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Best Cities in the Middle East to Live

The Middle East combines tax-free income, world-class infrastructure, and rapidly modernizing cities. From Dubai's cosmopolitan lifestyle to Muscat's safety, we rank Middle Eastern cities using institutional data across 7 indices — including the career and transport advantages that attract professionals and entrepreneurs worldwide.

Last updated: February 2026

Cities Ranked

$2,347

Avg. Monthly Cost

$1,300

Lowest Monthly Cost

Personalize Rankings for Middle East

Top 20 Cities in Middle East

Ranked using a balanced average across 7 city-level indices. Higher scores indicate better overall quality.

🇮🇱

Tel Aviv

Israel

/100

~$3,150/mo

🇮🇱

Jerusalem

Israel

/100

~$3,000/mo

🇮🇱

Haifa

Israel

/100

~$2,800/mo

🇮🇱

Beer Sheva

Israel

/100

~$2,700/mo

🇶🇦

Doha

Qatar

/100

~$3,050/mo

🇶🇦

Al Wakrah

Qatar

/100

~$2,950/mo

🇦🇪

Sharjah

United Arab Emirates

/100

~$2,700/mo

🇶🇦

Al Khor

Qatar

/100

~$2,750/mo

🇧🇭

Manama

Bahrain

/100

~$2,700/mo

🇦🇪

Ajman

United Arab Emirates

/100

~$2,600/mo

🇶🇦

Lusail

Qatar

/100

~$2,650/mo

🇧🇭

Riffa

Bahrain

/100

~$2,550/mo

🇦🇪

Dubai

United Arab Emirates

/100

~$1,300/mo

🇰🇼

Kuwait City

Kuwait

/100

~$2,850/mo

🇧🇭

Muharraq

Bahrain

/100

~$2,400/mo

🇦🇪

Abu Dhabi

United Arab Emirates

/100

~$1,400/mo

🇰🇼

Hawalli

Kuwait

/100

~$2,700/mo

🇴🇲

Muscat

Oman

/100

~$2,500/mo

🇧🇭

Hamad Town

Bahrain

/100

~$2,250/mo

🇴🇲

Salalah

Oman

/100

~$2,350/mo

Plus 12 more cities ranked in Middle East

View All Cities

#1 City in Middle East

🇮🇱

Tel Aviv

Israel

79/100

Quality Score

$3,150

Est. Monthly Cost

View Full City Profile

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Middle Eastern cities have zero income tax?

Cities in the UAE (Dubai, Abu Dhabi), Qatar (Doha), Bahrain (Manama), Kuwait (Kuwait City), and Oman (Muscat) benefit from zero personal income tax. Our rankings weight this financial advantage alongside quality-of-life indices.

How do you score safety in Middle Eastern cities?

We use the same Global Peace Index, homicide rates, and political stability indicators as all regions. Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, and Doha consistently score well on safety. Each city page shows the specific safety index.

Are there visa options for remote workers?

The UAE offers dedicated remote work visas — Dubai's Virtual Working Programme and Abu Dhabi's Remote Work Visa are among the most popular. Visit individual city country pages for detailed visa information.

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