Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Al-Rumaitha

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-Rumaitha: $650 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $27,000 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Al-Rumaitha
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Al-Rumaitha Living Index

Jump to prices

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Al-Rumaitha

🇮🇶 Iraq

$650

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $650 in Al-Rumaitha.

Dubai $2,896
Al-Rumaitha $650

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $1,027 in Al-Rumaitha.

Dubai $4,384
Al-Rumaitha $1,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $1,403 in Al-Rumaitha.

Dubai $5,872
Al-Rumaitha $1,403

Living in Dubai is roughly 345% more expensive than in Al-Rumaitha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 115% above, Al-Rumaitha is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$3.62 IQD 5,465

250.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$23.11 IQD 34.9K

253.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$7.08 IQD 10.7K

31.92%

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$2.33 IQD 3,523

152.79%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$0.31 IQD 471

445.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$0.19 IQD 286

310.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

$2.91 IQD 4,398

369.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

$2.60 IQD 3,936

418.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$0.86 IQD 1,298

113.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$0.78 IQD 1,185

92.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$1.37 IQD 2,063

87.59%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$1.58 IQD 2,392

110.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$4.09 IQD 6,174

208.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$3.61 IQD 5,449

167.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$12.06 IQD 18.2K

5.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$0.92 IQD 1,384

182.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$0.95 IQD 1,428

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$0.84 IQD 1,268

127.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$0.66 IQD 1,002

107.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$0.56 IQD 844

101.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$0.56 IQD 849

80.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$0.56 IQD 839

157.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$0.47 IQD 717

42.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$1.63 IQD 2,468

260.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

$10.70 IQD 16.2K

50.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

$1.40 IQD 2,120

94.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$1.78 IQD 2,691

73.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$0.42 IQD 639

280.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

$22.08 IQD 33.4K

243.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$1.80 IQD 2,724

80.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$1.34 IQD 2,031

-47.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$4.81 IQD 7,268

65.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$0.51 IQD 766

92.16%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$14.9K IQD 22.6M

83.29%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$16.9K IQD 25.5M

30.53%

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

$249 AED 913

$88.6 IQD 133.9K

180.47%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$12.11 IQD 18.3K

349.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$24.88 IQD 37.6K

267.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

$37.29 IQD 56.3K

177.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

$3.39 IQD 5,120

1148.38%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$9.20 IQD 13.9K

77.07%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$128 IQD 193.8K

557.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$2,684 IQD 4.1M

580.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$20.77 IQD 31.4K

222.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$21.12 IQD 31.9K

174.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$46.80 IQD 70.7K

118.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$30.79 IQD 46.5K

220.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$178 IQD 269.0K

1244.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$128 IQD 194.1K

1093.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

$373 IQD 564.1K

1130.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$308 IQD 465.9K

853.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

$629 IQD 951.1K

1019.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

$532 IQD 803.7K

693.70%

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-Rumaitha: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Al-Rumaitha

$128 19.8% 91.6% $1.4K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Al-Rumaitha

$126 19.3% 68.2% $269

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Al-Rumaitha

$100 15.4% 67.3% $205

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Al-Rumaitha

$154 23.7% 47.1% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Al-Rumaitha

$54 8.3% 63.3% $93

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Al-Rumaitha

$56 8.6% 59% $80

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Al-Rumaitha

$32 5% 63.8% $57

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,393 in Dubai and $178 in Al-Rumaitha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $82.0 in Dubai vs $23.00 in Al-Rumaitha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $154 per month, with Al-Rumaitha cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇮🇶 Al-Rumaitha

🕒 Local time

20:32 8:32 PM

19:32 7:32 PM

1 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

115,431

💱 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

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Between locations

Dubai Al-Rumaitha 1,210 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Al-Rumaitha

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-Rumaitha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al-Rumaitha is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 345% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,344 in Dubai and $975 in Al-Rumaitha 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 $178 in Al-Rumaitha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,896 per month in Dubai versus $650 in Al-Rumaitha – a 345% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Al-Rumaitha runs roughly 244% less than in Dubai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $650 in Al-Rumaitha versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Al-Rumaitha but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Al-Rumaitha the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Al-Rumaitha 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-Rumaitha 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-Rumaitha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 345% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.