Moving to United Arab Emirates from Sweden
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Sweden to United Arab Emirates — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Sweden to United Arab Emirates, you would find that United Arab Emirates is 17.9% more expensive than Sweden overall. A SEK693,101 salary in Sweden would need to be roughly AED297,492 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 52°F in Stockholm, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Sweden to United Arab Emirates.
What does your salary buy?
SEK693,101 → AED297,492
To maintain the same standard of living in United Arab Emirates
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 50.9% less
Groceries
pay 34.3% less
Transportation
pay 33.0% less
Housing
pay 71.8% more
Childcare
pay 2.6 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 15.4% 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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Key Indicator Comparison
How Sweden 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
Sweden 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
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Sweden 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
Sweden 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
Sweden generally does better on infrastructure, though United Arab Emirates leads in electricity per capita.
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
United Arab Emirates performs significantly better than Sweden 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
Sweden performs better than United Arab Emirates across all family life metrics.
Data: Skatteverket, 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 | Stockholm | Abu Dhabi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 36°/28°F (2°/-2°C) | 78°/56°F (26°/14°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) | 99°/72°F (37°/22°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 69°/56°F (21°/13°C) | 106°/81°F (41°/27°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 43°/36°F (6°/2°C) | 87°/64°F (31°/18°C) |
View all months
| Month | Stockholm | Abu Dhabi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34°/27°F (1.0°/-2.9°C) | 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.8°C) |
| Feb | 34°/26°F (1.2°/-3.2°C) | 76°/56°F (24.6°/13.2°C) |
| Mar | 40°/30°F (4.7°/-1.1°C) | 83°/60°F (28.6°/15.8°C) |
| Apr | 51°/37°F (10.7°/2.6°C) | 92°/66°F (33.4°/19.1°C) |
| May | 62°/45°F (16.5°/7.1°C) | 101°/73°F (38.4°/22.8°C) |
| Jun | 69°/53°F (20.8°/11.6°C) | 103°/77°F (39.6°/24.8°C) |
| Jul | 74°/59°F (23.6°/14.8°C) | 108°/82°F (42.0°/27.6°C) |
| Aug | 72°/58°F (22.1°/14.2°C) | 107°/84°F (41.5°/28.7°C) |
| Sep | 62°/50°F (16.6°/10.2°C) | 104°/78°F (40.1°/25.6°C) |
| Oct | 50°/42°F (10.1°/5.5°C) | 96°/71°F (35.8°/21.8°C) |
| Nov | 42°/35°F (5.4°/1.9°C) | 87°/64°F (30.6°/17.5°C) |
| Dec | 36°/30°F (2.5°/-1.2°C) | 78°/57°F (25.7°/14.1°C) |
Data:
Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI)
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Sweden 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.
Sweden passport holder visiting United Arab Emirates
Visa Free
United Arab Emirates passport holder visiting Sweden
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 Sweden?
Day-to-day costs in United Arab Emirates run about 8% higher than Sweden 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 SEK693,101 comparable salary, that's around AED74,373 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 Sweden and United Arab Emirates.
Is United Arab Emirates safe for expats?
Sweden 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 1.1 in Sweden.
How is healthcare in United Arab Emirates compared to Sweden?
Sweden 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 71.5 in Sweden. United Arab Emirates scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Sweden: 85).
What's the weather like in United Arab Emirates compared to Sweden?
The average high temperature in Abu Dhabi is 93°F, compared to 52°F in Stockholm. Abu Dhabi receives around 3.5 in of rainfall per year, while Stockholm gets 21.5 in.
What language do they speak in United Arab Emirates?
The official language in United Arab Emirates is Arabic. In Sweden, the official language is Swedish.
