Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Dubai

For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $520 a month against $2,854 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $28,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
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Delhi Living Index
139

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index

Jump to prices

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$520

/mo nomad

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,854

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $520 per month in Delhi vs $2,854 in Dubai, rent included.

Delhi $520
Dubai $2,854

A couple spends around $858 per month in Delhi vs $4,321 in Dubai, rent included.

Delhi $858
Dubai $4,321

A family of three spends $1,195 per month in Delhi vs $5,788 in Dubai, rent included.

Delhi $1,195
Dubai $5,788

Delhi is about 82% cheaper than Dubai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Delhi sits 61% below the global median, while Dubai is 113% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.67 ₹355

$13.04 AED 47.89

-71.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.95 ₹2,027

$81.4 AED 299

-74.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.74 ₹362

$9.32 AED 34.25

-59.87%

Cappuccino

$2.33 ₹226

$5.97 AED 21.93

-60.97%

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

$0.37 ₹35.82

$1.63 AED 5.98

-77.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 ₹18.91

$0.81 AED 2.99

-75.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 ₹195

$13.65 AED 50.1

-85.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₹308

$13.38 AED 49.15

-76.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.68 ₹65.9

$1.81 AED 6.64

-62.43%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ₹50.2

$1.57 AED 5.78

-66.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 ₹80.0

$2.49 AED 9.16

-66.67%

Eggs

$1.07 ₹104

$3.28 AED 12.04

-67.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.43 ₹428

$12.67 AED 46.53

-65.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ₹326

$9.75 AED 35.80

-65.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.18 AED 48.40

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 ₹192

$2.61 AED 9.57

-23.75%

Banana (1kg)

$0.72 ₹70.1

$1.93 AED 7.09

-62.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 ₹98.4

$1.92 AED 7.05

-46.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 ₹50.1

$1.36 AED 5.00

-61.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 ₹25.96

$1.17 AED 4.29

-76.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 ₹35.42

$1.01 AED 3.71

-63.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 ₹41.64

$1.51 AED 5.56

-71.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹30.39

$0.62 AED 2.29

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.92 ₹476

$5.85 AED 21.50

-15.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 ₹808

$16.14 AED 59.3

-48.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₹159

$2.65 AED 9.74

-38.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 ₹261

$2.95 AED 10.82

-8.47%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.15 ₹596

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₹44.04

$1.64 AED 6.03

-71.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.29 ₹1,480

$73.6 AED 270

-79.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ₹99.8

$3.17 AED 11.66

-67.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₹26.38

$0.71 AED 2.63

-61.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ₹148

$7.96 AED 29.23

-80.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ₹102

$0.99 AED 3.64

6.06%

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

$10.5K ₹1.0M

$27.4K AED 100.5K

-61.77%

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

$18.4K ₹1.8M

$22.5K AED 82.8K

-18.51%

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

$42.67 ₹4,129

$250 AED 920

-82.96%

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

$4.04 ₹391

$54.2 AED 199

-92.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.75 ₹653

$91.8 AED 337

-92.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.40 ₹1,878

$98.6 AED 362

-80.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.06 ₹780

$42.61 AED 156

-81.08%

Cinema Ticket

$5.08 ₹492

$16.03 AED 58.9

-68.31%

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

$100 ₹9,696

$843 AED 3,098

-88.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,268 ₹219.5K

$18.3K AED 67.1K

-87.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.14 ₹2,336

$68.0 AED 250

-64.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.38 ₹2,747

$57.9 AED 213

-50.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.3 ₹5,160

$101 AED 370

-47.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.13 ₹4,271

$101 AED 371

-56.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$264 ₹25.5K

$2,380 AED 8,741

-88.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 ₹14.9K

$1,506 AED 5,531

-89.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$736 ₹71.2K

$4,437 AED 16.3K

-83.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 ₹38.5K

$3,010 AED 11.1K

-86.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,494 ₹241.4K

$7,121 AED 26.2K

-64.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,017 ₹98.4K

$4,135 AED 15.2K

-75.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$585 ₹56.7K

$3,391 AED 12.5K

-82.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.33

4.54

83.48%

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

Last update for Delhi: 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

Delhi

$154 29.7%

Dubai

$1.5K 52.5% 877% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Delhi

$108 20.8%

Dubai

$293 10.2% 171% $185

Eating Out

Delhi

$87 16.8%

Dubai

$309 10.8% 254% $221

Clothing & Footwear

Delhi

$67 13%

Dubai

$147 5.1% 118% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Delhi

$53 10.3%

Dubai

$396 13.8% 642% $343

Sport & Entertainment

Delhi

$30 5.7%

Dubai

$131 4.6% 342% $101

Getting Around

Delhi

$20 3.8%

Dubai

$87 3% 346% $67

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $264 in Delhi 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 479% 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 $21.00 in Delhi versus $81.0 in Dubai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $108 vs $293 – making Delhi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Delhi

🇦🇪 Dubai

🕒 Local time

10:46 10:46 AM

09:16 9:16 AM

1 h 30 min behind Delhi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,787,941 Capital

3,790,000

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 109 INR (1,000 INR = 9.21 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 INR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Delhi Dubai 2,220 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Delhi
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

Delhi vs Dubai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $520 in Delhi, $2,854 in Dubai – roughly 449% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $780 per month in Delhi 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 Delhi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21.00 in Delhi and $81.0 in Dubai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $520 in Delhi and $2,854 in Dubai. That's a gap of about 449%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Delhi, where all-in costs run around $520, than in Dubai at $2,854. In Delhi 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 $520 in Delhi to $2,854 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 Delhi. 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.