GCC countries top ranking of the...

Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Dubai and Sharjah were named in top 20

Tax-free living in GCC countries means they score highly as affordable places to live.

Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah have been ranked among the world’s top 10 most affordable cosmopolitan cities to live in a recent survey commissioned by Workyard Research.

Data showed Kuwait was the most affordable city to live in, with an average monthly income of a resident at US$6,199 and a living cost of US$753. The data shows that residents get to keep most of their salary after covering their basic expenses, making Kuwait the most affordable city to live in.

Abu Dhabi came in second on the list of the most affordable cities. On average, residents earn around US$7,154 each month and spend roughly US$873 on living costs.

Riyadh was the third most affordable city, with an average monthly earning of US$6,245 and monthly spend of US$815 on living costs.

Dubai and Sharjah were the fourth and fifth on the list, with residents bringing in US$7,118 and US$5,229 per month and spending US$1,007 and US$741.30 each month on living expenses respectively.

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The data was compiled from government labour sources, comparing each city's average monthly income with its average monthly living expenses for 2023. The resulting list gathers cities that offer the greatest opportunities for a high-earning, low-cost lifestyle.

New York was the least affordable city on the list to live in despite high earnings, due to high living costs.

For more information, visit www.workyard.com/research