The Widening Gap: Studios vs 5-Bedroom Properties - From 6x to 12x in 7 Years
March 2026 · 5 min read · Source: ADREC government data (103,236 verified transactions)
In 2019, a studio apartment in Abu Dhabi cost about AED 530,000 on average. A 5-bedroom property? About AED 3.43 million - 6.4 times more. Fast forward to 2026, and the gap has nearly doubled: studios average AED 960,000 while 5-bedrooms hit AED 11.9 million - a 12.4x multiple.
Average Price: Studio vs 5-Bedroom (AED Million)
Source: ADREC government data · Daar Market Intelligence analysis
This tells a profound story about Abu Dhabi's market segmentation. The luxury segment (5BR+) is being driven by ultra-high-net-worth buyers from over 100 countries - ADREC data shows FDI reached AED 8.2B in YTD 2026 alone. Meanwhile, studios and 1-bedrooms remain the workhorse of the market, accounting for the highest transaction volumes.
2025 Deals by Bedroom Size
Source: ADREC government data · Daar Market Intelligence analysis
Two-bedroom apartments were the most traded property type in 2025 with 5,450 transactions - edging out 1-bedrooms (5,157) for the first time. This suggests a maturing market where families and couples are driving demand over solo investors.
Insight
The 2025 dip in 5BR pricing (AED 5.88M from 7.50M in 2024) likely reflects a compositional shift - more affordable villa communities launching in areas like Al Reef and Khalifa City pulled the average down. Premium areas like Saadiyat maintained or increased prices.
All data sourced from ADREC (adrec.gov.ae). This is market analysis, not financial advice. * 2026 data is year-to-date.