Moving to United Arab Emirates from Virginia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Virginia to United Arab Emirates? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Virginia to United Arab Emirates, you would find that United Arab Emirates is 21.5% cheaper than Virginia. A $75,000 salary in Virginia would need to be roughly AED253,571 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 70°F in Richmond, making it significantly warmer.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Virginia and United Arab Emirates.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → AED253,571
To maintain the same standard of living in United Arab Emirates
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 55.2% less
Groceries
pay 40.2% less
Transportation
pay 16.2% less
Housing
pay 2.4% less
Childcare
pay 71.3% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 12.5% 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 19% less than cities in Virginia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Virginia to United Arab Emirates.
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
The numbers behind daily life in United Arab Emirates compared to Virginia.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
United Arab Emirates performs significantly better than Virginia across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
United Arab Emirates performs significantly better than Virginia 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
United Arab Emirates generally does better on employment & economy, though Virginia leads in poverty rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
United Arab Emirates performs significantly better than Virginia across all family life metrics.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Richmond | Abu Dhabi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 53°/32°F (12°/0°C) | 78°/56°F (26°/14°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/55°F (26°/13°C) | 99°/72°F (37°/22°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/65°F (30°/19°C) | 106°/81°F (41°/27°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) | 87°/64°F (31°/18°C) |
View all months
| Month | Richmond | Abu Dhabi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47°/28°F (8.6°/-2.1°C) | 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.8°C) |
| Feb | 51°/31°F (10.7°/-0.8°C) | 76°/56°F (24.6°/13.2°C) |
| Mar | 60°/37°F (15.6°/2.8°C) | 83°/60°F (28.6°/15.8°C) |
| Apr | 70°/46°F (21.3°/7.8°C) | 92°/66°F (33.4°/19.1°C) |
| May | 78°/55°F (25.5°/12.8°C) | 101°/73°F (38.4°/22.8°C) |
| Jun | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.1°C) | 103°/77°F (39.6°/24.8°C) |
| Jul | 90°/69°F (32.1°/20.5°C) | 108°/82°F (42.0°/27.6°C) |
| Aug | 88°/67°F (30.9°/19.7°C) | 107°/84°F (41.5°/28.7°C) |
| Sep | 81°/60°F (27.3°/15.6°C) | 104°/78°F (40.1°/25.6°C) |
| Oct | 71°/48°F (21.7°/9.1°C) | 96°/71°F (35.8°/21.8°C) |
| Nov | 61°/39°F (16.3°/4.1°C) | 87°/64°F (30.6°/17.5°C) |
| Dec | 51°/31°F (10.4°/-0.3°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 Virginia?
On average United Arab Emirates is about 8% less expensive than Virginia, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to United Arab Emirates?
Budget about AED63,393 for 3 months in United Arab Emirates (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from United Arab Emirates?
From major United Arab Emirates cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in Virginia and United Arab Emirates are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in United Arab Emirates compared to Virginia?
United Arab Emirates performs significantly better than Virginia across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in United Arab Emirates compared to Virginia?
The average high temperature in Abu Dhabi is 93°F, compared to 70°F in Richmond. Abu Dhabi receives around 3.5 in of rainfall per year, while Richmond gets 43.6 in.
What language do they speak in United Arab Emirates?
The official language in United Arab Emirates is Arabic. In Virginia, the official language is English.
