cost
Cost of Living Index
Al Ain101.4 / 0
Dubai75.1 / 100
Comparison
Side-by-side data for relocation, travel, hiring, and investment decisions. Values are shown with source-backed metric definitions so trade-offs are easy to compare.
Bars and radar use 0-100 better scores. Tooltips keep the raw source values visible.
Chart summary: Dubai leads Cost of Living Index with 100 out of 100; Dubai leads Safety Index with 100 out of 100; Dubai leads Median Monthly Rent with 100 out of 100; Al Ain leads House Price to Income with 100 out of 100. A complete normalized score table follows.
| Metric | Place | Raw value | Normalized score | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index | Al Ain | 101.4 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Cost of Living Index | Dubai | 75.1 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Safety Index | Al Ain | 40.3 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Safety Index | Dubai | 44 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Median Monthly Rent | Al Ain | $1,710 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Median Monthly Rent | Dubai | $918 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | Al Ain | 12.7x | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | Dubai | 14.4x | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | Al Ain | $5,623/mo | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | Dubai | $3,405/mo | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | Al Ain | 3.1% | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | Dubai | 7.5% | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Healthcare Access Index | Al Ain | 73 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Healthcare Access Index | Dubai | 74.9 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | Al Ain | 78.7 years | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | Dubai | 83.7 years | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
cost
safety
housing
housing
jobs
jobs
health
health
Winner
No clear winner across 22 metrics.
Winner logic counts row wins after applying each metric direction. Exact ties do not count. Methodology
Top trade-offs
Al Ain leads housing, salary, and jobs; Dubai leads cost, safety, and rent.
cost
Al Ain
101.4
Dubai
75.1
safety
Al Ain
40.3
Dubai
44
housing
Al Ain
$1,710
Dubai
$918
housing
Al Ain
12.7x
Dubai
14.4x
jobs
Al Ain
$5,623/mo
Dubai
$3,405/mo
jobs
Al Ain
3.1%
Dubai
7.5%
health
Al Ain
73
Dubai
74.9
health
Al Ain
78.7 years
Dubai
83.7 years
environment
environment
infrastructure
demographics
Al Ain
1.6%
Dubai
2.3%
education
Al Ain
63.8
Dubai
75.1
transport
Al Ain
64.4
Dubai
54.7
safety
Al Ain
21.5 per 100k
Dubai
19.8 per 100k
safety
Al Ain
71.2 per 100k
Dubai
78.6 per 100k
health
Al Ain
19.6%
Dubai
36.9%
quality
Al Ain
5.1
Dubai
3.5
housing
Al Ain
$10,101/sqm
Dubai
$12,273/sqm
religion
Al Ain
50.0%
Dubai
41.4%
religion
Al Ain
44.6%
Dubai
48.5%
religion
Al Ain
49.0%
Dubai
44.7%
Some city-level values are modeled estimates when official city-level data is unavailable.
Each metric keeps its source, year, last refreshed date, and confidence label visible. Review methodology or Data Sources.