Arab Emirates leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
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
Kuwait generally does better on infrastructure, though United Arab Emirates leads in broadband per 100 people.
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
Kuwait generally does better on employment & economy, though United Arab Emirates leads in gdp per capita.
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 Kuwait leads in education spending.
Data: Ministry of Finance, Kuwait, 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 | Kuwait City | Abu Dhabi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 73°/51°F (23°/11°C) | 78°/56°F (26°/14°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 104°/76°F (40°/25°C) | 99°/72°F (37°/22°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 114°/84°F (46°/29°C) | 106°/81°F (41°/27°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 84°/60°F (29°/15°C) | 87°/64°F (31°/18°C) |
View all months
| Month | Kuwait City | Abu Dhabi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 67°/47°F (19.5°/8.5°C) | 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.8°C) |
| Feb | 71°/50°F (21.8°/10.0°C) | 76°/56°F (24.6°/13.2°C) |
| Mar | 80°/57°F (26.9°/14.0°C) | 83°/60°F (28.6°/15.8°C) |
| Apr | 93°/67°F (33.9°/19.5°C) | 92°/66°F (33.4°/19.1°C) |
| May | 106°/78°F (40.9°/25.4°C) | 101°/73°F (38.4°/22.8°C) |
| Jun | 114°/84°F (45.5°/28.9°C) | 103°/77°F (39.6°/24.8°C) |
| Jul | 116°/87°F (46.7°/30.7°C) | 108°/82°F (42.0°/27.6°C) |
| Aug | 116°/85°F (46.9°/29.5°C) | 107°/84°F (41.5°/28.7°C) |
| Sep | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.2°C) | 104°/78°F (40.1°/25.6°C) |
| Oct | 98°/71°F (36.6°/21.5°C) | 96°/71°F (35.8°/21.8°C) |
| Nov | 82°/58°F (27.8°/14.5°C) | 87°/64°F (30.6°/17.5°C) |
| Dec | 71°/50°F (21.9°/9.9°C) | 78°/57°F (25.7°/14.1°C) |
Meteorological DepartmentVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Kuwait 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.
Kuwait passport holder visiting United Arab Emirates
Visa Free
United Arab Emirates passport holder visiting Kuwait
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 Kuwait?
Day-to-day costs in United Arab Emirates run about 47% higher than Kuwait on average; specific cities can swing further.
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 KWD23,156 comparable salary, that's around AED101,550 in United Arab Emirates for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, 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 Kuwait and United Arab Emirates.
Is United Arab Emirates safe for expats?
Kuwait generally does better on safety, though United Arab Emirates leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in United Arab Emirates is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.2 in Kuwait.
How is healthcare in United Arab Emirates compared to Kuwait?
United Arab Emirates generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kuwait leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 29.1 doctors per 10,000 people in United Arab Emirates, compared to 22.9 in Kuwait. United Arab Emirates scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Kuwait: 78).
What's the weather like in United Arab Emirates compared to Kuwait?
The average high temperature in Abu Dhabi is 93°F, compared to 94°F in Kuwait City. Abu Dhabi receives around 3.5 in of rainfall per year, while Kuwait City gets 4.6 in.
What language do they speak in United Arab Emirates?
Both Kuwait and United Arab Emirates share the same official language: Arabic.
