Moving to Massachusetts from United Arab Emirates
What to Expect
Considering a move from United Arab Emirates to Massachusetts? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from United Arab Emirates to Massachusetts, you would find that Massachusetts is 88.6% more expensive than United Arab Emirates overall. A AED275,438 salary in United Arab Emirates would need to be roughly $87,173 in Massachusetts to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Boston averages 59°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 Massachusetts.
What does your salary buy?
AED275,438 → $87,173
To maintain the same standard of living in Massachusetts
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 2.7 times more
Groceries
pay 2.2 times more
Transportation
pay 29.8% more
Housing
pay 35.8% more
Childcare
pay 3.8 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 11.9% 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 Massachusetts cost about 48% 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 Massachusetts.
people moved from United Arab Emirates to United States · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
134.18,046
United Arab Emirates
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Massachusetts compared to United Arab Emirates.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Massachusetts performs significantly better than United Arab Emirates across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
United Arab Emirates performs better than Massachusetts across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Massachusetts generally does better on employment & economy, though United Arab Emirates leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
United Arab Emirates performs better than Massachusetts across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Abu Dhabi | Boston |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 78°/56°F (26°/14°C) | 40°/26°F (4°/-3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 99°/72°F (37°/22°C) | 66°/50°F (19°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 106°/81°F (41°/27°C) | 78°/62°F (25°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 87°/64°F (31°/18°C) | 51°/38°F (11°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Abu Dhabi | Boston |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.8°C) | 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.4°C) |
| Feb | 76°/56°F (24.6°/13.2°C) | 39°/25°F (3.7°/-4.1°C) |
| Mar | 83°/60°F (28.6°/15.8°C) | 45°/31°F (7.4°/-0.5°C) |
| Apr | 92°/66°F (33.4°/19.1°C) | 56°/41°F (13.1°/4.8°C) |
| May | 101°/73°F (38.4°/22.8°C) | 66°/50°F (18.9°/9.9°C) |
| Jun | 103°/77°F (39.6°/24.8°C) | 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.3°C) |
| Jul | 108°/82°F (42.0°/27.6°C) | 81°/65°F (27.4°/18.6°C) |
| Aug | 107°/84°F (41.5°/28.7°C) | 80°/65°F (26.4°/18.1°C) |
| Sep | 104°/78°F (40.1°/25.6°C) | 72°/57°F (22.4°/14.1°C) |
| Oct | 96°/71°F (35.8°/21.8°C) | 61°/47°F (16.3°/8.1°C) |
| Nov | 87°/64°F (30.6°/17.5°C) | 51°/38°F (10.8°/3.3°C) |
| Dec | 78°/57°F (25.7°/14.1°C) | 41°/28°F (5.1°/-2.1°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between United Arab Emirates and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.
United Arab Emirates passport holder visiting United States
Visa Required
United States 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 Massachusetts than United Arab Emirates?
On average Massachusetts is around 16% pricier than United Arab Emirates, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Massachusetts?
Budget about $21,793 for 3 months in Massachusetts (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 Massachusetts?
From major Massachusetts cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in United Arab Emirates and Massachusetts are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in Massachusetts compared to United Arab Emirates?
Massachusetts performs significantly better than United Arab Emirates across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Massachusetts compared to United Arab Emirates?
The average high temperature in Boston is 59°F, compared to 93°F in Abu Dhabi. Boston receives around 43.8 in of rainfall per year, while Abu Dhabi gets 3.5 in.
What language do they speak in Massachusetts?
The official language in Massachusetts is English. In United Arab Emirates, the official language is Arabic.
