Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Al-hawiyah

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-hawiyah: $1,081 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $21,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Al-hawiyah
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Al-hawiyah Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Al-hawiyah

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,081

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Al-hawiyah

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-hawiyah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $1,081 in Al-hawiyah.

Dubai $2,896
Al-hawiyah $1,081

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $1,603 in Al-hawiyah.

Dubai $4,384
Al-hawiyah $1,603

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $2,125 in Al-hawiyah.

Dubai $5,872
Al-hawiyah $2,125

Living in Dubai is roughly 168% more expensive than in Al-hawiyah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 115% above, Al-hawiyah is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$4.44 SAR 16.67

185.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$26.52 SAR 99.5

208.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$6.91 SAR 25.93

35.17%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.58 SAR 5.91

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 SAR 5.64

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$2.63 SAR 9.88

123.95%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$0.70 SAR 2.63

141.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$0.25 SAR 0.94

212.00%

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)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$1.83 SAR 6.85

0.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$0.96 SAR 3.60

56.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$2.20 SAR 8.25

16.82%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$2.68 SAR 10.04

23.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$5.85 SAR 21.94

115.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$11.70 SAR 43.90

-17.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$13.12 SAR 49.22

-2.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$2.04 SAR 7.64

27.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$1.58 SAR 5.92

20.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$1.83 SAR 6.88

4.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$1.49 SAR 5.60

-8.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$1.30 SAR 4.87

-13.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$1.50 SAR 5.63

-32.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$1.09 SAR 4.09

32.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$0.74 SAR 2.77

-9.46%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.99 SAR 11.21

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.87

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 SAR 5.88

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$8.00 SAR 30.02

-26.50%

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)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$1.10 SAR 4.13

45.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

$36.82 SAR 138

106.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$2.44 SAR 9.15

32.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$2.69 SAR 10.10

-73.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$13.24 SAR 49.67

-39.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$0.59 SAR 2.23

66.10%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$43.9K SAR 164.7K

-37.59%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$21.5K SAR 80.8K

2.28%

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

$249 AED 913

$67.1 SAR 252

270.40%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$35.32 SAR 133

54.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$62.5 SAR 235

46.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

$80.6 SAR 302

28.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$15.09 SAR 56.6

7.95%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$423 SAR 1,586

99.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$7,864 SAR 29.5K

132.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$13.09 SAR 49.11

411.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$55.8 SAR 209

3.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$40.45 SAR 152

152.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$52.5 SAR 197

88.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$576 SAR 2,162

315.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$366 SAR 1,375

318.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

$826 SAR 3,098

456.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$577 SAR 2,166

409.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

$2,404 SAR 9,023

193.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

$1,375 SAR 5,158

207.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

5.25

-13.52%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Al-hawiyah: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Al-hawiyah

$366 33.9% 76.1% $1.2K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Al-hawiyah

$165 15.3% 58.2% $229

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Al-hawiyah

$92 8.5% 70% $214

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Al-hawiyah

$217 20.1% 25.5% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Al-hawiyah

$73 6.7% 50.3% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Al-hawiyah

$111 10.2% 18.6% $25

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Al-hawiyah

$57 5.3% 35.9% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,393 in Dubai and $576 in Al-hawiyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $82.0 in Dubai vs $27.00 in Al-hawiyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $217 per month, with Al-hawiyah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇸🇦 Al-hawiyah

🕒 Local time

06:54 6:54 AM

05:54 5:54 AM

1 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

148,151

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

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).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dubai Al-hawiyah 1,550 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Al-hawiyah

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-hawiyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dubai and Al-hawiyah differ by about 168% in total monthly costs ($2,896 vs $1,081 including rent). Al-hawiyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $4,344 in Dubai and $1,621 in Al-hawiyah to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,393 in Dubai versus $576 in Al-hawiyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Al-hawiyah – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $82.0 in Dubai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,896 per month in Dubai versus $1,081 in Al-hawiyah – a 168% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,081 in Al-hawiyah versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Al-hawiyah but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Al-hawiyah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Dubai and Al-hawiyah are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Al-hawiyah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 168% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.