Moving to Greece from United Arab Emirates
What to Expect
Considering a move from United Arab Emirates to Greece? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from United Arab Emirates to Greece, you would find that Greece is 7.2% more expensive than United Arab Emirates overall. A AED275,438 salary in United Arab Emirates would need to be roughly €51,152 in Greece to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Greek. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Athens averages 72°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 Greece.
What does your salary buy?
AED275,438 → €51,152
To maintain the same standard of living in Greece
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 66.1% more
Groceries
pay 18.1% more
Transportation
pay 52.9% more
Housing
pay 36.0% less
Childcare
pay 15.1% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 29.2% less
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 Greece cost about 18% less 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 Greece.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Greece compared to United Arab Emirates.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
United Arab Emirates performs better than Greece 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
Greece generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United Arab Emirates leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Greece 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 Greece leads in broadband per 100 people.
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 Greece leads in poverty rate.
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
Greece generally does better on family life, though United Arab Emirates leads in literacy rate.
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.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Abu Dhabi | Athens |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 78°/56°F (26°/14°C) | 57°/42°F (14°/6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 99°/72°F (37°/22°C) | 78°/57°F (26°/14°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 106°/81°F (41°/27°C) | 90°/67°F (32°/20°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 87°/64°F (31°/18°C) | 65°/50°F (18°/10°C) |
View all months
| Month | Abu Dhabi | Athens |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.8°C) | 54°/41°F (12.5°/5.2°C) |
| Feb | 76°/56°F (24.6°/13.2°C) | 56°/42°F (13.5°/5.4°C) |
| Mar | 83°/60°F (28.6°/15.8°C) | 60°/44°F (15.7°/6.7°C) |
| Apr | 92°/66°F (33.4°/19.1°C) | 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.6°C) |
| May | 101°/73°F (38.4°/22.8°C) | 79°/57°F (26.0°/13.9°C) |
| Jun | 103°/77°F (39.6°/24.8°C) | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.2°C) |
| Jul | 108°/82°F (42.0°/27.6°C) | 92°/69°F (33.5°/20.8°C) |
| Aug | 107°/84°F (41.5°/28.7°C) | 92°/69°F (33.2°/20.7°C) |
| Sep | 104°/78°F (40.1°/25.6°C) | 85°/63°F (29.2°/17.3°C) |
| Oct | 96°/71°F (35.8°/21.8°C) | 74°/56°F (23.3°/13.4°C) |
| Nov | 87°/64°F (30.6°/17.5°C) | 65°/50°F (18.1°/9.8°C) |
| Dec | 78°/57°F (25.7°/14.1°C) | 57°/44°F (14.1°/6.8°C) |
Hellenic National Meteorological ServiceVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between United Arab Emirates and Greece. To live, work, or study long-term in Greece, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Greece's immigration authority.
United Arab Emirates passport holder visiting Greece
Visa Free
Greece passport holder visiting United Arab Emirates
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 Greece than United Arab Emirates?
On average Greece is about 22% less expensive than United Arab Emirates, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Greece?
Budget about €12,788 for 3 months in Greece (based on a AED275,438 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Greece?
Connectivity is usually fine (Greece: 43.0 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Greece offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Greece safe for expats?
United Arab Emirates performs better than Greece across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Greece is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.5 in United Arab Emirates.
How is healthcare in Greece compared to United Arab Emirates?
Greece generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United Arab Emirates leads in health coverage index. There are 63.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Greece, compared to 29.1 in United Arab Emirates. Greece scores 77 on the WHO universal health coverage index (United Arab Emirates: 82).
What's the weather like in Greece compared to United Arab Emirates?
The average high temperature in Athens is 72°F, compared to 93°F in Abu Dhabi. Athens receives around 16.3 in of rainfall per year, while Abu Dhabi gets 3.5 in.
What language do they speak in Greece?
The official language in Greece is Greek. In United Arab Emirates, the official language is Arabic.
