Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ankara and Dubai

For one person, living is cheaper in Ankara: $1,400 a month against $2,854 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Ankara
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Ankara Living Index
139

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index

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Ankara

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,400

/mo nomad

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,854

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ankara 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 Ankara and in Dubai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,400 per month in Ankara vs $2,854 in Dubai, rent included.

Ankara $1,400
Dubai $2,854

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Ankara vs $4,321 in Dubai, rent included.

Ankara $2,082
Dubai $4,321

A family of three spends $2,763 per month in Ankara vs $5,788 in Dubai, rent included.

Ankara $2,763
Dubai $5,788

Ankara is about 51% cheaper than Dubai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Ankara and Dubai sit above the global median – Ankara by 4%, Dubai by 113%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.32 ₺509

$13.04 AED 47.89

-20.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.03 ₺2,070

$81.4 AED 299

-48.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 ₺479

$9.32 AED 34.25

4.29%

Cappuccino

$3.99 ₺196

$5.97 AED 21.93

-33.17%

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

$1.68 ₺82.5

$1.63 AED 5.98

3.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 ₺37.15

$0.81 AED 2.99

-7.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.03 ₺248

$13.65 AED 50.1

-63.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.04 ₺297

$13.38 AED 49.15

-54.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 ₺57.5

$1.81 AED 6.64

-35.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 ₺50.0

$1.57 AED 5.78

-35.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 ₺117

$2.49 AED 9.16

-4.82%

Eggs

$2.64 ₺130

$3.28 AED 12.04

-19.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.31 ₺508

$12.67 AED 46.53

-18.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.54 ₺273

$9.75 AED 35.80

-43.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.01 ₺986

$13.18 AED 48.40

51.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 ₺96.1

$2.61 AED 9.57

-25.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$1.93 AED 7.09

18.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 ₺65.3

$1.92 AED 7.05

-30.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 ₺86.7

$1.36 AED 5.00

29.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 ₺33.50

$1.17 AED 4.29

-41.88%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 ₺26.83

$1.01 AED 3.71

-46.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ₺50.4

$1.51 AED 5.56

-32.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₺33.14

$0.62 AED 2.29

8.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 ₺113

$5.85 AED 21.50

-60.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.47 ₺615

$16.14 AED 59.3

-22.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 ₺109

$2.65 AED 9.74

-16.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 ₺158

$2.95 AED 10.82

8.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ₺33.99

$1.64 AED 6.03

-57.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.31 ₺607

$73.6 AED 270

-83.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₺63.7

$3.17 AED 11.66

-59.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺41.68

$0.71 AED 2.63

19.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.66 ₺328

$7.96 AED 29.23

-16.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 ₺68.1

$0.99 AED 3.64

39.39%

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

$48.9K ₺2.4M

$27.4K AED 100.5K

78.50%

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

$41.2K ₺2.0M

$22.5K AED 82.8K

82.68%

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

$95.4 ₺4,699

$250 AED 920

-61.90%

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

$10.92 ₺538

$54.2 AED 199

-79.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.83 ₺878

$91.8 AED 337

-80.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.4 ₺3,568

$98.6 AED 362

-26.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.15 ₺746

$42.61 AED 156

-64.44%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 ₺397

$16.03 AED 58.9

-49.78%

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

$1,035 ₺51.0K

$843 AED 3,098

22.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K ₺981.9K

$18.3K AED 67.1K

9.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ₺2,645

$68.0 AED 250

-20.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.68 ₺2,349

$57.9 AED 213

-17.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 ₺5,107

$101 AED 370

2.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.6 ₺4,709

$101 AED 371

-5.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ₺37.2K

$2,380 AED 8,741

-68.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$577 ₺28.4K

$1,506 AED 5,531

-61.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,162 ₺57.3K

$4,437 AED 16.3K

-73.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$891 ₺43.9K

$3,010 AED 11.1K

-70.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,671 ₺82.3K

$7,121 AED 26.2K

-76.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,171 ₺57.7K

$4,135 AED 15.2K

-71.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,101 ₺54.2K

$3,391 AED 12.5K

-67.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

43.57

4.54

859.69%

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

Last update for Ankara: October 3, 2026

Last update for Dubai: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ankara

$577 41%

Dubai

$1.5K 52.5% 161% $929

Groceries & Markets

Ankara

$256 18.2%

Dubai

$293 10.2% 14.4% $37

Eating Out

Ankara

$207 14.7%

Dubai

$309 10.8% 49.5% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Ankara

$135 9.6%

Dubai

$147 5.1% 8.9% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ankara

$124 8.8%

Dubai

$396 13.8% 219% $272

Sport & Entertainment

Ankara

$89 6.3%

Dubai

$131 4.6% 47.6% $42

Getting Around

Ankara

$21 1.5%

Dubai

$87 3% 322% $66

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $756 in Ankara versus $2,380 in Dubai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 208% higher in Dubai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Ankara versus $81.0 in Dubai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $256 vs $293 – making Ankara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Ankara

🇦🇪 Dubai

🕒 Local time

09:19 9:19 AM

10:19 10:19 AM

1 h ahead of Ankara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,864,049 Capital

3,790,000

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.26 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.25 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.12 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ankara Dubai 2,650 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ankara
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

Ankara vs Dubai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dubai costs about 104% more than Ankara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,100 per month in Ankara and $4,281 in Dubai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $1,035 per month in Ankara and $843 in Dubai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ankara, where all-in costs run around $1,400, than in Dubai at $2,854. In Ankara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dubai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ankara costs $1,400 versus $2,854 in Dubai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Ankara. 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.