Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Apeldoorn

For one person, living is cheaper in Apeldoorn: $2,582 a month against $2,883 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

139

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Apeldoorn
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Apeldoorn Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,883

/mo nomad

Apeldoorn

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,582

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Apeldoorn

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

A single person spends $2,883 per month in Dubai vs $2,582 in Apeldoorn, rent included.

Dubai $2,883
Apeldoorn $2,582

A couple spends around $4,403 per month in Dubai vs $3,624 in Apeldoorn, rent included.

Dubai $4,403
Apeldoorn $3,624

A family of three spends $5,923 per month in Dubai vs $4,666 in Apeldoorn, rent included.

Dubai $5,923
Apeldoorn $4,666

Dubai costs about 12% more than Apeldoorn, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Dubai and Apeldoorn sit above the global median – Dubai by 113%, Apeldoorn by 91%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.99 AED 47.72

$22.22 €19.77

-41.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.9 AED 301

$81.6 €72.6

0.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.64 AED 35.40

$13.67 €12.16

-29.48%

Cappuccino

$6.09 AED 22.38

$4.53 €4.03

34.44%

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

$1.61 AED 5.93

$3.74 €3.33

-56.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 AED 2.76

$3.29 €2.92

-77.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.79 AED 50.6

$5.82 €5.18

136.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.41 AED 49.25

$5.47 €4.87

145.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 AED 6.83

$1.47 €1.31

26.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 AED 5.62

$2.20 €1.96

-30.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.55 AED 9.38

$3.03 €2.70

-15.84%

Eggs

$3.28 AED 12.06

$5.37 €4.78

-38.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.14 AED 44.57

$13.91 €12.37

-12.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.15 AED 33.62

$14.33 €12.75

-36.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 AED 47.00

$17.31 €15.40

-26.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 AED 9.39

$2.69 €2.40

-4.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.03

$2.42 €2.16

-21.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 AED 6.69

$2.19 €1.95

-16.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 AED 5.26

$4.26 €3.79

-66.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 AED 4.04

$1.92 €1.71

-42.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 AED 3.40

$2.32 €2.06

-60.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 AED 5.58

$1.24 €1.10

22.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 AED 2.54

$0.91 €0.81

-24.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.41 AED 23.55

$13.76 €12.24

-53.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.52 AED 60.7

$7.17 €6.38

130.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 AED 9.41

$1.32 €1.18

93.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$2.70 €2.40

14.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 AED 5.82

$4.10 €3.65

-61.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.9 AED 279

$67.6 €60.1

12.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 AED 11.72

$8.39 €7.46

-61.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.62

$1.98 €1.76

-64.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 AED 30.13

$22.66 €20.15

-63.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 AED 3.73

$2.48 €2.21

-59.27%

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

$26.1K AED 96.0K

$41.4K €36.8K

-36.89%

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

$21.8K AED 80.2K

$39.2K €34.9K

-44.32%

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

$245 AED 900

$314 €280

-22.04%

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

$57.5 AED 211

$26.74 €23.78

115.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.3 AED 335

$57.2 €50.9

59.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$105 AED 385

$34.18 €30.40

206.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.58 AED 171

Cinema Ticket

$16.04 AED 58.9

$15.77 €14.02

1.71%

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

$873 AED 3,206

$1,211 €1,078

-27.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K AED 66.2K

$6,072 €5,401

196.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 AED 260

$77.7 €69.2

-8.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 AED 229

$39.87 €35.47

56.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 AED 390

$89.3 €79.4

18.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 AED 376

$103 €91.6

-0.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,454 AED 9,014

$971 €864

152.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,510 AED 5,545

$1,188 €1,057

27.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,640 AED 17.0K

$1,575 €1,401

194.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,961 AED 10.9K

$1,667 €1,483

77.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,219 AED 26.5K

$4,556 €4,053

58.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,232 AED 15.5K

$3,630 €3,229

16.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,584 AED 13.2K

$3,222 €2,866

11.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

3.95

14.94%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 18, 2026

Last update for Apeldoorn: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.4%

Apeldoorn

$1.2K 46% 21.3% $322

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.7%

Apeldoorn

$398 15.4% 1.1% $4.4

Eating Out

Dubai

$311 10.8%

Apeldoorn

$341 13.2% 9.7% $30

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$288 10%

Apeldoorn

$346 13.4% 20.2% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$154 5.3%

Apeldoorn

$139 5.4% 9.3% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$137 4.8%

Apeldoorn

$66 2.6% 52% $71

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Apeldoorn

$102 4% 14.9% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,454 in Dubai versus $971 in Apeldoorn. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 11% higher in Dubai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $82.0 in Dubai versus $82.0 in Apeldoorn. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $346 – making Dubai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇳🇱 Apeldoorn

🕒 Local time

12:10 12:10 PM

10:10 10:10 AM

2 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

167,191

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Dubai Apeldoorn 5,090 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Apeldoorn

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 Apeldoorn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Dubai is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,324 per month in Dubai and $3,873 in Apeldoorn. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $82.0 in Dubai and $82.0 in Apeldoorn. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,883 in Dubai and $2,582 in Apeldoorn. That's a gap of about 12%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Apeldoorn, where all-in costs run around $2,582, than in Dubai at $2,883. In Apeldoorn it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dubai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Apeldoorn – 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 Apeldoorn. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Dubai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.