Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Al Hidd

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Hidd: $1,787 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 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
86

Cost of Living Index in Al Hidd
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Al Hidd Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Al Hidd

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,787

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $1,787 in Al Hidd.

Dubai $2,896
Al Hidd $1,787

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $2,122 in Al Hidd.

Dubai $4,384
Al Hidd $2,122

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $2,457 in Al Hidd.

Dubai $5,872
Al Hidd $2,457

Living in Dubai is roughly 62% more expensive than in Al Hidd, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dubai 115% above, Al Hidd 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$5.26 BHD 1.99

140.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$39.86 BHD 15.04

105.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$7.59 BHD 2.86

23.06%

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$3.68 BHD 1.39

60.05%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$0.81 BHD 0.31

108.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$0.15 BHD 0.06

420.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

$6.43 BHD 2.43

112.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

$10.05 BHD 3.79

34.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$1.43 BHD 0.54

28.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$1.09 BHD 0.41

37.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$2.29 BHD 0.86

12.23%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$2.28 BHD 0.86

45.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$8.59 BHD 3.24

46.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$5.43 BHD 2.05

77.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$5.17 BHD 1.95

147.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$2.31 BHD 0.87

12.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$2.35 BHD 0.89

-19.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$1.87 BHD 0.71

2.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$1.44 BHD 0.54

-4.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$1.01 BHD 0.38

11.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$1.38 BHD 0.52

-26.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$1.49 BHD 0.56

-3.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$0.78 BHD 0.29

-14.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$5.32 BHD 2.01

10.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

$18.21 BHD 6.87

-11.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

$3.66 BHD 1.38

-25.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$2.70 BHD 1.02

14.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$1.57 BHD 0.59

1.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

$52.2 BHD 19.71

45.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$5.39 BHD 2.04

-39.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$3.35 BHD 1.27

-78.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$15.64 BHD 5.90

-49.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$0.58 BHD 0.22

68.97%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$19.7K BHD 7,433

39.05%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$20.2K BHD 7,607

9.31%

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

$249 AED 913

$154 BHD 58.3

60.92%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$24.58 BHD 9.28

121.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$34.60 BHD 13.06

164.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

$53.7 BHD 20.28

-21.25%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$10.51 BHD 3.97

55.00%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$495 BHD 187

70.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$11.2K BHD 4,209

63.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$51.2 BHD 19.31

30.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$58.5 BHD 22.08

-0.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$88.1 BHD 33.25

15.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$87.9 BHD 33.16

12.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$663 BHD 250

261.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$945 BHD 357

62.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

$799 BHD 302

474.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$651 BHD 246

351.80%

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)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

$1,932 BHD 729

79.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

6.21

-26.89%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Al Hidd: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Al Hidd

$945 52.9% 38.4% $588

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Al Hidd

$214 12% 45.8% $181

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Al Hidd

$165 9.2% 45.9% $140

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Al Hidd

$233 13.1% 20% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Al Hidd

$129 7.2% 12.3% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Al Hidd

$21 * 1.2% 84.5% $115

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Al Hidd

$81 4.5% 9.5% $8.4

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,393 in Dubai and $663 in Al Hidd. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 79% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $82.0 in Dubai vs $40.00 in Al Hidd for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $233 per month, with Al Hidd cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇧🇭 Al Hidd

🕒 Local time

11:31 11:31 AM

10:31 10:31 AM

1 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

12,797

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.36 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BHD, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

Bahraini Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.377 BHD (1 BHD = 2.65 USD). 1 EUR = 0.424 BHD (1 BHD = 2.36 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Dubai Al Hidd 470 km

From you

Dubai
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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 Hidd: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Hidd is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 62% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 79% higher in Dubai, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,393 in Dubai versus $663 in Al Hidd. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Al Hidd runs roughly 45% less than in Dubai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $844 in Dubai versus $495 in Al Hidd. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,787 in Al Hidd versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Al Hidd but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Al Hidd the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Al Hidd is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Dubai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Dubai and Al Hidd 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 Hidd gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.