Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-Ula and Dubai

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-Ula: $1,184 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $20,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Al-Ula
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Al-Ula Living Index
140

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index

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Al-Ula

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,184

/mo nomad

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Al-Ula and in Dubai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Al-Ula and in Dubai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,184 per month in Al-Ula vs $2,896 in Dubai, rent included.

Al-Ula $1,184
Dubai $2,896

A couple spends around $1,757 per month in Al-Ula vs $4,384 in Dubai, rent included.

Al-Ula $1,757
Dubai $4,384

A family of three spends $2,330 per month in Al-Ula vs $5,872 in Dubai, rent included.

Al-Ula $2,330
Dubai $5,872

Al-Ula is about 59% cheaper than Dubai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Al-Ula sits 12% below the global median, while Dubai is 115% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.11 SAR 22.91

$12.67 AED 46.55

-51.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.80 SAR 138

$81.7 AED 300

-54.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 SAR 29.87

$9.34 AED 34.30

-14.78%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 SAR 7.08

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 SAR 8.62

Cappuccino

$3.17 SAR 11.89

$5.89 AED 21.62

-46.18%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 SAR 3.24

$1.69 AED 6.20

-49.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 SAR 0.98

$0.78 AED 2.86

-66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 SAR 6.52

$1.84 AED 6.78

-5.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 SAR 4.75

$1.50 AED 5.50

-15.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 SAR 8.62

$2.57 AED 9.45

-10.51%

Eggs

$2.32 SAR 8.72

$3.32 AED 12.18

-30.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.39 SAR 27.75

$12.60 AED 46.28

-41.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.07 SAR 30.27

$9.66 AED 35.46

-16.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.67 SAR 47.54

$12.78 AED 46.93

-0.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 SAR 8.45

$2.60 AED 9.54

-13.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 SAR 6.60

$1.90 AED 6.99

-7.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 SAR 5.94

$1.91 AED 7.02

-17.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 SAR 5.89

$1.37 AED 5.02

14.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 SAR 4.61

$1.13 AED 4.14

8.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 SAR 4.79

$1.01 AED 3.71

26.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 SAR 4.58

$1.44 AED 5.30

-15.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 SAR 2.02

$0.67 AED 2.48

-19.40%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.86 SAR 10.71

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SAR 6.68

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 SAR 7.91

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.74 SAR 25.28

$5.88 AED 21.59

14.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 SAR 4.08

$1.60 AED 5.87

-31.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.77 SAR 138

$76.0 AED 279

-51.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 SAR 9.80

$3.24 AED 11.91

-19.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 SAR 6.95

$0.71 AED 2.61

160.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.14 SAR 49.29

$7.96 AED 29.22

65.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.44

$0.98 AED 3.62

-33.67%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$44.0K SAR 165.2K

$27.4K AED 100.6K

60.77%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$21.3K SAR 79.9K

$22.0K AED 80.9K

-3.31%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$106 SAR 397

$249 AED 913

-57.38%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$33.21 SAR 125

$54.4 AED 200

-38.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.8 SAR 247

$91.5 AED 336

-28.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.4 SAR 309

$103 AED 380

-20.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

Cinema Ticket

$13.33 SAR 50.0

$16.29 AED 59.8

-18.17%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$425 SAR 1,596

$844 AED 3,098

-49.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,102 SAR 30.4K

$18.3K AED 67.1K

-55.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.74 SAR 160

$67.0 AED 246

-36.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 SAR 208

$57.9 AED 213

-4.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 SAR 361

$102 AED 375

-5.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 SAR 329

$98.7 AED 363

-11.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$576 SAR 2,162

$2,393 AED 8,788

-75.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 SAR 1,397

$1,533 AED 5,630

-75.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 SAR 3,121

$4,594 AED 16.9K

-81.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$572 SAR 2,147

$2,939 AED 10.8K

-80.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,323 SAR 8,718

$7,046 AED 25.9K

-67.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,382 SAR 5,187

$4,222 AED 15.5K

-67.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

4.54

22.03%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Al-Ula: October 11, 2026

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Al-Ula

$372 31.5%

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9% 312% $1.2K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al-Ula

$205 17.3%

Dubai

$394 13.6% 92.5% $189

Groceries & Markets

Al-Ula

$203 17.1%

Dubai

$292 10.1% 43.9% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Al-Ula

$127 10.7%

Dubai

$147 5.1% 15.5% $20

Eating Out

Al-Ula

$115 9.7%

Dubai

$305 10.5% 165% $190

Sport & Entertainment

Al-Ula

$109 9.2%

Dubai

$136 4.7% 24.7% $27

Getting Around

Al-Ula

$53 4.5%

Dubai

$89 3.1% 68.2% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $576 in Al-Ula versus $2,393 in Dubai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Al-Ula versus $82.0 in Dubai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $203 vs $292 – making Al-Ula the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Al-Ula

🇦🇪 Dubai

🕒 Local time

14:31 2:31 PM

15:31 3:31 PM

1 h ahead of Al-Ula

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,413

3,790,000

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Al-Ula Dubai 1,730 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Al-Ula
Dubai

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Al-Ula vs Dubai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,184 in Al-Ula, $2,896 in Dubai – roughly 145% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,776 per month in Al-Ula and $4,344 in Dubai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Al-Ula, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $425 per month in Al-Ula and $844 in Dubai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 44% more in Dubai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Al-Ula, where all-in costs run around $1,184, than in Dubai at $2,896. In Al-Ula it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dubai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Dubai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,184 in Al-Ula to $2,896 in Dubai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Al-Ula. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Dubai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.