Moving to France from United Arab Emirates

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from United Arab Emirates to France, you would find that France is 45.3% more expensive than United Arab Emirates overall. A AED275,438 salary in United Arab Emirates would need to be roughly €63,524 in France to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in French. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Paris averages 60°F vs 93°F in Abu Dhabi, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

AED275,438 €63,524

To maintain the same standard of living in France

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 2.6 times more

Groceries

pay 67.1% more

Transportation

pay 77.3% more

Housing

pay 29.3% less

Childcare

pay 41.2% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 2.0% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 AED = 0.2385 EUR (July 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.

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%).

United Arab Emirates

Dubai 60%
Al Ain 48%

France

Paris 69%
Antibes 66%
Annecy 61%
Nantes 56%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from United Arab Emirates to France, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
12 ↓ 76% vs 2022

people moved from United Arab Emirates to France · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to France?

Top countries of origin for France's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

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

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

AE
0.5
FR
1.6
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

AE
5.9
FR
4.7

United Arab Emirates generally does better on safety, though France leads in road traffic deaths.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

AE
$3,727
FR
$6,868
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

AE
29.1
FR
33.4

France generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United Arab Emirates leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

AE
70.0
FR
10.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

AE
18.3t
FR
4.0t

France performs significantly 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

AE
40.0
FR
49.4
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

AE
1533.3%
FR
21.6%

United Arab Emirates generally does better on infrastructure, though France leads in broadband per 100 people.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

AE
2.7%
FR
7.3%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

AE
$75,600
FR
$55,200

United Arab Emirates generally does better on employment & economy, though France leads in poverty rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

AE
79.6 yrs
FR
82.6 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

AE
5.1
FR
3.1

France performs significantly better than United Arab Emirates across all family life metrics.

Data: Ministry of Finance, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Paris Rain: 25.6 in/yr (650 mm)
60° / 47°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Abu Dhabi Paris
Jan–Mar 78°/56°F (26°/14°C) 48°/38°F (9°/3°C)
Apr–Jun 99°/72°F (37°/22°C) 65°/50°F (18°/10°C)
Jul–Sep 106°/81°F (41°/27°C) 74°/58°F (23°/14°C)
Oct–Dec 87°/64°F (31°/18°C) 52°/43°F (11°/6°C)
View all months
Month Abu Dhabi Paris
Jan 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.8°C) 44°/36°F (6.9°/2.5°C)
Feb 76°/56°F (24.6°/13.2°C) 47°/37°F (8.2°/2.8°C)
Mar 83°/60°F (28.6°/15.8°C) 53°/41°F (11.8°/5.1°C)
Apr 92°/66°F (33.4°/19.1°C) 58°/44°F (14.7°/6.8°C)
May 101°/73°F (38.4°/22.8°C) 66°/51°F (19.0°/10.5°C)
Jun 103°/77°F (39.6°/24.8°C) 71°/56°F (21.8°/13.3°C)
Jul 108°/82°F (42.0°/27.6°C) 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.5°C)
Aug 107°/84°F (41.5°/28.7°C) 76°/60°F (24.6°/15.4°C)
Sep 104°/78°F (40.1°/25.6°C) 69°/54°F (20.8°/12.5°C)
Oct 96°/71°F (35.8°/21.8°C) 60°/49°F (15.8°/9.2°C)
Nov 87°/64°F (30.6°/17.5°C) 51°/42°F (10.4°/5.3°C)
Dec 78°/57°F (25.7°/14.1°C) 46°/38°F (7.8°/3.6°C)

Data: Météo-France Météo-France

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between United Arab Emirates and France. To live, work, or study long-term in France, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check France's immigration authority.

United Arab Emirates passport

United Arab Emirates passport holder visiting France

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

France passport holder visiting United Arab Emirates

Visa Free
France passport holders can enter United Arab Emirates 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 France than United Arab Emirates?

Generally yes: France runs about 3% cheaper than United Arab Emirates on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

How much money do I need to move to France?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a AED275,438 comparable salary, that's around €15,881 in France for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from France?

With 49.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, France can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in United Arab Emirates and France.

Is France safe for expats?

United Arab Emirates generally does better on safety, though France leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in France is 1.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.5 in United Arab Emirates.

How is healthcare in France compared to United Arab Emirates?

France generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United Arab Emirates leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 33.4 doctors per 10,000 people in France, compared to 29.1 in United Arab Emirates. France scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (United Arab Emirates: 82).

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

The average high temperature in Paris is 60°F, compared to 93°F in Abu Dhabi. Paris receives around 25.6 in of rainfall per year, while Abu Dhabi gets 3.5 in.

What language do they speak in France?

The official language in France is French. In United Arab Emirates, the official language is Arabic.

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At a Glance

AE FR
Population 9,915,803 68,305,148
Currency United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED) Euro (€)
Languages Arabic French
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +971 +33
Time zones 1 14
Emergency number 999 112