Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between As-salimiyah and Dubai

For one person, living is cheaper in As-salimiyah: $1,342 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $18,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in As-salimiyah
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As-salimiyah Living Index
140

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index

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As-salimiyah

🇰🇼 Kuwait

$1,342

/mo nomad

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,342 per month in As-salimiyah vs $2,896 in Dubai, rent included.

As-salimiyah $1,342
Dubai $2,896

A couple spends around $2,258 per month in As-salimiyah vs $4,384 in Dubai, rent included.

As-salimiyah $2,258
Dubai $4,384

A family of three spends $3,173 per month in As-salimiyah vs $5,872 in Dubai, rent included.

As-salimiyah $3,173
Dubai $5,872

As-salimiyah is about 54% cheaper than Dubai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

As-salimiyah sits 1% below the global median, while Dubai is 115% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.26 KWD 3.47

$12.67 AED 46.55

-11.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.5 KWD 18.03

$81.7 AED 300

-28.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 KWD 2.67

$9.34 AED 34.30

-7.39%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.29 KWD 1.01

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 KWD 0.51

Cappuccino

$5.05 KWD 1.56

$5.89 AED 21.62

-14.26%

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

$0.74 KWD 0.23

$1.69 AED 6.20

-56.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 KWD 0.10

$0.78 AED 2.86

-60.26%

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)

$1.29 KWD 0.40

$1.84 AED 6.78

-29.89%

White Bread (500g)

$0.69 KWD 0.21

$1.50 AED 5.50

-54.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 KWD 0.58

$2.57 AED 9.45

-27.24%

Eggs

$2.13 KWD 0.66

$3.32 AED 12.18

-35.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 KWD 1.36

$12.60 AED 46.28

-65.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.30 KWD 1.63

$9.66 AED 35.46

-45.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.78 KWD 3.01

$12.78 AED 46.93

-23.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 KWD 0.65

$2.60 AED 9.54

-18.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 KWD 0.48

$1.90 AED 6.99

-17.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.24 KWD 0.38

$1.91 AED 7.02

-35.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 KWD 0.46

$1.37 AED 5.02

9.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 KWD 0.40

$1.13 AED 4.14

15.93%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 KWD 0.24

$1.01 AED 3.71

-23.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 KWD 0.49

$1.44 AED 5.30

9.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 KWD 0.15

$0.67 AED 2.48

-25.37%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.23 KWD 0.99

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 KWD 0.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 KWD 0.44

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.67 KWD 0.82

$5.88 AED 21.59

-54.59%

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)

$0.83 KWD 0.26

$1.60 AED 5.87

-48.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.63 KWD 14.68

$76.0 AED 279

-37.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 KWD 0.97

$3.24 AED 11.91

-2.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.24 KWD 1.00

$0.71 AED 2.61

356.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.80 KWD 4.87

$7.96 AED 29.22

98.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.33 KWD 0.10

$0.98 AED 3.62

-66.33%

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

$21.0K KWD 6,461

$27.4K AED 100.6K

-23.42%

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

$20.4K KWD 6,277

$22.0K AED 80.9K

-7.52%

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

$31.73 KWD 9.78

$249 AED 913

-87.23%

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

$20.57 KWD 6.34

$54.4 AED 200

-62.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 KWD 9.23

$91.5 AED 336

-67.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.9 KWD 30.17

$103 AED 380

-5.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$64.5 KWD 19.87

$42.32 AED 155

52.39%

Cinema Ticket

$11.20 KWD 3.45

$16.29 AED 59.8

-31.25%

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

$276 KWD 84.9

$844 AED 3,098

-67.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,239 KWD 1,922

$18.3K AED 67.1K

-65.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.85 KWD 11.66

$67.0 AED 246

-43.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.85 KWD 11.97

$57.9 AED 213

-32.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.0 KWD 28.04

$102 AED 375

-10.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.7 KWD 19.63

$98.7 AED 363

-35.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$871 KWD 268

$2,393 AED 8,788

-63.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 KWD 194

$1,533 AED 5,630

-58.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,783 KWD 549

$4,594 AED 16.9K

-61.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,347 KWD 415

$2,939 AED 10.8K

-54.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,752 KWD 848

$3,461 AED 12.7K

-20.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

4.54

43.83%

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

Last update for As-salimiyah: 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

As-salimiyah

$629 46.9%

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9% 144% $903

Eating Out

As-salimiyah

$181 13.5%

Dubai

$305 10.5% 68.8% $124

Groceries & Markets

As-salimiyah

$155 11.6%

Dubai

$292 10.1% 88% $137

Sport & Entertainment

As-salimiyah

$120 9%

Dubai

$136 4.7% 13% $16

Clothing & Footwear

As-salimiyah

$104 7.8%

Dubai

$147 5.1% 40.8% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

As-salimiyah

$82 6.1%

Dubai

$394 13.6% 379% $312

Getting Around

As-salimiyah

$70 5.2%

Dubai

$89 3.1% 26.7% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $871 in As-salimiyah 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.

Salaries run about 26% 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 $59.0 in As-salimiyah versus $82.0 in Dubai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $155 vs $292 – making As-salimiyah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇼 As-salimiyah

🇦🇪 Dubai

🕒 Local time

11:46 11:46 AM

12:46 12:46 PM

1 h ahead of As-salimiyah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

147,649

3,790,000

💱 Currency

Kuwaiti Dinar KWD د.ك

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

1 KWD = 3.25 USD

1 KWD = 2.89 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, USD, EUR to KWD – Kuwaiti Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇼 Kuwaiti Dinar (د.ك)

Kuwaiti Dinar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.308 KWD (1 KWD = 3.25 USD). 1 EUR = 0.346 KWD (1 KWD = 2.89 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 KWD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

As-salimiyah Dubai 850 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

As-salimiyah
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

As-salimiyah vs Dubai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Dubai is pricier by about 116%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,014 per month in As-salimiyah 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 As-salimiyah, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,342 in As-salimiyah and $2,896 in Dubai. That's a gap of about 116%.

Public transport costs about 59% less in As-salimiyah. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in As-salimiyah, where all-in costs run around $1,342, than in Dubai at $2,896. In As-salimiyah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dubai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward As-salimiyah – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 As-salimiyah. 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.