Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Al Mukalla

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Mukalla: $854 a month against $2,854 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $24,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

139

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
Learn more

Dubai Living Index

Jump to prices

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,854

/mo nomad

Al Mukalla

🇾🇪 Yemen

$854

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,854 in Dubai versus $854 in Al Mukalla.

Dubai $2,854
Al Mukalla $854

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,321 in Dubai versus $1,651 in Al Mukalla.

Dubai $4,321
Al Mukalla $1,651

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,788 in Dubai versus $2,448 in Al Mukalla.

Dubai $5,788
Al Mukalla $2,448

Living in Dubai is roughly 234% more expensive than in Al Mukalla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 113% above, Al Mukalla is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.04 AED 47.89

$17.03 YER 4,015

-23.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 AED 299

$83.8 YER 19.8K

-2.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.32 AED 34.25

Cappuccino

$5.97 AED 21.93

$8.31 YER 1,960

-28.16%

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

$1.63 AED 5.98

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 AED 2.99

$0.84 YER 197

-3.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.65 AED 50.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.38 AED 49.15

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 AED 6.64

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 AED 5.78

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 AED 9.16

Eggs

$3.28 AED 12.04

$10.84 YER 2,556

-69.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.67 AED 46.53

$14.90 YER 3,514

-14.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.75 AED 35.80

$26.10 YER 6,155

-62.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.18 AED 48.40

$59.9 YER 14.1K

-78.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 AED 9.57

$14.72 YER 3,472

-82.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 AED 7.09

$6.23 YER 1,468

-69.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 AED 7.05

$5.04 YER 1,189

-61.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 AED 5.00

$3.42 YER 806

-60.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 AED 4.29

$7.82 YER 1,845

-85.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$4.19 YER 988

-75.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 AED 5.56

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 AED 2.29

$2.49 YER 587

-75.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.85 AED 21.50

Wine (Bottle)

$16.14 AED 59.3

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 AED 9.74

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 AED 10.82

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 AED 6.03

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.6 AED 270

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 AED 11.66

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.63

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.23

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 AED 3.64

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

$27.4K AED 100.5K

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

$22.5K AED 82.8K

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

$250 AED 920

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

$54.2 AED 199

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.8 AED 337

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 AED 362

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.61 AED 156

Cinema Ticket

$16.03 AED 58.9

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

$843 AED 3,098

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 AED 250

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 AED 370

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 AED 371

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,380 AED 8,741

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 AED 5,531

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,437 AED 16.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,010 AED 11.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,121 AED 26.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,135 AED 15.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,391 AED 12.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

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

Last update for Dubai: October 5, 2026

Last update for Al Mukalla: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.5%

Al Mukalla

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$396 13.8%

Al Mukalla

–

Eating Out

Dubai

$309 10.8%

Al Mukalla

–

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$293 10.2%

Al Mukalla

–

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Al Mukalla

–

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$131 4.6%

Al Mukalla

–

Getting Around

Dubai

$87 3%

Al Mukalla

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $81.0 in Dubai vs $84.0 in Al Mukalla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $608 per month, with Dubai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇾🇪 Al Mukalla

🕒 Local time

17:30 5:30 PM

16:30 4:30 PM

1 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

176,942

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Yemeni Rial YER ﷼

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

1,000 YER = 4.24 USD

1,000 YER = 3.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

YER, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

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).

Yemeni Rial exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 236 YER (1,000 YER = 4.24 USD). 1 EUR = 264 YER (1,000 YER = 3.78 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dubai Al Mukalla 1,330 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Al Mukalla

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 Mukalla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Mukalla is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and utilities. The 234% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,281 in Dubai and $1,282 in Al Mukalla 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.

Shoppers in Dubai pay roughly 108% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Al Mukalla – a meal for two runs $84.0 versus $81.0 in Dubai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $854 in Al Mukalla versus $2,854 in Dubai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Al Mukalla but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Al Mukalla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Al Mukalla 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 Mukalla 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 Mukalla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 234% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.