More and more people want to emigrate to Dubai, but one of the first questions they ask themselves is: Can I afford it? How much does it cost to live in Dubai?
In major European cities, prices for housing, food, transportation and more are often similar, but what about Dubai? In this comprehensive article, we look at the cost of living in Dubai and answer the question with practical examples.
How expensive is life in Dubai?
Broadly speaking, life in Dubai can definitely be more expensive in certain aspects, but also significantly cheaper in others. Therefore, here's a breakdown of costs by expense items such as housing, car, groceries, etc., that occur in everyday life.
Living
Arguably, one of the most exciting points is definitely housing. Because in hardly any other city is the range as wide as in Dubai. Where cheap studio apartments on the outskirts cost a few hundred euros per month, up to luxury villas on the Palm that cost more than €100,000 per month.
However, if you take the average as a basis, you can say that an apartment in Dubai with the following criteria:
- 1 bedroom
- 1-2 baths
- Close to the city center (15 minutes by car)
- New building
- Parking lot
- Pool & Gym in the building
- Balcony
normally around €2,500 per month. This also includes the costs for internet, DEWA (water and electricity) as well as building maintenance costs. Below is an example of such an apartment in the building “The Grand” in the popular Creek Harbour district. A tennis court would even be included here.
For a 2-bedroom apartment in the same building, you pay around €4,000 per month. Prices within the same building can vary greatly depending on the orientation (view) and layout.
Another example, a bit more affordable, in the popular Dubai Hills area. Here you live close to a large park, a beautiful [likely meaning mall or similar amenity, but translated literally], and a golf course. Generally, Dubai Hills is suitable for everyone in terms of location, as it is in the middle of the city. It's situated halfway between Downtown and Marina/JBR, the two biggest hotspots in the city. The total cost, including service charges, electricity, and internet, is around €4,000 per month for a 2-bedroom apartment.
Apartment prices generally vary greatly, depending, as already mentioned, on location, but also on orientation and, logically, size. Location is the main factor here, because exclusive locations like Palm Jumeirah, Emirates Hills, DIFC, and the like cost accordingly much more.
Food
Another important cost in life is food. Here, too, there is a wide range in Dubai. As a general rule, however, it can be said in advance that food in Dubai is definitely more expensive than in Europe. Especially when it comes to high-quality organic food.
Below is an example of food prices from the large supermarket chain Carrefour in Dubai for fruit and vegetables in AED. Simplified you can divide by 4 and you get the euro prices for the following organic foods:
- 2.50 € per 1 kg of bananas
- 2 € for 500g cucumbers
- €5.50 for 170g of blueberries
- 5 € for 170g raspberries
If you look at the meat, you can also see that the prices are slightly higher than in Germany or Austria. The following euro prices for various types of organic meat can be found here:
- 10 € for 500g ground meat
- 12.50 € for 500g steak
- 12.50 € for 500g of chicken breast
- $6.50 for 1kg whole chicken
Of course, if one doesn't buy organic and buys in larger quantities, the prices naturally decrease. However, these target prices are realistic for high-quality food in Dubai. Only local products like dates are significantly cheaper than in Europe. One should expect to spend around €600 or more per month on groceries in Dubai.
Restaurants
It's similar with restaurants in Dubai. If you skimp on quality and eat cheaply in an Indian neighborhood, you can get lunch for under €10. However, if you dine in DIFC, the Palm, or generally in a hotel restaurant, you'll definitely pay over €50 per person. For a fancy dinner for two, you'll usually expect to pay €150.
Anyone ordering through food delivery apps naturally gets a better deal, even if the quality of the food can be debated again. As a rule, you can order a bowl for around €20 per person.
Car
Cars are definitely cheaper in every respect in Dubai than in Germany, and especially Austria and Switzerland. Both in terms of purchase price and maintenance, cars are significantly cheaper in Dubai than in Europe. This is because the value-added tax is only 5 % and fuel is also cheaper. In addition, there is no vehicle tax or Standard consumption tax as in Austria. Insurance is also much cheaper.
The following brand new RSQ 8 Performance with carbon package, ceramic brakes, and much more, costs approximately €155,000 to purchase.
In Austria, you pay well over €200,000 for a car like that, and in Germany, you're also closer to the €200,000 mark. Driving in Dubai is therefore significantly cheaper, especially when it comes to luxury cars with a lot of horsepower.
Cab & Uber
However, those who wish to travel by taxi or Uber will also save, as the prices here are also much lower. This is also because the labor costs for taxi drivers are lower, as are the purchase and maintenance of cars. A trip of over 10 km usually costs less than €10.
School
Anyone who wants to send their children to a good school in Dubai will definitely have to pay. Most schools in Dubai are private schools, and the costs are accordingly high. Good primary schools start at €500 per month, and for higher schools (middle school or high school), you already pay €1,000 per month per child. In return, you get an internationally recognized, high-quality education for your children. They are usually already fluent in several languages before they graduate.
Summary
The cost of living in Dubai is more expensive in several areas, but also significantly cheaper in certain areas. How much you need to live on depends heavily on your personal lifestyle and the level of comfort you wish to enjoy. As a general rule, we recommend emigrating with a (gross) income of around €5,000 or more. For couples or families, this figure would be between €7,500 and €10,000, as school and childcare must be paid for privately. Additionally, you should factor in regular flights, as it's usually not possible to stay in Dubai for the entire year continuously.
