United Arab Emirates

UAE COST OF LIVING GUIDE (2024–2025) ACCOMMODATION (Monthly) Dubai: • Bed Space (shared room): AED 400–700 • Studio Apartment: AED 2,500–4,500 • 1BR Apartment: AED 4,000–8,000 • Better areas for Sri Lankans: Al Quoz, International City, Deira, Al Nahda (Sharjah border) Abu Dhabi: • Bed Space: AED 400–600 • Studio: AED 2,000–3,500 • 1BR: AED 3,500–6,500 Sharjah (most affordable, 20min to Dubai): • 1BR: AED 1,500–3,000 FOOD & GROCERIES (Monthly estimate) • Cooking at home: AED 600–1,000 • Eating out (Sri Lankan/Indian restaurants): AED 15–25 per meal • Supermarkets: Lulu Hypermarket, Carrefour, Union Coop • SL foods available: Luru, Anchor Butter, Maliban, Munchee, etc. TRANSPORTATION • Dubai Metro daily pass: AED 20 • RTA monthly pass: AED 350 • Taxi (per km): AED 1.82 (meter) • If driving: Petrol is cheap — AED 2.60–2.80/litre (AED 95) • Buying a used car: AED 8,000–25,000 UTILITIES (if not included in rent) • DEWA (electricity + water): AED 300–600/month • Internet (Home Fibre): AED 250–400/month • SIM card: AED 50–150/month (Etisalat/Du) SENDING MONEY HOME • Exchange houses: Al Ansari, UAE Exchange, LuLu Exchange, Western Union • Transfer fee: AED 5–25 • Rate: Approx LKR 75–80 per AED (varies daily) • Better rates available through wise.com or Revolut SALARY BENCHMARKS (Gross, Tax-free) • Nurse/Technician: AED 3,500–7,000 • Teacher: AED 4,000–8,000 • IT Engineer: AED 6,000–18,000 • Accountant: AED 4,000–10,000 • Driver: AED 1,800–3,000 • Construction Worker: AED 1,200–2,500 • Security Guard: AED 1,500–2,500