Living Expenses in Abu Dhabi?

Question

I am moving to Abu Dhabi shortly... assuming we (Wife and I) live in a two-bedroom apartment, what would be a good estimate for monthly living expenses like rent, utilities, gas, grocery, eating out etc.
My understanding is that rent would be in the region of AED 4,500 though I have no idea about gas, utilities etc.
Thank you in advance.

Answer 1

Hi,

regarding Gulf News the rent for a 2 bedroom apt. is between dhs 70.ooo and 85.ooo yearly. It's common here to pay the rent for 6 or 12 months in advance by forwarded cheques. To find an appartment ain't easy. You have to look in the local paper under classified, talk to watchmen, rental agency or the Khalifa Rent Comitee, which works like a lottery.

Utilities (water and electricity) for 2 person in a 2 bedroom apt. will be around Dhs 140 - 170 using Tvs. Pcs. shower, stove, light, washer and dryer.
Grocery might between dhs 200 - 300 weekly. depends. Basic food like rice, bread etc is cheap. In general you can say, local food or food imported within GCC countries is cheap, everything imported from the West is kind of expensive. 1 kg local tomatoes = around dhs 3, imported from the Netherlands = 16,50. It also depends where you go shopping. Stores like Abela and Spinney's are the most expensive cause they sell pork and all the foreign products.

Going out: it depens also where you go. You can have decent meals between dhs 18 and 40 in local restaurants and malls. Restaurants connected to Hotels which also serve alcohol are more expensive.

Internet flat rate with Etisalat is dhs 250 the month. Calls from land line to land line within Abu Dhabi are free.

Gas: it cost dhs 60 to fill up a BMW and dhs 50 for a Corolla. Washing the car in- and outside dhs 20,00

Cabs are cheap. Never paid more than dhs 5 during the day. After midnight the price will be doubled.

With a salary of Dhs 19.000 you should be fine. Costs of utilities, going out and groceries depend a whole lot on yourself. I just gave you my own figures.

Answer 2

go for it babe and good luck, it's a great place to live (it's not the greatest place to make money for most people) but you'll have a peace of mind and you'll see life in pink if you know how to enjoy it.. I live in the US. and can't wait to get the hell outta here and go back to Dubai it's fun and life in the Emirates is sooo simple.. I've lived In the emirates for 1 year when I was in high school (now I'm at college) and I remember it was not cheap.. Gas I would say is much cheaper than here in the USA, Food is very cheap (1000-2000 AED a month can be enough for you two if you know where to shop and try not to succumb to the temptations. Eating out also differs from place to place, Foreign franchises (pizza hut, etc .. )are more expensive that local places that offer the same food. You can have a good dinner with your wife for about 70-100 AED dirhams in a decent restaurant, and you can have a better, or a crappy dinner in a hotel for 1000 AED! It really depends as I said you just need to know where to go. Here I'm talking about Dubai and Sharjah, I don't know much about Abu Dhabi.. Anyway I wish you and your wife the best luck.. Enjoy the peaceful nights out and have fun :)

Answer 3

The world's biggest hand-loomed rug, the quickest roller coaster, the greatest high tea, the tower with the maximum slim, the biggest cluster of social houses of the 21st century that is what you would get in your holyday at Abu Dhabi so start making planes with hotelbye because this city is waiting for you really to offer you an remarkable holyday. Abu Dhabi is a town that isn't afraid to challenge world files, is an exciting city wherever nothing stands still. Among the places should see in Abu Dhabi could be the lovely Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. The mosque fuses Mameluke, Ottoman and Fatamid style things to create a good and completely modern mosque that celebrates Islamic architecture. Artisans utilised glass-work, mosaic tiling and complicated carvings to magnificent influence on both the interior and exterior. It had been exposed in 2007 after nearly two decades of construction and can hold 40,000 worshippers. Is the largest mosque in the United Arab Emirates.

Answer 4

Abu Dhabi is expensive city. I do not think so this Aid enough. Depends on you how much you used.

Answer 5

We live in Dubai, it is not a cheap country at all, spending depends on how out going you are, restaurants and fun places are very expensive, but I think a couple would need around AED 12,000 to 14,000 including rent, bills and food.
Good luck, UAE is a great place to live