United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi

Country Full Name: United Arab Emirates.

Location: The United Arab Emirates is in the Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia.

Country Climate: Desert; cooler in eastern mountains.

Country Terrain: Flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert wasteland; mountains in east.

Major Languages: Arabic.

Major Religions: Islam.

Population: 4.8 million (2008 est.) 4.9 million (2009 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is that of a developing country. The UAE currently has one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

Currency: UAE Dirham (AED).

Inflation: 0.1% (2011 est.).

City: Abu Dhabi is the capital of, and the second largest city in the United Arab Emirates.

City Economy: Abu Dhabi houses important offices of the federal government, and is the seat for the United Arab Emirates Government and the home for the Emirati Royal Family. Abu Dhabi has grown to be a cosmopolitan metropolis. One of the world's largest producers of oil, Abu Dhabi has actively attempted to diversify its economy in recent years through investments in financial services and tourism.

The cost of living in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates is very high compared to other places. The overall cost of living is determined using the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across 13 Basket Groups. Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates is currently ranked 90 overall out of 950 places (rank 1 is most expensive: rank 950 is least expensive). The cost of living rank for each of the 13 Basket Groups is as follows:

Alcohol & Tobacco costs are very high compared to other places for items such as alcoholic beverages, alcohol at a bar, beer, locally produced spirit, whiskey, and wine (where alcohol is legally sold) as well as for tobacco products such as cigarettes. There are 130 places that are more expensive, and 819 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are very high compared to other places for items such as clothing and footwear products, business suits, casual clothing, childrens clothing and footwear, coats and hats, evening wear, shoe repairs, and underwear. There are 21 places that are more expensive, and 928 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are very low compared to other places for various communication costs such as home telephone rental and call charges, internet connection and service provider fees, mobile / cellular phone contract, data, and calls. There are 860 places that are more expensive, and 89 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are very low compared to other places for items such as creche / pre-school fees, high school / college fees, primary school fees, and tertiary study fees. There are 839 places that are more expensive, and 110 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are high compared to other places for items such as furniture, household equipment and appliances, DVD player, fridge freezer, iron, kettle, toaster, microwave, light bulbs, television, vacuum cleaner, and washing machine. There are 342 places that are more expensive, and 607 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are very high compared to other places for items such as food, non-alcoholic beverages and cleaning material items such as baby consumables, baked goods, baking, canned foods, cheese, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fruit juices, meat, oil & vinegars, pet food, pre-prepared meals, sauces, seafood, snacks, soft drinks, spices & herbs . There are 164 places that are more expensive, and 785 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are very high compared to other places for general healthcare, medical and medical insurance, general practitioner consultation rates, hospital private ward daily rate, non-prescription medicine, and private medical insurance / medical aid contributions. There are 137 places that are more expensive, and 812 places that are less expensive for healthcare.

Household Accommodation costs are very high compared to other places for items such as housing, water, electricity, household gas, household fuels, local rates and residential taxes, mortgage, house / flat rental, household electricity consumption, household gas / fuel consumption, household water consumption, and local property rates / taxes / levies. There are 23 places that are more expensive, and 926 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are high compared to other places for items such as stationery, linen, general goods and services, domestic help, dry cleaning, linen, office supplies, newspapers and magazines, and postage stamps. There are 255 places that are more expensive, and 694 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are low compared to other places for items such as personal care products and services, cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer / sun block, nappies, pain relief tablets, toilet paper, toothpaste, and soap / shampoo / conditioner. There are 697 places that are more expensive, and 252 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are very high compared to other places for items such as books, camera film, cinema tickets, DVDs and CDs, sports goods, and theatre tickets. There are 164 places that are more expensive, and 785 places that are less expensive for recreation and culture.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs are very high compared to other places for items such as a business dinner, dinner at a restaurant (non fast food), hotel rates, take away drinks and snacks (fast food). There are 16 places that are more expensive, and 933 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are very low compared to other places for items such as public transport, vehicle costs, vehicle fuel, vehicle insurance and vehicle maintenance, hire purchase / lease of vehicle, petrol / diesel, public transport service maintenance, tires, vehicle Insurance, and vehicle purchase. There are 762 places that are more expensive, and 187 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates are based on the basket groups and comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates is ranked as some hardship with a hardship index of 20%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates are based on the comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

Note: Xpatulator.com data is updated quarterly. The latest update is at at 1 January 2012. Create a personalized cost of living comparison report using the calculators:
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