Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Al Kazimiyah

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Kazimiyah: $663 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $26,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
Learn more

Dubai Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Al Kazimiyah
Learn more

Al Kazimiyah Living Index

Jump to prices

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Al Kazimiyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $663 in Al Kazimiyah.

Dubai $2,896
Al Kazimiyah $663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $1,020 in Al Kazimiyah.

Dubai $4,384
Al Kazimiyah $1,020

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $1,377 in Al Kazimiyah.

Dubai $5,872
Al Kazimiyah $1,377

Living in Dubai is roughly 337% more expensive than in Al Kazimiyah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 115% above, Al Kazimiyah is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$4.03 IQD 6,085

214.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$20.21 IQD 30.5K

304.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$6.52 IQD 9,857

43.25%

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$2.65 IQD 4,012

122.26%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$0.37 IQD 558

356.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$0.19 IQD 280

310.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

$3.19 IQD 4,820

328.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

$3.00 IQD 4,535

349.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$1.15 IQD 1,737

60.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$0.63 IQD 948

138.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$1.34 IQD 2,022

91.79%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$1.32 IQD 1,998

151.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$3.46 IQD 5,229

264.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$4.00 IQD 6,045

141.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$13.07 IQD 19.8K

-2.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$0.92 IQD 1,384

182.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$0.98 IQD 1,481

93.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$0.94 IQD 1,423

103.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$0.61 IQD 920

124.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$0.53 IQD 794

113.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$0.60 IQD 909

68.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$0.65 IQD 986

121.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$0.56 IQD 847

19.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$1.66 IQD 2,503

254.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

$10.41 IQD 15.7K

55.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

$1.32 IQD 1,994

106.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$1.67 IQD 2,526

84.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$0.46 IQD 688

247.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

$19.40 IQD 29.3K

291.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$1.81 IQD 2,737

79.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$1.33 IQD 2,016

-46.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$5.28 IQD 7,983

50.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$0.64 IQD 960

53.12%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$15.1K IQD 22.9M

81.06%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$18.6K IQD 28.2M

18.14%

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

$249 AED 913

$76.4 IQD 115.5K

225.13%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$10.42 IQD 15.7K

422.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$26.50 IQD 40.0K

245.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

$40.93 IQD 61.9K

152.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$9.51 IQD 14.4K

71.29%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$133 IQD 201.2K

533.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$2,546 IQD 3.8M

617.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$18.56 IQD 28.0K

260.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$19.90 IQD 30.1K

191.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$42.76 IQD 64.6K

138.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$29.35 IQD 44.3K

236.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$187 IQD 282.2K

1181.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$144 IQD 217.4K

965.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

$353 IQD 533.7K

1200.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$292 IQD 441.6K

905.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

$768 IQD 1.2M

817.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

$529 IQD 799.0K

698.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

3.33

36.34%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Al Kazimiyah: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Al Kazimiyah

$144 21.7% 90.6% $1.4K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Al Kazimiyah

$113 17.1% 71.3% $281

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Al Kazimiyah

$108 16.3% 64.7% $197

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Al Kazimiyah

$158 23.9% 45.8% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Al Kazimiyah

$50 7.5% 66.1% $97

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Al Kazimiyah

$60 9.1% 55.9% $76

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Al Kazimiyah

$30 4.5% 66.7% $59

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,393 in Dubai and $187 in Al Kazimiyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $82.0 in Dubai vs $20.00 in Al Kazimiyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $158 per month, with Al Kazimiyah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇮🇶 Al Kazimiyah

🕒 Local time

00:14 12:14 AM

23:14 11:14 PM

1 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dubai Al Kazimiyah 1,400 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Al Kazimiyah

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 Kazimiyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Kazimiyah is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 337% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,344 in Dubai and $994 in Al Kazimiyah 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 $187 in Al Kazimiyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Al Kazimiyah – a meal for two runs $20.00 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 $663 in Al Kazimiyah – a 337% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $663 in Al Kazimiyah versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Al Kazimiyah but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Al Kazimiyah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Al Kazimiyah 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 Kazimiyah 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 Kazimiyah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 337% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.