A British woman who moved to Abu Dhabi says the glamorous lifestyle often shown on social media masks a much higher cost of living than in the United Kingdom.
Rachel Burns, 35, a radiographer from Newcastle who relocated to Abu Dhabi in 2021, told British media that everyday expenses – particularly rent and groceries – can outstrip what she paid at home despite the UAE’s tax‑free status. Burns said she pays £12,700 a year in rent, which landlords typically require in six‑month or annual lump sums, and that renters must also contend with a commission of about £500 (reported as 5 percent), a £600 deposit for air‑conditioning and a separate £100‑a‑month usage charge.
Burns said routine items and services are commonly more expensive than in the UK, particularly Western goods. She said bacon can cost as much as £14 a pack and is often of poor quality, phone contracts and clothing cost more, and salon visits can be almost three times the price she paid in the UK. "Day to day things such as groceries are much costlier or small luxuries like getting my hair done is almost three times the price it cost me back at home in the UK," she said.
Not all costs are higher. Burns said petrol is substantially cheaper: filling her Jaguar XE costs about £70 compared with the roughly £250 a month she paid to fuel a smaller Suzuki in the UK. She also said electricity and water run about £80 a month, around half of what her family pays in the UK. Many residential complexes offer on‑site staff and facilities, she added, including security, groundskeepers, swimming pools, fitness centres, saunas and 24‑hour maintenance teams.
Burns said some of Abu Dhabi’s attractions do match the images promoted online – beach clubs, rooftop brunches and luxury short breaks – but they are often accessible only to those who can afford them. Many young expatriates reportedly use promotions such as all‑inclusive ladies’ nights or £30 drinks packages at brunches to keep social costs down.
She also described additional regulatory and financial realities facing content creators. Burns said influencers who earn money locally must obtain an influencer permit and trade licence, which she gave a range for at £500 to £3,000, and noted that permission is required from anyone who appears in videos, even in the background.
Burns lives in a more reserved, family‑oriented part of Abu Dhabi about 45 minutes from Dubai and said she plans to remain. "I don't have a massive amount spare each month but you pay for the amazing lifestyle here. I love it and won't be leaving anytime soon," she said. "But you have to be at the top of your game to live here sustainably."
Her account highlights the trade‑offs that some expatriates make when moving to Gulf states: the absence of income tax can be offset by higher prices for housing, imported goods and certain services, and by local rules and one‑off charges that are less familiar to those arriving from Europe. Burns’s experience reflects one individual's perspective and may not represent the full range of costs and living arrangements across Abu Dhabi or the wider United Arab Emirates.