Dubai is a high-income and vibrant city that attracts people from all over the world to live because of the multitude of opportunities, world-class lifestyle, and secure environment. While Dubai is a popular place to live for singles, couples, and even families, you need to check the cost of living in this city before making your final decision. Here, the good news is that as an immigrant, you can experience a luxurious or friendly-budget life in Dubai. So, let’s go deeper and find the cost of living in Dubai and a complete list of expenses in this city.
Before I want to go through the numbers and calculate the cost of living in Dubai, you should know about the different types of things you should normally pay for them, if you want to migrate to Dubai, such as:
While your personal preference and lifestyle choices are important in changing your monthly expenses, the area you choose to buy your favorite home in Dubai or rent an apartment will be so effective. For example, if you want to live in old parts, housing prices and other living costs are more affordable. But as you go near the city’s main streets, such as Sheikh Zayed or the beachfront areas, you should pay higher prices.
Previously, you read about different expenses you should afford if you want to live in Dubai. And now, I want to go deeper and talk about the detailed amount each person pays for each of these items.
If you want to know about the cost of living in Dubai, housing is one of the main items. Dubai’s property market is famous for its various accommodations, which you can choose based on your budget. For example, you can select your dream home among spacious villas for sale in Dubai, which are among the most expensive ones, or Dubai’s small affordable apartments for sale that need less budget. Also, be careful about your chosen neighborhood to buy a property among the best Dubai developments that match your fund. For example, if you want to live in districts, such as Dubai Marina, Arabian Ranches, Jumeira, and Barsha, you should pay a higher amount of money for both buying or renting a property. And from affordable neighborhoods, suburban communities should be mentioned, such as Dubai Silicon Oasis, Reem, and Mirdif. You also can choose to live in some of Dubai’s older districts, such as Al Nahda or Deira. The below charts show more about the latest updated renting and buying property prices in this city:
| Type of property | For sale/ For rent | Area | Price |
| Apartment | For sale | Business Bay | AED 1.3M |
| Apartment | For sale | Dubai Marina | AED 2.1M |
| Apartment | For sale | Al Furjan | AED 660K |
| Villa | For sale | Jabal Ali First | AED 3M |
| Villa | For sale | Villanova | AED 1.7M |
| Villa | For sale | Wadi Al Safa 7 | AED 614.6K |
| Villa | For rent | Damac hills 2 | Dhs40,000 |
| Villa | For rent | Dubai South | Dhs47,000 |
| 1-bed apartment | For rent | Dubai international city | AED 29,500/year |
| 1-bedroom apartment | For rent | Dubai Silicon Oasis | AED 32,000/year |
Dubai is full of supermarket chains where you can find all you need from famous international brands. And groceries are the next important option that affects your monthly expenses in Dubai. For example, if you want to go to a premium retailer, such as Waitrose or Spinneys to buy imported meat cuts, your grocery cost will go up. But you can have lower grocery costs when you buy your needs from other supermarkets, like Carrefour, Lulu Hypermarket, or Union Cooperative. Also, you can buy local and in-season products or search for bundle offers and discounts. The below list includes some essential groceries items and their prices in Dubai.
Would you like to know the cost of living in Dubai? Utilities, which include electricity and water called DEWA, TV and the Internet, and the cost of your phone, account for part of your monthly expenses in Dubai.
The cost of DEWA varies in summer and winter due to different use of AC, which is normally higher in the summer. Also, if you want to buy a luxurious villa, like Paradise Hills villa, with a private swimming pool and garden to settle in Dubai, you will have to pay higher fees.
TV and internet packages in Dubai, offered by two companies in the UAE, Etisalat and du, cost differently based on the package you choose. A normal package would get an internet download speed of 250 Mbps, 200+ TV channels, and free calls to UAE Landlines, which costs AED 389 monthly. But if you choose premium packages with 500Mbps download speeds, internet channels, and premium sports, you should pay about AED 1000 monthly.
Of course, mobile plans in the UAE have packages from AED 125 to AED 500 monthly and more for better data packages and more calling minutes. Below we will review the table on the cost of utility.
Due to the high temperatures in Dubai, Dubai residents must use public transport or their car to travel through the city. The cost of petrol in the UAE is cheaper than in other countries, but it also depends on the amount of traffic and the distance you drive. There is also the cost of insurance and car service, which is determined by your car type. Those who want to save money can use Dubai’s public transport, which includes buses, taxis, and subways. The monthly cost of using public transport with no card, which enables citizens to access all areas, is 350 dirhams. But if you want to use this transportation to get to different places, you will lose a lot of time, so our recommendation is to choose your home close to your workplace and reduce the cost of commuting and time. The below points show more details about the Dubai transportation costs:
Health insurance in the UAE is essential for all residents, which means it is one of the main costs you should consider if you want to live in Dubai. If your sponsor in the UAE is the company you work for, the company is obliged to provide you with health insurance. Usually, the company also considers health insurance for your family.
But if the company does not provide health insurance to your family, or if you are residing in the UAE on an investment visa, you must make this purchase from one of the thousand health insurance companies in Dubai.
Typical health insurance costs about AED600, which depends greatly on what is covered. While a comprehensive health plan for one person in Dubai costs about AED 5,500 annually, a comprehensive program for a family is about 17000 to 18000 AED and might increase to AED70,000.
Here, I should add that if you have hired someone to help you with household chores, you should provide them with health insurance.
If you are a family with children and immigrate to Dubai, the cost of school is one of the main factors you should consider. As a parent, you can choose your children’s schools among different options, including the British, American, Indian, or IB curriculum is the most popular.
We have to say that the cost of school in Dubai is relatively high, especially when looking for great schools for your children. If you choose the perfect school for your children, such as British, American, or IB schools, you should pay about Dh25,000 to Dh30,000 per year;, which will be different based on your child’s level of education. Here, I should add that the cost of Indian schools in Dubai is relatively more appropriate. The most popular Indian school in Dubai is GEMS Modern Academy, which costs AED 2800 to AED 5200.
But note that the monthly fee for children’s education does not end in school tuition fees, and you should also consider other points, such as uniforms, school transport, notebooks, exam fees, school trips, and more. But we have to say that many affordable schools in Dubai offer all the upper school curricula. The below table gives you more information about Dubai school fees.
| School | Average Fees 2022 | Pre-primary/ FS1 Fees | KG1/FS2 Fees | G12/Y13 Fees |
| Dwight School Dubai | 109500 | 85000 | 89000 | 130000 |
| North London Collegiate School Dubai | 107500 | 83000 | 87000 | 130000 |
| Swiss International Scientific School | 94420 | 62484 | 69774 | 124968 |
| GEMS World Academy | 91034 | 65747 | 65747 | 114128 |
| Brighton College Dubai | 84250 | 64000 | 80000 | |
| Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai | 82000 | 75000 | 80000 |
When you settle in Dubai, you soon realize that a lot of activity and entertainment opportunities are available in this city. We dare say that you will never experience a grueling weekend in this city when there are these subtractions in Dubai, such as fine-dining restaurants, IMAX cinemas, extreme sports, and world-famous tourist attractions. If you are moving to Dubai and are also planning for the cost of living in Dubai, we suggest you consider a significant amount for weekend entertainment.
With the increase in online food ordering programs in Dubai like Uber Eats and Deliveroo, Dubai residents have become more willing to order online food, which is also considered a cost of living in Dubai. Below you can read more about the cost of entertainment activities in Dubai:
One of the advantages of living in Dubai, which most Dubai residents enjoy, is the use of homework assistance, which is both affordable and luxurious. If you wish to hire a home helper, you must sponsor him and renew his residency visa each year which will cause an incrustation of your cost of living in Dubai.
The annual fee for sponsoring a maid in Dubai is AED 5,500, with an AED 2,000 refundable deposit to GDRFA plus a monthly salary of about AED 1,500 to AED 3,500. These rights can be calculated based on what he does, the amount of experience he has, and other items. Also, if the maid does not live in your city, you will have to pay extra for the Residency.
You can get help hiring a full-time maid in maid service agencies in Dubai, but you also have to pay for these companies once. If you want to use a part-time maid, you can book your maid at a cleaning company for a few hours. These part-time maids cost AED 30 to AED 45 per hour, which should add to the cost of living in Dubai.
So far, we have learned about the types of living expenses in Dubai. Now, let’s examine the total cost of living in Dubai for one person, one couple, and a family of four together.
The below chart shows that a single person who wants to live in Dubai, based on the above-mentioned details, needs to spend AED 3k to AED 5 k as living cost of one month.
| Type of Expense | Cost Per Month |
| Housing | Renting a studio AED 2.583(Al Nahada), AED 4.166(Dubai Marina) |
| Groceries | AED 480 |
| Utilities | AED 750- AED 1 k |
| total | AED 3 k- AED 5 k |
If you are a couple and want to immigrate to Dubai and live there for the rest of your life, you should know that your living costs will vary between 4K and AED 9K for a month,based on your choices. The below list shows how we calculate this amount.
| Type of Expense | Cost Per Month |
| Housing | 1BHK Apt: AED 3.166( Al Nahada)
1BHK Apt: AED 6.250( Dubai Marina) |
| Groceries | AED 960 |
| Utilities | AED 1k- AED 1.4K |
| total | AED 4.5K-AED 9K |
And finally, if you want to live in Dubai with your family, as you read above, you should consider more items, such as school costs. And the below table shows the monthly expenses in Dubai for a family of four.
| Type of Expense | Cost Per Month |
| Housing | 3BHK Villa: AED 8.750 ( Mirdif)
3BHK Villa: AED 11.666 ( Arabian Ranches) |
| Groceries | AED 1920 |
| Utilities | AED 2K- AED 3.5K |
| total | AED 12K-AED 18K |
Finally, we need to add all these fees to the Dubai residency visa first, we suggest you first review how to get a Dubai residence permit, and based on what type of visa you get, it costs differently. If you want to know about various Dubai visas, you can read how to get a Dubai work visa, and its different types, such as freelance visas.
The cost of living in Dubai varies depending on lifestyle, accommodation and family size. Below is a table outlining the approximate monthly expenses for a single person and a family of four:
| Item | Cost for a Single Person (AED) | Cost for a Family of Four (AED) |
|---|---|---|
| Apartment Rent | 3,000 – 5,500 | 7,500 – 12,000 |
| Utilities (Electricity, Water, Cooling) | 600 – 1,000 | 1,500 – 2,500 |
| Groceries | 1,000 – 2,000 | 3,500 – 5,000 |
| Transportation | 350 – 700 | 1,000 – 2,000 |
| Entertainment | 500 – 1,000 | 1,500 – 3,000 |
| Health Insurance | 500 – 1,000 | 2,000 – 4,000 |
| Education (if needed) | – | 3,000 – 8,000 |
Note: These figures are approximate and may vary depending on individual circumstances.
The cost of living in Dubai varies depending on lifestyle, accommodation, and family size. Below is a table outlining the approximate minimum living costs for a single person, a two-person family, and a family of four.
| Cost of Living (USD) | Cost of Living (AED) | |
|---|---|---|
| Single Person | 1,539 – 2,511 | 5,700 – 9,300 |
| Two-Person Family | 2,835 – 4,320 | 10,500 – 16,000 |
| Four-Person Family | 5,940 – 10,260 | 22,000 – 38,000 |
When comparing the cost of living across cities in the UAE, Dubai and Abu Dhabi stand out as the most expensive cities to live in. On the other hand, Ajman is considered one of the cheapest cities in the UAE for living.
It’s worth noting that the cost of living in Dubai is almost twice as high as in Ajman. These differences can even impact the monthly salary of a labor worker in Dubai compared to Ajman, reflecting a noticeable disparity.
Previously, we looked at the cost of living in Dubai for singles, newlyweds, and a family of four, but you should keep in mind that according to your innate lifestyle, your monthly expenses in Dubai might change. Also, Dxboffplan has an approximate guide for people moving to Dubai from different parts of the world, such as India and Pakistan. You could read about moving to Dubai from Pakistan. In this article, we review how to obtain a Dubai residency visa for Pakistanis and the living conditions of Pakistanis in Dubai. And finally, I want to add that our professional agents are always ready to help you find your dream off-plan home in UAE and decrease the housing costs as possible. You can contact them online 24/7 for free and through the site.
The cost of living for a single person in the UAE without paying rent is about 44 million tomans.
To make a normal life in Dubai, you should spend about Dh4,000 a month.
The cost of living in Dubai is usually lower than cities like London and Paris but higher than some cities in Eastern Europe.
The cost of renting a one-bedroom apartment in the city center is around 3,000 to 5,500 AED, while in suburban areas, it is approximately 2,000 to 3,500 AED.
Yes, the cost of international schools in Dubai varies depending on the school and grade level, ranging from 3,000 to 8,000 AED per month.
No, Dubai does not impose personal income tax. However, a 5% Value Added Tax (VAT) is applied to certain goods and services.
The average monthly cost of living in Dubai for a single person ranges between 1,500 to 2,500 USD (approximately 114,000,000 to 190,000,000 Tomans at an exchange rate of 76,000 Tomans per USD). For a family of four, it ranges from 3,500 to 6,000 USD (approximately 266,000,000 to 456,000,000 Tomans).
Yes, but careful financial management and selecting cost-effective options for housing, transportation, and other expenses are essential.
The cost of monthly groceries for a single person is around 1,000 to 2,000 AED. A meal at an average restaurant costs approximately 50 to 100 AED.
The cost of public transportation (metro, bus) for one person is approximately 350 to 700 AED per month. If you own a personal car, you must also consider fuel and insurance expenses.
