If you are reading this article, you may be considering a move to Dubai and are wondering how much it would cost to live comfortably.
It’s no secret that Dubai is not a cheap city. An influx of foreigners over the past couple of years has had a major impact on property prices, services, and goods.
However, if you have a decent-paying job, you can ‘survive’ and eventually thrive in Dubai, and in this article, we will be looking at what it would cost you to comfortably live in Dubai per month as a single person.
Related: Should You Move to Dubai in 2025? Expat & Digital Nomad Guide
Monthly expenses in Dubai for a single person
We will categorize the expenses into the following sectors:
- Rent & Utilities
- Groceries & household shopping
- Transportation
- Eating out
- Saving & Investing
- Healthcare & Insurance
At the end of the article, we will add up everything to provide you with an average total cost per month.
Rent & Utilities
Your rent and utility bills will take the biggest share of your paycheck. As mentioned earlier, rent prices have seen a surge over the last couple of years. Reports suggest that there has been a year-on-year increase of about 20% in rents.
For a single person, we will assume you will live in a 1-bedroom apartment, 2 baths, measuring 519 square feet, in a decent location, about 20 minutes from downtown.
This is a decent house in an area called Sobha Hartland Waves.
The images below are from Provident and AGCO properties, real estate companies in Dubai.
Note: Rent in Dubai is mostly paid per year (one annual cheque or bi-annual, in two cheques). For landlords who would allow you to pay per month, you will find that paying monthly will be a bit more expensive.
Average rent – AED 7,000 ($2,000)
Average utility bills – AED 1,000 ($250)
Groceries & household shopping
You might want to cook at home to save on your expenses. So, for groceries, you need to be smart about where you buy them from. There are expensive stores such as Spinneys, which you would want to avoid.
So, what would grocery shopping look like?
| Category | Item | Quantity/Month | Avg Price (AED) | Monthly Cost (AED) (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proteins | Chicken breast (boneless) | 4 kg | 28/kg | 112 (≈ $33) |
| Eggs (large) | 30 pcs | 14/carton | 14 (≈ $4.10) | |
| Minced beef | 3 kg | 35/kg | 105 (≈ $31) | |
| Canned tuna | 4 cans | 6/can | 24 (≈ $7) | |
| Cereals – Beans, Lentils etc (dry) | 2 kg | 8/kg | 16 (≈ $4.70) | |
| Vegetables | Tomatoes | 2 kg | 6/kg | 12 (≈ $3.50) |
| Onions | 1.5 kg | 3/kg | 4.5 (≈ $1.32) | |
| Potatoes | 2 kg | 4/kg | 8 (≈ $2.30) | |
| Bell peppers | 1 kg | 12/kg | 12 (≈ $3.50) | |
| Carrots | 1 kg | 5/kg | 5 (≈ $1.50) | |
| Mixed greens/spinach | 2 packs | 7/pack | 14 (≈ $4.10) | |
| Fruits | Apples | 1.5 kg | 8/kg | 12 (≈ $3.50) |
| Bananas | 1.5 kg | 6/kg | 9 (≈ $2.60) | |
| Oranges | 1.5 kg | 5/kg | 7.5 (≈ $2.20) | |
| Grains & Staples | Basmati rice | 2 kg | 12/kg | 24 (≈ $7) |
| Pasta | 2 packs (500g) | 7/pack | 14 (≈ $4.10) | |
| Bread (sliced) | 4 loaves | 5/loaf | 20 (≈ $5.90) | |
| Oats | 1 kg | 10/kg | 10 (≈ $2.90) | |
| Dairy | Milk (long-life) | 4L | 6/litre | 24 (≈ $7) |
| Cheese (cheddar/mozzarella) | 500g | 25/500g | 25 (≈ $7.40) | |
| Yogurt (multipack or 1L tub) | 2 | 7/tub | 14 (≈ $4.10) | |
| Pantry Items | Cooking oil (sunflower/olive) | 1L | 18/litre | 18 (≈ $5.30) |
| Salt, spices, seasoning | ~4 items | 5/item avg | 20 (≈ $5.90) | |
| Tea/coffee | 1 pack | 15 | 15 (≈ $4.40) | |
| Snacks/Extras | Biscuits, nuts, etc. | – | average | 200 (≈ $59) |
Average grocery shopping – AED 740 – You can add a miscellaneous of about AED 200, totalling the average to AED 940 ($280)
Related: Most Important Things You Need to Know Before Moving to Dubai
Transportation
When it comes to transportation, it is advisable to have a car in Dubai. You have probably heard the phrase that Dubai is not a walkable city; that is true.
For this category, we will give you figures if you were using a taxi, leasing or buying a car, and using public transport.
If you are leaving the house every single day, here is what you would spend if you are using a taxi, or a combination of taxi and public transport, that is, the metro and buses.
Average price for using a taxi exclusively – About AED 1,500 to AED 2,000. This figure could be higher if you are moving around a lot.
Average price for using both taxi and public transport – AED 310 for a monthly pass for both metro and bus, plus about AED 900 in taxi fare. Totaling to an average of AED 1,250. (Remember, this is dependent on your usage)
If you decide to buy a car, you will probably be paying monthly payments. The good news is, fuel is cheaper in the UAE than in most countries in the world.
Let’s say you get a good car, a 0-mileage 2025 Toyota Camry, you will be paying an average of AED 2,300 per month for 3 years, having given a 20% deposit (AED 5,500), assuming a 3% interest rate. The total cost of the car is AED 27,000.
You can choose to lease a car if your stay is short. The upfront cost is lower than buying, however, in the long run, buying a car could be a better option.
Related: Is The Uber App Available in Dubai?
Eating out & outings
You will not be cooking every day, however much you tell yourself you will to save some money.
You are in Dubai, enjoy the food scene. However, that comes with a heavy price tag. With that said, you will be having the occasional McDonald’s, visiting Dubai Mall to have some coffee while watching the Dubai Fountain, and maybe stopping by a few stores.
You also want to enjoy going out to theme parks, such as the Global Village, or partake in other activities like Top Golf, or a night out with friends.
Saving & Investing
The rule of thumb would be to save & invest about 20% of your income (10% for savings and the other 10% for investments). That would mean, everything else would have to fit in the 80% left.
You could invest in money market funds (MMFs) in Dubai or in fractional real estate ownership. MMFs are seen as short-term investment plans offering around 6% annual interest yields.
When it comes to fractional real estate ownership, you can buy a share of a property, for let’s say AED 3,000 and own a part of it, meaning you will get a return through annual dividends, through rental income, or through capital appreciation when the property is sold or both.
Related: Prypco Mint platform – MENA’s First Tokenized Real Estate Project in Dubai
Healthcare & Insurance
Health insurance is mandatory in the UAE. But if you think about it, it is always good to have that coverage so that you do not have to dig deep into your pocket when you visit a hospital.
Healthcare in Dubai is quite good and there are many licensed hospitals that you can visit.
A good coverage will cost you about AED 5,000 per year, which is about AED 420 per month.
So, what is the total cost per month?
| Category | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|
| Rent & Utilities | AED 8,000 |
| Groceries & household shopping | AED 940 |
| Transportation | AED 1,000 for public transport and AED 2,400 for buying a car |
| Eating out & outings | AED 2,500 + AED 1,000 for outings |
| Savings & investments | AED 3,000 |
| Healthcare | AED 420 |
| Miscellaneous (Gym & other memberships, as well as having some money left for any emergency or excesses) | AED 3,500 |
| Average Total Per Month | AED 21,760 ($6,400) per month – This total assumes you bought a car and are paying AED 2,400 per month for it. |
Now, this monthly average is for a comfortable stay in Dubai. You get to enjoy living in a lavish city while still saving and paying all your bills on time.
And of course, some people live off way less than this. It depends on how you want your stay to look.
