Moving to United Arab Emirates from Philippines
What to Expect
Considering a move from Philippines to United Arab Emirates? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Philippines to United Arab Emirates, you would find that United Arab Emirates is 2.5 times more expensive than Philippines overall. A ₱4,552,875 salary in Philippines would need to be roughly AED579,884 in United Arab Emirates to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Arabic.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Philippines and United Arab Emirates.
What does your salary buy?
₱4,552,875 → AED579,884
To maintain the same standard of living in United Arab Emirates
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 88.5% more
Groceries
pay 1.0% more
Transportation
pay 2.4 times more
Housing
pay 4.2 times more
Childcare
pay 2.6 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 3.6 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 64% more than cities in Philippines.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Philippines to United Arab Emirates.
people born in Philippines live in United Arab Emirates · UN DESA
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in United Arab Emirates compared to Philippines.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
United Arab Emirates performs significantly better than Philippines across all safety metrics.
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
Philippines generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United Arab Emirates leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Philippines generally does better on environment, though United Arab Emirates leads in air pollution deaths.
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
United Arab Emirates generally does better on infrastructure, though Philippines leads in water stress level.
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
Philippines 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 performs significantly better than Philippines across all family life metrics.
Data: Bureau of Internal Revenue, 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 | Manila | Abu Dhabi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 87°/75°F (31°/24°C) | 78°/56°F (26°/14°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 91°/79°F (33°/26°C) | 99°/72°F (37°/22°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 88°/78°F (31°/26°C) | 106°/81°F (41°/27°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 87°/77°F (30°/25°C) | 87°/64°F (31°/18°C) |
View all months
| Month | Manila | Abu Dhabi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 85°/74°F (29.5°/23.5°C) | 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.8°C) |
| Feb | 87°/75°F (30.5°/23.8°C) | 76°/56°F (24.6°/13.2°C) |
| Mar | 90°/77°F (32.1°/24.9°C) | 83°/60°F (28.6°/15.8°C) |
| Apr | 92°/79°F (33.5°/26.2°C) | 92°/66°F (33.4°/19.1°C) |
| May | 92°/80°F (33.2°/26.7°C) | 101°/73°F (38.4°/22.8°C) |
| Jun | 90°/79°F (32.2°/26.2°C) | 103°/77°F (39.6°/24.8°C) |
| Jul | 88°/78°F (31.1°/25.8°C) | 108°/82°F (42.0°/27.6°C) |
| Aug | 87°/78°F (30.6°/25.5°C) | 107°/84°F (41.5°/28.7°C) |
| Sep | 88°/78°F (30.9°/25.5°C) | 104°/78°F (40.1°/25.6°C) |
| Oct | 88°/78°F (30.9°/25.5°C) | 96°/71°F (35.8°/21.8°C) |
| Nov | 87°/77°F (30.7°/24.9°C) | 87°/64°F (30.6°/17.5°C) |
| Dec | 85°/75°F (29.7°/23.9°C) | 78°/57°F (25.7°/14.1°C) |
Data:
Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Philippines 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.
Philippines passport holder visiting United Arab Emirates
Visa Online (e-Visa)
United Arab Emirates passport holder visiting Philippines
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 Philippines?
On average United Arab Emirates is around 111% pricier than Philippines, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to United Arab Emirates?
Budget about AED144,971 for 3 months in United Arab Emirates (based on a ₱4,552,875 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?
United Arab Emirates performs significantly better than Philippines across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in United Arab Emirates is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 4.3 in Philippines.
How is healthcare in United Arab Emirates compared to Philippines?
Philippines 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 7.9 in Philippines. United Arab Emirates scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Philippines: 58).
What's the weather like in United Arab Emirates compared to Philippines?
The average high temperature in Abu Dhabi is 93°F, compared to 88°F in Manila. Abu Dhabi receives around 3.5 in of rainfall per year, while Manila gets 86.7 in.
What language do they speak in United Arab Emirates?
The official language in United Arab Emirates is Arabic. In Philippines, the official languages are English and Filipino.
