Introduction
Los Angeles and Dubai – the cities of two very different cultures and nations have more in common than one could expect. Los Angeles is one of the largest and most famous cities of the United States and the Western world in general, and Dubai is the heart of the United Arab Emirates – one of the most prosperous and fast-growing states in the Middle East. Both of these cities are known for beautiful cityscapes and have their unique features. In comparison and contrast this essay, Los Angeles and Dubai will be discussed regarding their similarities and differences in such aspects as the cost of living, climate, and cultures.
Cultures
When such cities as Los Angeles and Dubai are discussed in the form of a comparison and contrast, one of the first topics likely to arise concerns the respective cultures of the countries to which they belong. In particular, just like everywhere in the Arab world, the culture of Dubai is deeply connected to Islam – the dominant religion of the region. Moreover, regardless of the diversity of the population in Dubai, its nationals are extremely protective of their traditions and beliefs; as a result, it is mandatory that the visitors are respectable of the UAE culture throughout their stay in the country (“Dubai history,” n.d.). At the same time, having one significant similarity to Dubai – the level of cultural and ethnic diversity, Los Angeles does not have a culture that is deeply rooted in religion and, accordingly, the traditions and ideas in the city come from the preferred lifestyles of its dwellers and do not have to be strictly shared and followed by the tourists and immigrants.
In addition, discussing the cultural traits of the two cities, it is important to mention that both of them are known for their focus on entertainment as a strategy to attract visitors. Differently put, just like Los Angeles, Dubai is a popular resort with multiple expensive and luxurious hotels, casinos, and shopping centers. All in all, the perspective on one of the two cities as a destination for a short visit or a permanent stay, depends heavily on one’s cultural background. In that way, an individual originating from an Islamic community may find it more comfortable to live in Dubai, whereas a Western person could rather prefer Los Angeles.
Climate and Nature
As it was mentioned previously, Los Angeles and Dubai are known and loved resorts; both cities have beautiful beaches and can offer beautiful places to stay for the tourists looking for a relaxing time at the seaside. However, the respective climatic conditions of the two cities differ drastically. To be more precise, Los Angeles has a Mediterranean climate that is rather mild. It can reach over 30 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit) in the warmer days, but the average temperature throughout the year is about 17 degrees Celsius (30 degrees Fahrenheit).
At the same time, Dubai with its desert climate is a much hotter place whose annual average lowest temperature exceeds the median temperature in Los Angeles and reaches as high as 22 degrees Celsius (72 degrees Fahrenheit) (“Dubai City vs Los Angeles,” 2017). In other words, for an expatriate worker, an immigrant, or a tourist coming from a general colder region, it can be very difficult to adjust to the high temperatures and the daily heat of Dubai’s climate; the daily average during the summer in UAE, it can reach 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 degrees Celsius), which unbearable for someone who is not used to this type of climate. However, regardless of the different levels of heat, the two cities have similar numbers of rainy days per year – 28 for Dubai and 35 for Los Angeles (“Dubai City vs Los Angeles,” 2017).
In addition, apart from access to beaches and the seaside, both cities have lakes. The hot climate and geographical locations of the cities make them slightly vulnerable to natural disasters – tsunamis for Dubai and tornados for Los Angeles; however, the actual incidence of such happenings is very low in both places. Also, in contrast with Dubai that is located near a desert and has a majorly flat territory, Los Angeles is hilly and is surrounded by mountains.
Cost of Living
As large, famous, and popular resort cities, Dubai and Los Angeles are costly to live in. For instance, the monthly rent of a one-bedroom apartment in the center of Dubai is a little over 2000 USD whereas that in Los Angeles is 1907 USD; buying an apartment in the city center, one would pay 4824 USD per square meter in Dubai and 4987 USD per square meter in Los Angeles (“Cost of living comparison between Dubai and Los Angeles, CA,” 2017). At the same time, the prices for food are higher in Los Angeles. For example, in LA, an average meal in an inexpensive café or restaurant would cost 15 USD whereas in Dubai it would be about 8 USD; 1 kilo of rice in Los Angeles is 1.60 USD more expensive than in Dubai; and the difference in the prices for one loaf of white bread is 1.80 USD (the higher one is, again, in LA) (“Cost of living comparison between Dubai and Los Angeles, CA,” 2017). However, the prices for wine and beer are significantly higher in Dubai – a bottle of wine that is worth 12 dollars in LA will cost over 19 dollars in Dubai, and the price for domestic beer in Dubai exceeds that in LA by 7.40 USD (“Cost of living comparison between Dubai and Los Angeles, CA,” 2017). Meanwhile, the prices related to transportation (taxi, bus tickets and passes, gasoline, and car rent are generally higher in Los Angeles. However, the utility and internet costs in LA are significantly lower than in Dubai.
Conclusion
Comparing and contrasting between Dubai City and Loa Angeles, it is possible to find many similarities and differences; however, overall, the comparison is quite fair, and there are no significant gaps between the two cities. The comparison of living costs showed that, on average, the prices in the two places are similar and different expenditures and benefits balance out one another. The major differences between Dubai and Los Angeles are their respective cultures and climatic conditions. All in all, it is impossible to name a winner or a loser as both cities are a beautiful and well-structured business and entertainment hubs welcoming the tourists and newcomers and offering multiple pleasures and opportunities accompanied by small numbers of challenges the make them unique and outstanding places of interest and attraction for many people on an annual basis.
References
Cost of living comparison between Dubai and Los Angeles, CA. (2017). Web.
Dubai City vs Los Angeles. (2017). Web.
Dubai history. (n.d.). Web.