Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bologna and Dubai

For one person, living is cheaper in Bologna: $2,203 a month against $2,854 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Bologna
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Bologna Living Index
139

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index

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Bologna

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,203

/mo nomad

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,854

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,203 per month in Bologna vs $2,854 in Dubai, rent included.

Bologna $2,203
Dubai $2,854

A couple spends around $3,399 per month in Bologna vs $4,321 in Dubai, rent included.

Bologna $3,399
Dubai $4,321

A family of three spends $4,595 per month in Bologna vs $5,788 in Dubai, rent included.

Bologna $4,595
Dubai $5,788

Bologna is about 23% cheaper than Dubai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Bologna and Dubai sit above the global median – Bologna by 64%, Dubai by 113%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.43 €20.02

$13.04 AED 47.89

72.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.7 €81.0

$81.4 AED 299

11.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.73 €12.25

$9.32 AED 34.25

47.32%

Cappuccino

$2.20 €1.96

$5.97 AED 21.93

-63.15%

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

$3.54 €3.16

$1.63 AED 5.98

117.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 €1.56

$0.81 AED 2.99

116.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.70 €5.97

$13.65 AED 50.1

-50.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 €4.96

$13.38 AED 49.15

-58.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.19

$1.81 AED 6.64

-26.52%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 €2.78

$1.57 AED 5.78

98.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.98 €2.66

$2.49 AED 9.16

19.68%

Eggs

$3.90 €3.48

$3.28 AED 12.04

18.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.73 €18.50

$12.67 AED 46.53

63.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.22 €10.90

$9.75 AED 35.80

25.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.84 €18.60

$13.18 AED 48.40

58.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 €2.13

$2.61 AED 9.57

-8.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.14

$1.93 AED 7.09

24.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 €2.35

$1.92 AED 7.05

36.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.36 €3.00

$1.36 AED 5.00

147.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.72

$1.17 AED 4.29

64.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.61

$1.01 AED 3.71

79.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 €1.26

$1.51 AED 5.56

-6.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 €0.46

$0.62 AED 2.29

-17.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.87 €6.13

$5.85 AED 21.50

17.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.78 €6.94

$16.14 AED 59.3

-51.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 €1.71

$2.65 AED 9.74

-27.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 €2.54

$2.95 AED 10.82

-3.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 €2.28

$1.64 AED 6.03

55.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.29 €38.63

$73.6 AED 270

-41.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.08

$3.17 AED 11.66

44.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 €1.53

$0.71 AED 2.63

142.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.11 €28.66

$7.96 AED 29.23

303.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 €1.94

$0.99 AED 3.64

120.20%

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

$37.0K €33.0K

$27.4K AED 100.5K

35.29%

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

$36.6K €32.7K

$22.5K AED 82.8K

62.40%

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

$245 €219

$250 AED 920

-2.14%

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

$11.42 €10.19

$54.2 AED 199

-78.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.85 €27.53

$91.8 AED 337

-66.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.4 €56.6

$98.6 AED 362

-35.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.03 €24.12

$42.61 AED 156

-36.56%

Cinema Ticket

$9.94 €8.87

$16.03 AED 58.9

-37.99%

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

$772 €689

$843 AED 3,098

-8.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €14.3K

$18.3K AED 67.1K

-12.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €81.5

$68.0 AED 250

34.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.96 €41.90

$57.9 AED 213

-18.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 €109

$101 AED 370

21.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 €130

$101 AED 371

44.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,154 €1,030

$2,380 AED 8,741

-51.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$871 €777

$1,506 AED 5,531

-42.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,072 €1,849

$4,437 AED 16.3K

-53.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 €1,398

$3,010 AED 11.1K

-47.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,020 €4,480

$7,121 AED 26.2K

-29.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,647 €3,254

$4,135 AED 15.2K

-11.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,174 €1,940

$3,391 AED 12.5K

-35.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.19

4.54

-29.74%

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

Last update for Bologna: October 6, 2026

Last update for Dubai: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bologna

$871 40.2%

Dubai

$1.5K 52.5% 72.9% $635

Groceries & Markets

Bologna

$363 16.8%

Dubai

$293 10.2% 19.5% $71

Eating Out

Bologna

$313 14.4%

Dubai

$309 10.8% 1.3% $4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bologna

$287 13.3%

Dubai

$396 13.8% 38% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Bologna

$183 8.4%

Dubai

$147 5.1% 19.4% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Bologna

$83 3.8%

Dubai

$131 4.6% 57% $47

Getting Around

Bologna

$67 3.1%

Dubai

$87 3% 30.4% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,154 in Bologna 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 56% 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 $91.0 in Bologna versus $81.0 in Dubai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $363 vs $293 – making Dubai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Bologna

🇦🇪 Dubai

🕒 Local time

09:20 9:20 AM

11:20 11:20 AM

2 h ahead of Bologna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

386,663

3,790,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Bologna Dubai 4,480 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Bologna
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

Bologna vs Dubai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dubai costs about 30% more than Bologna, 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 $3,304 per month in Bologna 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 Bologna, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 70% less in Bologna. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $772 per month in Bologna and $843 in Dubai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bologna, where all-in costs run around $2,203, than in Dubai at $2,854. In Bologna it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dubai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bologna costs $2,203 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 Bologna. 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.