The Real Cost of Living in Abu Dhabi - How Much Do You Really Need ?
Summary
TLDRThis video offers a comprehensive guide for those considering relocating to Abu Dhabi, detailing the financial aspects of living in the city. It covers the cost of accommodation, utilities, transportation, groceries, education, and leisure activities, providing average price ranges and highlighting that expenses vary based on lifestyle and location. The video also touches on the importance of health insurance, the necessity of planning finances in a tax-free environment, and the impact of having a family on overall costs.
Takeaways
- 💰 The cost of living in Abu Dhabi can vary greatly depending on lifestyle, location, and household size.
- 🏠 Accommodation is likely to be the biggest expense, with high rents and the need for a significant upfront payment.
- 📈 Abu Dhabi has the highest GDP per capita in the UAE, making it an expensive city, but it is also a tax-free country aside from a 5% VAT on goods and services.
- 🏡 Rent prices for apartments can range from 60K to 220K AED per year, with significant variations based on location and amenities.
- 🛋 Furnished properties are uncommon, and furnishing costs will depend on personal taste and budget, with options for secondhand or new purchases.
- 💡 Utilities like water and electricity are metered, with an initial deposit required and variable costs based on usage and property characteristics.
- 📱 Communication costs are relatively high, with limited service providers and the need for international call plans due to app restrictions.
- 🚗 Public transport is limited, making car ownership or taxis more practical, with associated costs for car rental, purchase, or toll fees.
- 🍽️ Food and dining options are diverse, with higher prices for imported brands and premium dining experiences, including alcohol.
- 🏫 Education and childcare are costly, with significant fees for international schools and nannies, increasing with the child's age and educational level.
- 🏥 Health insurance is mandatory and can be a significant expense, especially for families, with costs varying based on coverage and provider.
Q & A
What are some key factors that determine the cost of living in Abu Dhabi?
-The cost of living in Abu Dhabi depends on your lifestyle, the area you choose to live in, the number of people in your household, and other personal preferences.
How does Abu Dhabi's tax-free status affect the cost of living?
-Although Abu Dhabi is a tax-free country, there is a 5% VAT on goods and services. This means no income tax or National Insurance contributions, but individuals must manage their finances without a pension or insurance scheme.
What are the typical costs for accommodation in Abu Dhabi?
-Accommodation costs vary greatly depending on the area and type of property. A one-bedroom apartment can range from 60,000 to 100,000 AED per year, while a three-bedroom apartment can cost between 110,000 and 220,000 AED per year.
What are the common types of properties available for rent in Abu Dhabi?
-In Abu Dhabi, you can find a variety of properties from shared flats to villas, with the majority being unfurnished. Fully furnished properties are less common.
How does the location affect the rent prices in Abu Dhabi?
-Rental prices vary by location, with areas like Al Reem and Yas Island being more expensive compared to suburban areas like Arif, where you can find more affordable rents.
What are the additional costs associated with renting a property in Abu Dhabi?
-When renting, you may need to pay a 5% deposit of the annual rental value and possibly a security deposit. Utilities, such as water and electricity, are additional costs and are typically not included in the rent.
How much should one expect to pay for utilities like water and electricity in Abu Dhabi?
-The cost of utilities depends on usage and the size of the apartment. For electricity, it's about 28 fils per kilowatt-hour, and for water, it's 8 to 10 fils per cubic meter.
What are the transportation options and their approximate costs in Abu Dhabi?
-Transportation options include buses, taxis, and personal cars. Bus tickets cost 2 AED, taxi fares start at 30 AED for 10 km, and car rentals start around 2,000 AED per month. Petrol is relatively cheap, at about 3.30 AED per liter.
How does the cost of groceries compare to Europe in Abu Dhabi?
-Grocery prices in Abu Dhabi are generally comparable to Europe, except for certain imported brands which can be significantly more expensive.
What are the costs associated with education for children in Abu Dhabi?
-Education costs can be high, with kindergarten fees in a French school starting at 29,000 AED per year, and British or American schools often charging double that amount. As children progress, tuition fees increase.
What are some of the common leisure activities and their costs in Abu Dhabi?
-Leisure activities include shopping at malls, dining out, visiting amusement parks, and going to the beach. Costs can vary, but a movie ticket is around 45 to 60 AED, a restaurant meal can be similar to European prices, and amusement park tickets start from 345 AED per adult.
Outlines
🏠 Living Costs in Abu Dhabi
This paragraph discusses the various costs associated with living in Abu Dhabi, emphasizing that these costs depend on lifestyle, location, household size, and other factors. Abu Dhabi is highlighted as having the highest GDP per capita in the UAE due to oil and gas reserves and government investments in various sectors. The video aims to help viewers build a budget for moving to Abu Dhabi. Accommodation is identified as the main expense, with high rents and the need for a security deposit. The paragraph also covers different types of properties available, from shared flats to villas, and the varying rent prices depending on the area and amenities. The inclusion of amenities like pools and gyms in the rent is mentioned, along with the availability of furnished properties. The video also touches on utilities, such as water and electricity, and their costs.
🚗 Transportation and Additional Living Expenses
The second paragraph delves into transportation options and costs in Abu Dhabi, including public buses, taxis, and personal car ownership. It mentions the lack of a metro system and the reliance on buses or personal vehicles. The paragraph also discusses the costs associated with owning a car, such as rental fees, purchase prices, and petrol costs. Additionally, it covers toll fees for using motorways during peak hours. The paragraph further addresses the expenses of home broadband and phone plans, with details on the available service providers and their pricing. It also mentions the cost of groceries, comparing them to European prices and noting the absence of non-halal products and alcohol in regular supermarkets. The paragraph concludes with information on the costs of education for children, including nursery and school fees, and the option of hiring a nanny, with details on the associated costs.
💰 Recreation, Health, and Miscellaneous Expenses
The final paragraph focuses on recreational activities, health insurance, and other miscellaneous expenses in Abu Dhabi. It provides insights into the cost of shopping at different types of malls, movie tickets, dining out, and the popularity of brunches in luxury hotels. The paragraph also discusses the cost of visiting amusement parks, museums, and beaches, as well as the travel opportunities from the UAE to other destinations. Health insurance is highlighted as a mandatory expense, with details on the costs for individuals and families, especially important for those who are self-employed. The video concludes by encouraging viewers to share their thoughts and ask for more details on specific topics, and it invites them to like, share, and subscribe for more content.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Abu Dhabi
💡GDP per capita
💡Accommodation
💡Tax-free country
💡Utilities
💡Public transport
💡Private car
💡Schooling
💡Health insurance
💡Leisure activities
💡Halal
Highlights
Abu Dhabi has the highest GDP per capita in the UAE, largely due to oil and gas reserves and government investments in various sectors.
Abu Dhabi is a tax-free country, but there is a 5% VAT on goods and services, and no pension or National Insurance schemes.
Accommodation is likely to be the main expense for expats, with high rents and the requirement for a one-year payment upfront or through installments.
A 5% deposit of the annual rental value is required upon signing a lease in Abu Dhabi.
Non-furnished properties are common, with full-furnished properties being less common and more expensive.
Rent prices for a one-bedroom apartment in expat areas range from 60 to 100K AED per year, while a three-bedroom can cost from 110k to 220k AED.
Suburban areas offer cheaper rents, with one-bedroom apartments starting from 45k to 50K AED per year.
Utilities, including water and electricity, are charged based on consumption, with a deposit required to open an account.
AC usage is typically moderate due to good building insulation, with estimated costs for summer and winter months provided.
Municipality fees, which are 5% of the rent, are paid monthly with the utility bill.
Home broadband and phone plans are relatively expensive, with limited providers and specific plans detailed.
Public transport is cheap but not well-developed, with buses being the primary option, though they are less frequent in suburban areas.
Taxis and ride-sharing apps like Uber are affordable alternatives to public transport, with car rentals and purchases also common.
Petrol is relatively cheap, and toll fees apply only during peak hours on motorways.
Groceries are available at a range of stores, with prices comparable to Europe, though certain imported brands can be significantly more expensive.
Education is costly, with kindergarten fees in a French school starting at 29,000 AED per year, and British or American schools often double that.
Nannies are a common childcare option, with costs varying based on whether they live in or out and their experience.
Leisure activities, such as shopping, dining out, and visiting amusement parks, are available but can be pricey.
Health insurance is mandatory and must be subscribed to at personal cost if not covered by an employer.
Transcripts
so how much do you need to leave in Abu
Dhabi the more you have the higher the
rent will be it is a tax-free
country hi guys in this video I'm going
to try to provide you with all the
answers to the key questions you may
have in mind if you're contemplating
moving to Abu Dhabi this should
hopefully help you to build your budget
and to know how much you really need to
plan before making the big
move
[Music]
so how much do you need to live in
abudabi this question is tricky as it's
all based on different criterias and the
answer will depend on your lifestyle the
area you decide to settle in how many of
you in the household and many other
factors to take into consideration but
don't worry I'm going to give you some
figures so you can get an idea based on
your personal situation we will go
through each key expenditure you can
think about if you decide to relocate to
Abu Dhabi be aware that Abu Dhabi has
the highest GDP per capita in all the
UAE th ahead of Dubai this is mainly due
to its large oil and gas reserves but
not only that the government has
massively invested in divers areas such
as the financial sector
entrepreneurship Hub tourism and
infrastructures it is safe to say that
Abu Dhabi is in general a quite
expensive city to live in on the good
side it is a tax-free country putting
aside the 5% VAT on the goods and
services you consume here but this also
means that you don't contribute to any
pension no National Insurance scheme so
you have to plan and manage your
finances
accordingly most probably your main
expense will be your accommodation
unless you're part of the lucky ones
where your employer covers it in Abu
Dhabi the rents are quite high and
landlords will ask for onee rent payment
upon signing your lease however you will
often be able to give up to four checks
that covers the overall rental the year
based on an agreed installment plan it's
also part of the negotiation if you're
able to pay the full year UPF front you
can manage to negotiate a better rental
price upon signing your lease you will
also need to pay a 5% deposit of the
annual rental value based on your needs
and what you can afford you have access
to any type of property from a shared
flab to a villa with po majority of the
properties are non-furnished full
furnished property are quite uncommon
for the same property and size rent
price varies depending on the area the
amenities Etc to give you an idea if you
are looking for an apartment within the
expa places and communities a
one-bedroom apartment can go from 60 to
100K Dam a year and a three-bedroom
apartment will go from 110k to 220k dams
a year bear in mind that all the
residents amenities are included in the
rent depending on what the residents can
offer but usually most of them are at
least a pool and a gym some can also
offer tennis courts squash courts
basketball courts and even some
sometimes access to a private beach but
obviously the more you have the higher
the rent will be these are average
prices for areas such as arim Yas island
or Sadat you can find cheaper rents in
Suburban areas such as Arif where you'll
find modern spacious one-bedroom
starting from 45k to 50K Dam a year in
Cornish area you can find three bedroom
apartments starting from 90k Dam a year
but those will be in older buildings
that sometimes don't offer a pool or a
gym for your research the most reliable
websites are property finder beut as for
Furnishing your apartments it will
really depend on your taste and budget
you can find a lot of secondhand on
social media like Facebook on the exper
groups or on Dubizzle but if you wish to
buy new you'll have many different
options one of the cheapest will
probably be Ikea and other similar price
range and style local
store your water and electricity bill
will obviously be in line with your
conception and the size of your
apartment in Abu Dhabi The Authority
that deals with it is addc you will have
to leave a deposit of 1,000 Dam to open
your account and then for expats the
price of 1 kilowatt hour is about 28 fs
and 1 cubic M of water is 8 to 10 dram
as for the AC unlike what people may
think we don't leave 24/7 with the AC on
buildings installation are quite good
windows are tinted so you generally
depend on the AC only during the summer
month again it's quite hard to give you
an estimation of your bill as it's all
related to your use the size of your
housing the exposure and how well it's
insulated also sometimes the AC may be
included in your rent but if not you can
estimate c cap 30 drams per month during
the winter month where the AC is not
running and around 400 Dam a month for
the summer month for a moderate use
other bills to take into consideration
are the municipality fees this is a tax
from the Department of municipality and
transport which you generally pay
monthly with your addc bill and it is
worth 5% of your rent you also have to
think about your home broadband and your
phone plan it is quite expensive here
and you don't have many providers etis
Salat D and virgin are the only three
providers you can go to the only phone
plan that offers unlimited calls to your
country of origin is currently with
ettis Salat and it will cost you 325 Dam
a month but for regular phone plan with
okay data You Can Count approximately
120 Dam a month bear in mind that most
of the apps like WhatsApp or Facebook
are restricted for cuse that's why
having the international calls within
your plan can sometimes be useful for
the home broadband plans it will start
around 200 Dam a
month public transport are quite cheap
in ababi but they're not very developed
especially if you compare to Dubai there
is no Metro yet so you will have to rely
on the buses if you leave and work
downtown it is fairly easy and cheap to
use the bus a ticket will cost you two
but if you live far from the center like
in Yas or Sadat Island it will be more
tricky to use the bus Network there are
not many bus lines and they're way less
frequent sometimes they will only run
every 2 hours so in that case it may be
more convenient to use taxi or your own
car taxis are quite cheap they're really
easy to find in the city or you can use
the Abu Dhabi taxi app to book it fees
are approximately 30 dam for 10K you can
also use Yuber or carim which is a local
competitor of uber but they are
generally more expensive the other
alternative is to have your own car you
can either buy or rent rentals start
around 2,000 Dam a month for a small car
and if you decide to buy your own car
you'll find all sorts of prices
depending if you want to buy brand new
or secondhand depending on the state of
the car the mileage Etc you can find any
type of car for all budgets keep in mind
that if you go through a car loan the
bank will usually add ask you for a 10
to 20% deposit and one of the benefit
here is obviously that petrol is quite
cheap at the time of this video a liter
is 3.30 Dam one more expense to know
about is the tollgates if you use your
personal car you will have to pay the
toll fee worth five Dam each time you go
through the gates at peak hours only and
these are generally located on the
motorways so it's still a small budget
to take into consideration if you do run
trips every day
for your groceries you'll have many
options from the affordable stores like
Lulu Coop or Kaur to the more premium
ones like weight Rose or spinies in
terms of prices it is quite comparable
to prices in Europe to the exception of
certain imported Brands where prices can
be like double triple or even more the
main difference in supermarkets here
compared to Europe is that you won't
find any non-halal products and no alol
some supermarkets do have a hidden room
where you can find some non-al Out
product but for the alcohol you will
have to go to complete different store
that are usually well hidden and be
aware that prices might be more
expensive than what you're used to pay
especially for the wine you also find
smaller local supermarkets in each
district as the little corner shops
called bakala but prices there are
higher than in supermarkets
if you have children you will need to
allocate a pot of money in your budget
for them nurseries in schools are quite
expensive in Abu Dhabi for example the
kindergarten fee in a good French school
is 29,000 Dam a year and in a good
British or American school is often
double that as your children grow the
tuition fees grow as well for example
the top British school fees in Abu Dhabi
are for years year 2 to 4 78,000 Dam a
year for year 5 to9 83,000 Dam a year
and for year 10 to 13 100,000 Dam a year
you also need to keep in mind that
school days finish early in the
afternoon so for the younger children
you will need to think about having a
nanny the most common option here is to
hire a full-time Nanny that you can
either sponsor under your Visa or hire
through an agency but it will cost more
the Nani will generally help you with
household when your children are in
school but it all depends on your
agreement with her nanes can be leaveing
or leave out if you opt for the leaveing
option it means that she lives at your
place room and full board so her salary
will be lower than if she's live out
where you have to cover for all of our
expenses including the rent the salary
will be based on her experience and also
her nationality for leing Nani the very
minimum salary will start from 1,500 Dam
a month and for the leave out nany
minimum 2,500 Dam a month and if you
don't have children you can still hire
maid for the same range of
prices laser activities are another
budget to consider I'll give you some
figures so you can get an idea but the
list is obviously non-exhausted if you
want to go shopping you will find many
malls around the city they are huge and
have the majority of all the well-known
Brands but prices are generally higher
for example European Brands such as Zara
or H&M are generally 30% higher than
prices in France or the UK for example
fortunately it's not the case for all of
the brands in Abu Dhabi a movie ticket
will cost you between 45 to 60 Dam
depending on what seat you choose for
restaurants you have many options in Abu
Dhabi restaurant chains and well-known
fast foods have prices similar to Europe
if you go to the expert areas
restaurants can become PR pricey and
even more if you're ordering alcohol a
bottle of wine usually starts at 200 dam
for the cheapest one brunches here are
really famous on weekends most of the
time they take place in luxury hotels
and they are huge all you can eat
buffets with all types of food including
the finest food prices for the
non-alcoholic pack usually goes around
1885 to 280 dram and the unlimited house
drain Park goes from 280 to 400 100 D
Abu Dhabi is well known for its unique
amusement park some of them are the
largest in the world they're all located
on Yas Island tickets may be pricey a
day pass start from 345 Dam per adult
and 265 for kids tickets to the lou
Museum will cost you 63 dam for an adult
and 31.5 dam for a kid most of the beach
in Abu Dhabi even public are not free
for the Cornish one you'll have to spend
$10 Dam to enter for the full day and if
you choose to go to the beautiful
beaches in Sadat it will cost you up to
80 Dam per day I'm not going to talk
about holiday budget because it's
specific to everyone but just be aware
that the UAE is a great Hub to fly to
lovely destinations that you wouldn't do
from Europe or America cuz it's too far
also I would recommend to allow at least
one return ticket to your home country
for your whole household per year
if you are employed in the UAE your
employer will cover the cost of health
insurance for you some employer may also
cover the cost for your family visa and
health insurance but be aware that if
you have your own business you will have
to subscribe to a health insurance of
your choice at your own cost as it is
mandatory to have health care here
health insurance for yourself as a
business owner prices will start from
2,500 Dam a year and if you are bringing
your family along then you will have to
spend a minimum of 3,000 dram per year
per child and minimum 2,000 Dam per year
for your husband or about 8,000 dram for
your wife it is more expensive for women
as it takes into consideration possible
pregnancy and birth costs that's it guys
I hope I gave you a good overview of
potential costs fees and expenses you
can expect and I hope this this video
will help you to put your budget
together for your move to Abu Dhabi any
topic you wish to go into more details
please leave a comment below I will be
happy to respond or dedicate a full
video on any key subject please share
this video smash the like button and
also subscribe to the channel this will
help me a lot to produce more content
like this thank you for
[Music]
watching
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