Moving to United Arab Emirates from Latvia

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Latvia to United Arab Emirates — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Latvia to United Arab Emirates, you would find that United Arab Emirates is 32.9% more expensive than Latvia overall. A €64,304 salary in Latvia would need to be roughly AED383,800 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 50°F in Riga, making it significantly warmer.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Latvia to United Arab Emirates.

What does your salary buy?

€64,304 AED383,800

To maintain the same standard of living in United Arab Emirates

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 32.2% less

Groceries

pay 6.9% more

Transportation

pay 1.7% more

Housing

pay 3.1 times more

Childcare

pay 21.0% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 60.6% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 4.28 AED (June 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.

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Key Indicator Comparison

How Latvia and United Arab Emirates stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

LV
3.6
AE
0.5
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

LV
9.8
AE
5.9

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

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

LV
$3,034
AE
$3,727
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

LV
33.8
AE
29.1

Latvia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United Arab Emirates leads in health coverage index.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

LV
40.0
AE
70.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

LV
3.6t
AE
18.3t

Latvia 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

LV
26.4
AE
40.0
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

LV
1.1%
AE
1533.3%

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

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

LV
6.5%
AE
2.7%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

LV
$37,800
AE
$75,600

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

LV
75.9 yrs
AE
79.6 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

LV
4.8
AE
5.1

Latvia generally does better on family life, though United Arab Emirates leads in life expectancy.

Data: State Revenue Service, Latvia, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Riga Rain: 24.9 in/yr (633 mm)
50° / 36°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Riga Abu Dhabi
Jan–Mar 31°/20°F (0°/-7°C) 78°/56°F (26°/14°C)
Apr–Jun 60°/42°F (15°/6°C) 99°/72°F (37°/22°C)
Jul–Sep 67°/51°F (20°/11°C) 106°/81°F (41°/27°C)
Oct–Dec 41°/31°F (5°/0°C) 87°/64°F (31°/18°C)
View all months
Month Riga Abu Dhabi
Jan 28°/18°F (-2.3°/-7.8°C) 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.8°C)
Feb 29°/18°F (-1.7°/-7.6°C) 76°/56°F (24.6°/13.2°C)
Mar 37°/24°F (2.7°/-4.7°C) 83°/60°F (28.6°/15.8°C)
Apr 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.0°C) 92°/66°F (33.4°/19.1°C)
May 61°/43°F (16.2°/5.9°C) 101°/73°F (38.4°/22.8°C)
Jun 68°/50°F (20.1°/10.0°C) 103°/77°F (39.6°/24.8°C)
Jul 71°/54°F (21.7°/12.3°C) 108°/82°F (42.0°/27.6°C)
Aug 70°/53°F (21.0°/11.8°C) 107°/84°F (41.5°/28.7°C)
Sep 61°/46°F (16.3°/8.0°C) 104°/78°F (40.1°/25.6°C)
Oct 51°/39°F (10.4°/4.0°C) 96°/71°F (35.8°/21.8°C)
Nov 39°/31°F (3.9°/-0.5°C) 87°/64°F (30.6°/17.5°C)
Dec 33°/24°F (0.3°/-4.4°C) 78°/57°F (25.7°/14.1°C)

Data: Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Latvia 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.

Latvia passport

Latvia passport holder visiting United Arab Emirates

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

United Arab Emirates passport holder visiting Latvia

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

Day-to-day costs in United Arab Emirates run about 39% higher than Latvia 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 €64,304 comparable salary, that's around AED95,950 in United Arab Emirates for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, 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 Latvia and United Arab Emirates.

Is United Arab Emirates safe for expats?

United Arab Emirates performs significantly better than Latvia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in United Arab Emirates is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 3.6 in Latvia.

How is healthcare in United Arab Emirates compared to Latvia?

Latvia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United Arab Emirates leads in health coverage index. There are 29.1 doctors per 10,000 people in United Arab Emirates, compared to 33.8 in Latvia. United Arab Emirates scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Latvia: 75).

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

The average high temperature in Abu Dhabi is 93°F, compared to 50°F in Riga. Abu Dhabi receives around 3.5 in of rainfall per year, while Riga gets 24.9 in.

What language do they speak in United Arab Emirates?

The official language in United Arab Emirates is Arabic. In Latvia, the official language is Latvian.

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At a Glance

LV AE
Population 1,842,226 9,915,803
Currency Euro (€) United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED)
Languages Latvian Arabic
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +371 +971
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 999