Moving to United Arab Emirates from Spain
What to Expect
Considering a move from Spain to United Arab Emirates? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Spain to United Arab Emirates, you would find that United Arab Emirates is 16.0% more expensive than Spain overall. A €65,700 salary in Spain would need to be roughly AED310,954 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 68°F in Madrid, making it significantly warmer.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Spain and United Arab Emirates.
What does your salary buy?
€65,700 → AED310,954
To maintain the same standard of living in United Arab Emirates
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 48.8% less
Groceries
pay 15.2% less
Transportation
pay 11.5% less
Housing
pay 79.7% more
Childcare
pay 3.4% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 85.3% 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 4% more than cities in Spain.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in United Arab Emirates compared to Spain.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Spain generally does better on safety, though United Arab Emirates leads in homicide rate.
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
Spain generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United Arab Emirates 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
Spain performs better than United Arab Emirates across all environment metrics.
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 Spain 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
United Arab Emirates performs significantly better than Spain across all employment & economy metrics.
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
Spain performs better than United Arab Emirates across all family life metrics.
Data: Agencia Tributaria, Spain, 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 | Madrid | Abu Dhabi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 55°/40°F (13°/4°C) | 78°/56°F (26°/14°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) | 99°/72°F (37°/22°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/64°F (30°/18°C) | 106°/81°F (41°/27°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 58°/44°F (14°/7°C) | 87°/64°F (31°/18°C) |
View all months
| Month | Madrid | Abu Dhabi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C) | 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.8°C) |
| Feb | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C) | 76°/56°F (24.6°/13.2°C) |
| Mar | 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C) | 83°/60°F (28.6°/15.8°C) |
| Apr | 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C) | 92°/66°F (33.4°/19.1°C) |
| May | 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C) | 101°/73°F (38.4°/22.8°C) |
| Jun | 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C) | 103°/77°F (39.6°/24.8°C) |
| Jul | 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C) | 108°/82°F (42.0°/27.6°C) |
| Aug | 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C) | 107°/84°F (41.5°/28.7°C) |
| Sep | 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C) | 104°/78°F (40.1°/25.6°C) |
| Oct | 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C) | 96°/71°F (35.8°/21.8°C) |
| Nov | 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C) | 87°/64°F (30.6°/17.5°C) |
| Dec | 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C) | 78°/57°F (25.7°/14.1°C) |
Agencia Estatal de MeteorologíaVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Spain 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.
Spain passport holder visiting United Arab Emirates
Visa Free
United Arab Emirates passport holder visiting Spain
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 Spain?
On average United Arab Emirates is around 13% pricier than Spain, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to United Arab Emirates?
Budget about AED77,738 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?
Spain 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 0.7 in Spain.
How is healthcare in United Arab Emirates compared to Spain?
Spain 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 44.8 in Spain. United Arab Emirates scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Spain: 85).
What's the weather like in United Arab Emirates compared to Spain?
The average high temperature in Abu Dhabi is 93°F, compared to 68°F in Madrid. Abu Dhabi receives around 3.5 in of rainfall per year, while Madrid gets 16.6 in.
What language do they speak in United Arab Emirates?
The official language in United Arab Emirates is Arabic. In Spain, the official languages are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish.
