Moving to Australia from United Arab Emirates
What to Expect
Considering a move from United Arab Emirates to Australia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from United Arab Emirates to Australia, you would find that Australia is 31.5% more expensive than United Arab Emirates overall. A AED280,000 salary in United Arab Emirates would need to be roughly A$144,000 in Australia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Canberra averages 67°F vs 93°F in Abu Dhabi, making it significantly cooler.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between United Arab Emirates and Australia.
What does your salary buy?
AED280,000 → A$144,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Australia
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 96.7% more
Groceries
pay 69.4% more
Transportation
pay 35.5% more
Housing
pay 4.2% less
Childcare
pay 3.0 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 1.5% 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 Australia cost about 24% more than cities in United Arab Emirates.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from United Arab Emirates to Australia.
people moved from United Arab Emirates to Australia · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to Australia?
Top countries of origin for Australia's foreign-born residents.
- 1,285,149
- 653,232
- 611,266
- 579,264
- 286,303
- 269,812
- · · ·
-
72.11,136
United Arab Emirates
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Australia compared to United Arab Emirates.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
United Arab Emirates generally does better on safety, though Australia 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
Australia 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
Australia performs significantly 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 Australia 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 generally does better on employment & economy, though Australia 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
Australia generally does better on family life, though United Arab Emirates leads in life expectancy.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2003–2020), Ministry of Finance (2016), Australian Taxation Office (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Abu Dhabi | Canberra |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 78°/56°F (26°/14°C) | 80°/54°F (26°/12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 99°/72°F (37°/22°C) | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 106°/81°F (41°/27°C) | 56°/35°F (13°/1°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 87°/64°F (31°/18°C) | 73°/47°F (23°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | Abu Dhabi | Canberra |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.8°C) | 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C) |
| Feb | 76°/56°F (24.6°/13.2°C) | 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C) |
| Mar | 83°/60°F (28.6°/15.8°C) | 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C) |
| Apr | 92°/66°F (33.4°/19.1°C) | 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C) |
| May | 101°/73°F (38.4°/22.8°C) | 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C) |
| Jun | 103°/77°F (39.6°/24.8°C) | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) |
| Jul | 108°/82°F (42.0°/27.6°C) | 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C) |
| Aug | 107°/84°F (41.5°/28.7°C) | 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C) |
| Sep | 104°/78°F (40.1°/25.6°C) | 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C) |
| Oct | 96°/71°F (35.8°/21.8°C) | 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) |
| Nov | 87°/64°F (30.6°/17.5°C) | 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C) |
| Dec | 78°/57°F (25.7°/14.1°C) | 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C) |
Data:
Bureau of Meteorology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between United Arab Emirates and Australia. To live, work, or study long-term in Australia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Australia's immigration authority.
United Arab Emirates passport holder visiting Australia
Visa Required
Australia passport holder visiting United Arab Emirates
Visa on ArrivalData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Australia than United Arab Emirates?
On average Australia is around 32% pricier than United Arab Emirates, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Australia?
Budget about A$36,000 for 3 months in Australia (based on a AED280,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Australia?
Connectivity is usually fine (Australia: 36.5 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Australia offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Australia safe for expats?
United Arab Emirates generally does better on safety, though Australia leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Australia is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in United Arab Emirates.
How is healthcare in Australia compared to United Arab Emirates?
Australia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United Arab Emirates leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 40.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Australia, compared to 29.9 in United Arab Emirates. Australia scores 87 on the WHO universal health coverage index (United Arab Emirates: 82).
What's the weather like in Australia compared to United Arab Emirates?
The average high temperature in Canberra is 67°F, compared to 93°F in Abu Dhabi. Canberra receives around 24.8 in of rainfall per year, while Abu Dhabi gets 3.5 in.
What language do they speak in Australia?
The official language in Australia is English. In United Arab Emirates, the official language is Arabic.
