Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Altstätten

For one person, living is cheaper in Dubai: $2,896 a month against $3,362 in Altstätten, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. The total is higher in Altstätten despite lower rent and utilities.

140

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index
165

Cost of Living Index in Altstätten
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Altstätten Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Altstätten

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,362

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Altstätten

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

A single person spends $2,896 per month in Dubai vs $3,362 in Altstätten, rent included.

Dubai $2,896
Altstätten $3,362

A couple spends around $4,384 per month in Dubai vs $5,134 in Altstätten, rent included.

Dubai $4,384
Altstätten $5,134

A family of three spends $5,872 per month in Dubai vs $6,905 in Altstätten, rent included.

Dubai $5,872
Altstätten $6,905

Dubai is about 14% cheaper than Altstätten, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Dubai and Altstätten sit above the global median – Dubai by 115%, Altstätten by 149%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$29.51 CHF 24.30

-57.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$118 CHF 97.2

-30.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$17.80 CHF 14.66

-47.53%

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$5.94 CHF 4.89

-0.84%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$5.13 CHF 4.22

-67.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$4.86 CHF 4.01

-83.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

$9.25 CHF 7.62

47.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

$7.32 CHF 6.03

84.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$2.19 CHF 1.80

-15.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$3.56 CHF 2.93

-57.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$3.68 CHF 3.03

-30.16%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$7.71 CHF 6.35

-56.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$25.63 CHF 21.11

-50.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$28.49 CHF 23.47

-66.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$40.80 CHF 33.60

-68.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$3.60 CHF 2.96

-27.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$2.03 CHF 1.67

-6.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$2.68 CHF 2.21

-28.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$4.75 CHF 3.91

-71.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$1.84 CHF 1.52

-38.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$2.10 CHF 1.73

-51.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$2.22 CHF 1.83

-35.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$1.29 CHF 1.07

-48.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$10.72 CHF 8.83

-45.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

$12.90 CHF 10.63

25.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

$2.82 CHF 2.32

-3.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$3.11 CHF 2.56

-0.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$4.63 CHF 3.81

-65.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

$100 CHF 82.7

-24.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$7.47 CHF 6.15

-56.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$4.66 CHF 3.84

-84.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$74.3 CHF 61.2

-89.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$2.24 CHF 1.84

-56.25%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$40.5K CHF 33.4K

-32.42%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$39.6K CHF 32.6K

-44.33%

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

$249 AED 913

$277 CHF 228

-10.26%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$32.44 CHF 26.72

67.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$55.8 CHF 45.95

63.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

$91.5 CHF 75.4

12.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

$44.93 CHF 37.01

-5.81%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$22.65 CHF 18.66

-28.08%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$2,646 CHF 2,179

-68.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$34.1K CHF 28.1K

-46.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$143 CHF 118

-53.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$57.4 CHF 47.30

0.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$149 CHF 123

-31.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$185 CHF 152

-46.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$1,668 CHF 1,374

43.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$1,419 CHF 1,168

8.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

$2,868 CHF 2,362

60.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$2,429 CHF 2,000

21.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

$15.7K CHF 12.9K

-55.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

$12.2K CHF 10.0K

-65.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

2.07

119.32%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Altstätten: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Altstätten

$1.4K 42.2% 7.5% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Altstätten

$365 10.9% 7.4% $29

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Altstätten

$462 13.7% 51.2% $156

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Altstätten

$590 17.5% 102% $298

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Altstätten

$241 7.2% 64.2% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Altstätten

$137 4.1% 0.6% $0.9

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Altstätten

$150 4.5% 67.9% $61

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,393 in Dubai versus $1,668 in Altstätten. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $82.0 in Dubai versus $118 in Altstätten. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $590 – making Dubai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇨🇭 Altstätten

🕒 Local time

10:21 10:21 AM

08:21 8:21 AM

2 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

11,145

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Dubai Altstätten 4,690 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Altstätten

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 Altstätten: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Altstätten is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,344 per month in Dubai and $5,043 in Altstätten. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dubai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,896 in Dubai and $3,362 in Altstätten. That's a gap of about 16%.

Public transport costs about 32% less in Dubai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,896 in Dubai and $3,362 in Altstätten. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Dubai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Dubai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Altstätten makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.