Moving to Texas from United Arab Emirates

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What to Expect

Considering a move from United Arab Emirates to Texas? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from United Arab Emirates to Texas, you would find that Texas is 54.1% more expensive than United Arab Emirates overall. A AED275,438 salary in United Arab Emirates would need to be roughly $68,637 in Texas to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Austin averages 79°F vs 93°F in Abu Dhabi, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between United Arab Emirates and Texas.

What does your salary buy?

AED275,438 $68,637

To maintain the same standard of living in Texas

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 2.5 times more

Groceries

pay 79.4% more

Transportation

pay 28.5% more

Housing

pay 3.0% more

Childcare

pay 2.4 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 9.9% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 AED = 0.2723 USD (August 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%).

On average, cities in Texas cost about 10% more than cities in United Arab Emirates.

United Arab Emirates

Dubai 60%
Al Ain 48%

Texas

Dallas 68%
Plano 64%
Houston 63%

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 Texas.

Moved in 2023
50 ↓ 41% vs 2022

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.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Texas compared to United Arab Emirates.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate The World Factbook, 2022

share of adults with obesity

AE
31.7%
TX
36.8%

United Arab Emirates performs better than Texas across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access The World Factbook, 2023

share of households with internet

AE
100.0%
TX
90.1%

United Arab Emirates performs better than Texas across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

AE
2.7%
TX
3.9%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

AE
$75,600
TX
$70,071

United Arab Emirates generally does better on employment & economy, though Texas 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
TX
76.5 yrs

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

Data: The World Factbook

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

Austin Rain: 36.2 in/yr (920 mm)
79° / 55°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Abu Dhabi Austin
Jan–Mar 78°/56°F (26°/14°C) 65°/40°F (18°/5°C)
Apr–Jun 99°/72°F (37°/22°C) 85°/63°F (29°/17°C)
Jul–Sep 106°/81°F (41°/27°C) 93°/70°F (34°/21°C)
Oct–Dec 87°/64°F (31°/18°C) 71°/47°F (22°/8°C)
View all months
Month Abu Dhabi Austin
Jan 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.8°C) 61°/37°F (15.9°/2.9°C)
Feb 76°/56°F (24.6°/13.2°C) 64°/39°F (17.6°/3.8°C)
Mar 83°/60°F (28.6°/15.8°C) 71°/45°F (21.6°/7.4°C)
Apr 92°/66°F (33.4°/19.1°C) 79°/55°F (25.9°/12.8°C)
May 101°/73°F (38.4°/22.8°C) 85°/64°F (29.7°/17.7°C)
Jun 103°/77°F (39.6°/24.8°C) 91°/70°F (32.8°/21.0°C)
Jul 108°/82°F (42.0°/27.6°C) 94°/72°F (34.7°/22.3°C)
Aug 107°/84°F (41.5°/28.7°C) 96°/72°F (35.4°/22.1°C)
Sep 104°/78°F (40.1°/25.6°C) 90°/67°F (32.3°/19.2°C)
Oct 96°/71°F (35.8°/21.8°C) 81°/57°F (27.3°/13.7°C)
Nov 87°/64°F (30.6°/17.5°C) 71°/47°F (21.4°/8.4°C)
Dec 78°/57°F (25.7°/14.1°C) 62°/38°F (16.5°/3.4°C)

Data: National Weather Service 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

United Arab Emirates passport holder visiting United States

Visa Required
United Arab Emirates passport holders need a visa to enter United States.
United States passport

United States passport holder visiting United Arab Emirates

Visa on Arrival
United States passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival in United Arab Emirates.

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 Texas than United Arab Emirates?

On average Texas is about 8% less expensive than United Arab Emirates, with major cities narrowing the gap.

How much money do I need to move to Texas?

Budget about $17,159 for 3 months in Texas (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 Texas?

From major Texas cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in United Arab Emirates and Texas are what actually decide it long-term.

How is healthcare in Texas compared to United Arab Emirates?

United Arab Emirates performs better than Texas across all health & wellbeing metrics.

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

The average high temperature in Austin is 79°F, compared to 93°F in Abu Dhabi. Austin receives around 36.2 in of rainfall per year, while Abu Dhabi gets 3.5 in.

What language do they speak in Texas?

The official language in Texas is English. In United Arab Emirates, the official language is Arabic.

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At a Glance

AE
Population 9,915,803 25,145,561
Currency United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED) United States Dollar ($)
Languages Arabic English
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +971 +1
Time zones 1 11
Emergency number 999 911