Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Balzers

For one person, living is cheaper in Dubai: $2,854 a month against $3,242 in Balzers, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. The total is higher in Balzers despite lower rent and utilities.

139

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index
155

Cost of Living Index in Balzers
Learn more

Balzers Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,854

/mo nomad

Balzers

🇱🇮 Liechtenstein

$3,242

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Balzers

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,854 in Dubai versus $3,242 in Balzers.

Dubai $2,854
Balzers $3,242

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,321 in Dubai versus $5,014 in Balzers.

Dubai $4,321
Balzers $5,014

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,788 in Dubai versus $6,786 in Balzers.

Dubai $5,788
Balzers $6,786

Living in Dubai costs roughly 12% less than in Balzers, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dubai 113% above, Balzers 142% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.04 AED 47.89

$30.43 CHF 25.26

-57.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 AED 299

$119 CHF 98.6

-31.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.32 AED 34.25

$21.49 CHF 17.83

-56.63%

Cappuccino

$5.97 AED 21.93

$5.56 CHF 4.62

7.37%

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

$1.63 AED 5.98

$6.03 CHF 5.00

-72.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 AED 2.99

$5.36 CHF 4.44

-84.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.65 AED 50.1

$7.10 CHF 5.89

92.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.38 AED 49.15

$7.11 CHF 5.90

88.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 AED 6.64

$2.60 CHF 2.16

-30.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 AED 5.78

$2.96 CHF 2.45

-46.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 AED 9.16

$2.69 CHF 2.23

-7.43%

Eggs

$3.28 AED 12.04

$12.03 CHF 9.99

-72.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.67 AED 46.53

$25.01 CHF 20.76

-49.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.75 AED 35.80

$23.41 CHF 19.43

-58.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.18 AED 48.40

$48.70 CHF 40.42

-72.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 AED 9.57

$3.45 CHF 2.87

-24.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 AED 7.09

$3.82 CHF 3.17

-49.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 AED 7.05

$4.07 CHF 3.37

-52.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 AED 5.00

$2.56 CHF 2.13

-46.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 AED 4.29

$2.34 CHF 1.94

-50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$2.10 CHF 1.74

-51.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 AED 5.56

$2.06 CHF 1.71

-26.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 AED 2.29

$1.58 CHF 1.32

-60.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.85 AED 21.50

$12.10 CHF 10.04

-51.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.14 AED 59.3

$13.67 CHF 11.35

18.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 AED 9.74

$1.99 CHF 1.65

33.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 AED 10.82

$1.72 CHF 1.43

71.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 AED 6.03

$3.49 CHF 2.90

-53.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.6 AED 270

$81.4 CHF 67.6

-9.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 AED 11.66

$1.79 CHF 1.48

77.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.63

$5.86 CHF 4.86

-87.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.23

$8.34 CHF 6.92

-4.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 AED 3.64

$2.14 CHF 1.78

-53.74%

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

$27.4K AED 100.5K

$33.8K CHF 28.1K

-19.07%

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

$22.5K AED 82.8K

$32.2K CHF 26.7K

-29.99%

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

$250 AED 920

$216 CHF 179

15.83%

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

$54.2 AED 199

$39.00 CHF 32.37

39.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.8 AED 337

$70.7 CHF 58.7

29.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 AED 362

$92.7 CHF 77.0

6.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.61 AED 156

$24.01 CHF 19.93

77.47%

Cinema Ticket

$16.03 AED 58.9

$24.20 CHF 20.08

-33.76%

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

$843 AED 3,098

$296 CHF 245

185.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$8,624 CHF 7,158

111.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 AED 250

$126 CHF 104

-45.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$50.7 CHF 42.09

14.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 AED 370

$171 CHF 142

-41.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 AED 371

$221 CHF 183

-54.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,380 AED 8,741

$989 CHF 821

140.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 AED 5,531

$1,260 CHF 1,046

19.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,437 AED 16.3K

$2,849 CHF 2,364

55.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,010 AED 11.1K

$2,312 CHF 1,919

30.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,121 AED 26.2K

$16.1K CHF 13.4K

-55.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,135 AED 15.2K

$5,180 CHF 4,300

-20.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,391 AED 12.5K

$8,613 CHF 7,148

-60.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

7.55

-39.87%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 5, 2026

Last update for Balzers: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.5%

Balzers

$1.3K 39.6% 16.3% $246

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$396 13.8%

Balzers

$326 10.3% 17.8% $71

Eating Out

Dubai

$309 10.8%

Balzers

$470 14.8% 52.2% $161

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$293 10.2%

Balzers

$601 18.9% 105% $308

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Balzers

$256 8% 73.4% $108

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$131 4.6%

Balzers

$141 4.4% 8% $10

Getting Around

Dubai

$87 3%

Balzers

$126 4% 45.4% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,380 in Dubai and $989 in Balzers. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Balzers pays 154% 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: $81.0 in Dubai vs $119 in Balzers for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $601 per month, with Dubai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇱🇮 Balzers

🕒 Local time

12:27 12:27 PM

10:27 10:27 AM

2 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

4,600

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

1 CHF = 1.2 USD

1 CHF = 1.07 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.12 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.83 CHF (1 CHF = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 0.931 CHF (1 CHF = 1.07 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dubai Balzers 4,690 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Balzers

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 Balzers: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dubai is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 154% lower in Balzers. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,380 in Dubai versus $989 in Balzers. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 105% higher in Balzers. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Dubai – a meal for two runs $81.0 versus $119 in Balzers. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Dubai is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Dubai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Balzers, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Dubai and Balzers 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 Dubai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Balzers. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.