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Cost of living · UAE

Abu Dhabi: utilities, fees and commuting

Abu Dhabi: electricity and water for 1,000 kWh and 20 m³ a month cost AED 418 before VAT (ADDC (TAQA Distribution)). Tenants pay a municipality fee of 5% of the annual rent. Driving from Khalifa City to JAFZA / Dubai South costs about AED 1,280 a month in fuel and tolls (87.9 km, 59 min without traffic). Rent: ADREC publishes an official Rental Index as an interactive tool and market reports (average rent per square metre by project); there is no downloadable data by area and bedrooms, and its API needs a subscription.

Electricity and water

ADDC (TAQA Distribution): electricity AED 269.04 and water AED 149.33 a month for 1,000 kWh and 20 m³, before VAT (published rates include 5% VAT; shown here without it (calculated)). expatriate apartment tariff: green band within the daily allowance (20 kWh, 0.7 m³ a day), red band above; no fuel surcharge in the table; 1000 kWh and 20 m³ a month (apartment, example).

Municipality / housing fee

Annual municipality fee collected from the tenant: 5% of the rental value (minimum AED 450 with the lease registration fees), divided over 12 months on the water and electricity bill; UAE nationals are exempt.

Rent

ADREC publishes an official Rental Index as an interactive tool and market reports (average rent per square metre by project); there is no downloadable data by area and bedrooms, and its API needs a subscription.

School fees

Private school fees in Abu Dhabi are set and published by ADEK, the emirate's education regulator. Look up a school in the official School Finder. Official school search by ADEK (TAMM)

We link to the official source and do not republish these fees. Dubai school fees (KHDA open data)

Commuting by car

FromTo Downtown / DIFCTo Dubai Internet City / MarinaTo JAFZA / Dubai SouthTo DXB / Deira
Khalifa CityAbu DhabiAED 2,098122.6 km · 87 min without traffic · tolls AED 12/dayAED 1,800102.7 km · 65 min without traffic · tolls AED 12/dayAED 1,28087.9 km · 59 min without trafficAED 2,210141.7 km · 109 min without traffic · tolls AED 6/day
Al Reem IslandAbu Dhabinot published142.9 km · 99 min without trafficnot published123.1 km · 77 min without trafficnot published108.2 km · 71 min without trafficnot published162 km · 121 min without traffic

Routes through a Darb toll gate (Abu Dhabi) show no car cost: Darb tariffs are paused while we confirm the official source.

Car: 5 days a week, there and back, leaving at 07:30 and 18:00; 8 L/100 km of Special 95 at the official 2026-10 price (AED 4.28 a litre); Salik and Darb gates on the route charged with the published tariff for the time the car passes them. Parking is not included. Peak-hour travel times are not published by an official source; the times shown are free-flow (no traffic) and real rush-hour trips take longer.

Routes, distances, areas and toll-gate locations: © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL); routing by OSRM. The route data in /uae-emirates-costs.json is offered under the same licence.

Public transport to Dubai

Airports

Frequently asked questions

How much is the electricity and water bill in Abu Dhabi?
AED 418 a month before VAT for 1,000 kWh and 20 m³ (ADDC (TAQA Distribution)).
Do tenants in Abu Dhabi pay a municipality fee?
Annual municipality fee collected from the tenant: 5% of the rental value (minimum AED 450 with the lease registration fees), divided over 12 months on the water and electricity bill; UAE nationals are exempt.
How much does it cost to commute from Abu Dhabi to Dubai by car?
From Khalifa City to JAFZA / Dubai South: about AED 1,280 a month in fuel and tolls, 87.9 km and 59 minutes without traffic each way; parking not included and rush-hour times are longer.

Sources