Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Al Fujayrah

For one person, living is cheaper in Dubai: $2,896 a month against $3,206 in Al Fujayrah, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Al Fujayrah outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

140

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index
155

Cost of Living Index in Al Fujayrah
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Al Fujayrah Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Al Fujayrah

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$3,206

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Al Fujayrah

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

A single person spends $2,896 per month in Dubai vs $3,206 in Al Fujayrah, rent included.

Dubai $2,896
Al Fujayrah $3,206

A couple spends around $4,468 per month in Dubai vs $4,790 in Al Fujayrah, rent included.

Dubai $4,468
Al Fujayrah $4,790

A family of three spends $6,040 per month in Dubai vs $6,373 in Al Fujayrah, rent included.

Dubai $6,040
Al Fujayrah $6,373

Dubai is about 10% cheaper than Al Fujayrah.

Both Dubai and Al Fujayrah sit above the global median – Dubai by 113%, Al Fujayrah by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.73 AED 46.74

$7.96 AED 29.22

59.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.5 AED 299

$59.9 AED 220

36.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 AED 35.55

$9.74 AED 35.76

-0.62%

Cappuccino

$5.97 AED 21.93

$5.81 AED 21.34

2.75%

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

$1.66 AED 6.10

$1.42 AED 5.20

16.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 AED 3.00

$0.60 AED 2.21

36.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.38 AED 49.13

$13.72 AED 50.4

-2.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.60 AED 49.94

$13.88 AED 51.0

-2.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 AED 6.66

$1.84 AED 6.76

-1.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 AED 5.68

$1.16 AED 4.27

33.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.57

$2.52 AED 9.24

3.17%

Eggs

$3.58 AED 13.16

$3.52 AED 12.93

1.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.12 AED 44.52

$5.50 AED 20.19

120.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 AED 34.90

$5.22 AED 19.19

81.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.88 AED 51.0

$7.78 AED 28.57

78.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 AED 9.67

$1.73 AED 6.34

52.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.97

$1.33 AED 4.90

42.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 AED 6.81

$1.30 AED 4.76

42.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 AED 5.51

$1.42 AED 5.20

5.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 AED 4.36

$0.99 AED 3.62

20.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.70

$1.05 AED 3.84

-3.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.66 AED 6.10

$1.10 AED 4.05

50.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 AED 2.27

$0.66 AED 2.43

-6.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.11 AED 22.43

$6.39 AED 23.46

-4.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.08 AED 59.1

$16.41 AED 60.3

-2.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 AED 9.95

$2.62 AED 9.63

3.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 AED 11.10

$3.00 AED 11.03

0.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 AED 5.39

$2.88 AED 10.57

-48.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.0 AED 246

$16.16 AED 59.3

314.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 AED 12.31

$2.77 AED 10.19

20.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 AED 2.48

$0.28 AED 1.04

142.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.24 AED 30.25

$2.69 AED 9.90

206.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 AED 3.40

$0.78 AED 2.86

17.95%

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

$26.0K AED 95.5K

$26.3K AED 96.7K

-1.32%

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

$21.5K AED 79.0K

$22.0K AED 80.7K

-2.04%

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

$248 AED 910

$239 AED 878

3.56%

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

$56.2 AED 206

$44.28 AED 163

26.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$93.8 AED 344

$91.6 AED 336

2.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.1 AED 335

$96.6 AED 355

-5.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.35 AED 167

$29.57 AED 109

53.36%

Cinema Ticket

$16.58 AED 60.9

$9.95 AED 36.55

66.63%

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

$949 AED 3,486

$275 AED 1,009

245.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K AED 62.8K

$4,443 AED 16.3K

285.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 AED 259

$29.39 AED 108

139.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.7 AED 227

$55.0 AED 202

12.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 AED 370

$103 AED 378

-1.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 AED 419

$80.9 AED 297

40.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,510 AED 9,217

$2,379 AED 8,739

5.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,537 AED 5,644

$2,077 AED 7,629

-26.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,106 AED 18.8K

$5,048 AED 18.5K

1.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,110 AED 11.4K

$4,064 AED 14.9K

-23.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,216 AED 26.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,383 AED 16.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,556 AED 13.1K

$3,673 AED 13.5K

-3.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

127.00%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Al Fujayrah: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 53.1%

Al Fujayrah

$2.1K 64.8% 35.2% $540

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$398 13.7%

Al Fujayrah

$375 11.7% 5.7% $23

Eating Out

Dubai

$307 10.6%

Al Fujayrah

$267 8.3% 12.9% $39

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$295 10.2%

Al Fujayrah

$218 6.8% 25.9% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$156 5.4%

Al Fujayrah

$121 3.8% 22.7% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$124 4.3%

Al Fujayrah

$116 3.6% 6.3% $7.8

Getting Around

Dubai

$80 2.8%

Al Fujayrah

$32 1% 60% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,510 in Dubai versus $2,379 in Al Fujayrah. 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 3% higher in Al Fujayrah, 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 $81 in Dubai versus $60 in Al Fujayrah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $218 – making Al Fujayrah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇦🇪 Al Fujayrah

🕒 Local time

18:29 6:29 PM

Same time as Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

118,933

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.244 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.244 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Dubai Al Fujayrah 110 km

From you

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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

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,343 per month in Dubai and $4,810 in Al Fujayrah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $2,510 in Dubai and $2,379 in Al Fujayrah. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $949 per month in Dubai and $275 in Al Fujayrah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 26% cheaper in Al Fujayrah – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,896 in Dubai and $3,206 in Al Fujayrah. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Dubai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,896 in Dubai to $3,206 in Al Fujayrah. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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