Moving to United Arab Emirates from United States
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from United States to United Arab Emirates — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from United States to United Arab Emirates, you would find that United Arab Emirates is 18.6% cheaper than United States overall. A $75,000 salary in United States would need to be roughly AED231,279 in United Arab Emirates to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Arabic. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Abu Dhabi averages 93°F vs 66°F in Washington, making it significantly warmer.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from United States to United Arab Emirates.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → AED231,279
To maintain the same standard of living in United Arab Emirates
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 53.9% less
Groceries
pay 35.8% less
Transportation
pay 15.0% less
Housing
pay 3.7% less
Childcare
pay 64.5% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 16.4% 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 United Arab Emirates cost about 38% less than cities in United States.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from United States to United Arab Emirates, and how the trend has changed.
people born in United States live in United Arab Emirates · UN DESA
Who's moving to United Arab Emirates?
Top countries of origin for United Arab Emirates's foreign-born residents.
- 3,471,300
- 1,095,231
- 996,288
- 899,612
- 564,769
- 318,809
- · · ·
-
20.15,620
United States
Key Indicator Comparison
How United States and United Arab Emirates stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
United Arab Emirates performs significantly better than United States 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
United Arab Emirates generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United States leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
United States performs 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 United States 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 United States 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
United States generally does better on family life, though United Arab Emirates leads in infant mortality.
Data: Internal Revenue Service, 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 | Washington | Abu Dhabi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 48°/28°F (9°/-2°C) | 78°/56°F (26°/14°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 75°/51°F (24°/11°C) | 99°/72°F (37°/22°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/62°F (29°/17°C) | 106°/81°F (41°/27°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 57°/35°F (14°/2°C) | 87°/64°F (31°/18°C) |
View all months
| Month | Washington | Abu Dhabi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°/24°F (5.8°/-4.5°C) | 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.8°C) |
| Feb | 46°/26°F (8.0°/-3.3°C) | 76°/56°F (24.6°/13.2°C) |
| Mar | 56°/33°F (13.1°/0.5°C) | 83°/60°F (28.6°/15.8°C) |
| Apr | 67°/42°F (19.3°/5.6°C) | 92°/66°F (33.4°/19.1°C) |
| May | 75°/51°F (23.9°/10.7°C) | 101°/73°F (38.4°/22.8°C) |
| Jun | 84°/61°F (28.8°/16.1°C) | 103°/77°F (39.6°/24.8°C) |
| Jul | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.6°C) | 108°/82°F (42.0°/27.6°C) |
| Aug | 87°/64°F (30.3°/17.9°C) | 107°/84°F (41.5°/28.7°C) |
| Sep | 79°/56°F (26.3°/13.5°C) | 104°/78°F (40.1°/25.6°C) |
| Oct | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.6°C) | 96°/71°F (35.8°/21.8°C) |
| Nov | 58°/35°F (14.2°/1.8°C) | 87°/64°F (30.6°/17.5°C) |
| Dec | 46°/27°F (7.8°/-2.7°C) | 78°/57°F (25.7°/14.1°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between United States and United Arab Emirates. To live, work, or study long-term in United Arab Emirates, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United Arab Emirates's immigration authority.
United States passport holder visiting United Arab Emirates
Visa on Arrival
United Arab Emirates passport holder visiting United States
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in United Arab Emirates than United States?
Generally yes: United Arab Emirates runs about 16% cheaper than United States on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to United Arab Emirates?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around AED57,820 in United Arab Emirates for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from United Arab Emirates?
With 40.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, United Arab Emirates can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in United States and United Arab Emirates.
Is United Arab Emirates safe for expats?
United Arab Emirates performs significantly better than United States across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in United Arab Emirates is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.4 in United States.
How is healthcare in United Arab Emirates compared to United States?
United Arab Emirates generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United States leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 29.1 doctors per 10,000 people in United Arab Emirates, compared to 36.1 in United States. United Arab Emirates scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (United States: 86).
What's the weather like in United Arab Emirates compared to United States?
The average high temperature in Abu Dhabi is 93°F, compared to 66°F in Washington. Abu Dhabi receives around 3.5 in of rainfall per year, while Washington gets 41.5 in.
What language do they speak in United Arab Emirates?
The official language in United Arab Emirates is Arabic. In United States, the official language is English.
