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. 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 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 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 We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes. 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 Top countries of origin for United Arab Emirates's foreign-born residents. How United States and United Arab Emirates stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 Monthly averages — select a city to compare. Avg. annual high / low Avg. annual high / low Data: 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 United Arab Emirates passport holder visiting United States Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements. Generally yes: United Arab Emirates runs about 16% cheaper than United States on average, though it depends heavily on the city. 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. 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. 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. 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). 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. The official language in United Arab Emirates is Arabic. In United States, the official language is English. How Far Will Your Money Go?
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What's the Climate Like?
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) 
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Frequently Asked Questions
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