Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Alexandria

For one person, living is cheaper in Alexandria: $859 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $24,400 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
42

Cost of Living Index in Alexandria
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Alexandria Living Index

Jump to prices

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Alexandria

🇷🇴 Romania

$859

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Alexandria

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $859 in Alexandria.

Dubai $2,896
Alexandria $859

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $1,320 in Alexandria.

Dubai $4,384
Alexandria $1,320

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $1,781 in Alexandria.

Dubai $5,872
Alexandria $1,781

Living in Dubai is roughly 237% more expensive than in Alexandria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 115% above, Alexandria is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$8.30 RON 39.26

52.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$30.10 RON 142

171.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$7.24 RON 34.24

29.01%

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$1.62 RON 7.68

263.58%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$1.76 RON 8.34

-3.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$1.49 RON 7.03

-47.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

$2.11 RON 9.99

547.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

$2.46 RON 11.66

448.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$1.39 RON 6.56

32.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$0.80 RON 3.78

87.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$1.10 RON 5.21

133.64%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$2.16 RON 10.23

53.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$4.98 RON 23.57

153.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$4.30 RON 20.35

124.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$7.67 RON 36.31

66.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$0.88 RON 4.16

195.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$1.18 RON 5.57

61.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$0.98 RON 4.61

94.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$0.98 RON 4.62

39.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$0.70 RON 3.33

61.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$0.61 RON 2.87

65.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$0.72 RON 3.40

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$0.86 RON 4.06

-22.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$5.43 RON 25.69

8.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

$5.15 RON 24.38

213.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

$0.92 RON 4.34

195.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$1.08 RON 5.10

185.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$0.60 RON 2.86

166.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

$42.28 RON 200

79.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$0.44 RON 2.07

636.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$0.40 RON 1.91

77.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$5.49 RON 25.97

44.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$1.72 RON 8.14

-43.02%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$16.1K RON 76.2K

70.06%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$23.1K RON 109.4K

-4.71%

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

$249 AED 913

$115 RON 545

115.71%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$5.18 RON 24.53

950.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$7.60 RON 35.96

1103.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

$58.6 RON 277

76.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

$24.59 RON 116

72.10%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$6.36 RON 30.10

156.13%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$308 RON 1,459

173.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$6,663 RON 31.5K

174.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$51.7 RON 245

29.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$22.37 RON 106

159.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$63.2 RON 299

61.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$64.0 RON 303

54.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$319 RON 1,511

649.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$238 RON 1,127

543.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

$577 RON 2,731

695.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$419 RON 1,981

601.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

$1,235 RON 5,842

470.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

$778 RON 3,679

442.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

$844 RON 3,995

309.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

6.73

-32.54%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Alexandria: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Alexandria

$238 27.7% 84.5% $1.3K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Alexandria

$128 14.9% 67.6% $266

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Alexandria

$136 15.8% 55.4% $169

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Alexandria

$148 17.2% 49.2% $143

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Alexandria

$91 10.5% 38.2% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Alexandria

$71 8.3% 47.6% $65

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Alexandria

$47 5.5% 47.1% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,393 in Dubai and $319 in Alexandria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 310% 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 $30.00 in Alexandria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $148 per month, with Alexandria cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇷🇴 Alexandria

🕒 Local time

10:54 10:54 AM

09:54 9:54 AM

1 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

45,434

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, 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).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dubai Alexandria 3,420 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Alexandria

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 Alexandria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alexandria wins on cost – living expenses run 237% lower than in Dubai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Alexandria the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 310% 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 $319 in Alexandria. 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 $859 in Alexandria – a 237% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Alexandria runs roughly 80% less than in Dubai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $859 in Alexandria versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Alexandria but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Alexandria the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Alexandria delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $859 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Alexandria hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Dubai and Alexandria 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 Alexandria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 237% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.