Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Bandung

For one person, living is cheaper in Bandung: $641 a month against $2,854 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $26,600 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Bandung
Learn more

Bandung Living Index

Jump to prices

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,854

/mo nomad

Bandung

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Bandung

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,854 in Dubai versus $641 in Bandung.

Dubai $2,854
Bandung $641

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,321 in Dubai versus $947 in Bandung.

Dubai $4,321
Bandung $947

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,788 in Dubai versus $1,252 in Bandung.

Dubai $5,788
Bandung $1,252

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 113% above, Bandung is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.04 AED 47.89

$1.42 Rp 25.4K

818.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 AED 299

$14.13 Rp 252.5K

476.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.32 AED 34.25

$3.31 Rp 59.1K

181.57%

Cappuccino

$5.97 AED 21.93

$1.48 Rp 26.5K

303.38%

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

$1.63 AED 5.98

$0.47 Rp 8,397

246.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 AED 2.99

$0.22 Rp 3,921

268.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.65 AED 50.1

$3.09 Rp 55.1K

341.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.38 AED 49.15

$2.99 Rp 53.5K

347.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 AED 6.64

$1.13 Rp 20.1K

60.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 AED 5.78

$0.99 Rp 17.7K

58.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 AED 9.16

$0.88 Rp 15.7K

182.95%

Eggs

$3.28 AED 12.04

$1.47 Rp 26.3K

123.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.67 AED 46.53

$7.36 Rp 131.6K

72.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.75 AED 35.80

$2.81 Rp 50.3K

246.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.18 AED 48.40

$7.75 Rp 138.6K

70.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 AED 9.57

$2.19 Rp 39.1K

19.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 AED 7.09

$1.07 Rp 19.1K

80.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 AED 7.05

$1.50 Rp 26.8K

28.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 AED 5.00

$0.96 Rp 17.1K

41.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 AED 4.29

$1.10 Rp 19.6K

6.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$1.95 Rp 34.8K

-48.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 AED 5.56

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

115.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 AED 2.29

$0.43 Rp 7,728

44.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.85 AED 21.50

$2.62 Rp 46.9K

123.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.14 AED 59.3

$22.77 Rp 407.0K

-29.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 AED 9.74

$1.82 Rp 32.6K

45.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 AED 10.82

$3.18 Rp 56.8K

-7.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 AED 6.03

$0.27 Rp 4,788

507.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.6 AED 270

$9.61 Rp 171.7K

665.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 AED 11.66

$0.86 Rp 15.3K

268.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.63

$0.55 Rp 9,771

29.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.23

$2.23 Rp 39.8K

256.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 AED 3.64

$0.90 Rp 16.1K

10.00%

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

$27.4K AED 100.5K

$21.1K Rp 376.3M

30.03%

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

$22.5K AED 82.8K

$29.2K Rp 522.8M

-22.93%

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

$250 AED 920

$33.58 Rp 600.2K

645.68%

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

$54.2 AED 199

$4.25 Rp 75.9K

1176.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.8 AED 337

$19.25 Rp 344.1K

376.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 AED 362

$18.05 Rp 322.6K

446.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.61 AED 156

$6.00 Rp 107.3K

610.17%

Cinema Ticket

$16.03 AED 58.9

$2.84 Rp 50.8K

464.44%

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

$843 AED 3,098

$95.7 Rp 1.7M

781.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$8,240 Rp 147.3M

121.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 AED 250

$39.08 Rp 698.5K

73.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$32.18 Rp 575.3K

79.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 AED 370

$76.5 Rp 1.4M

31.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 AED 371

$69.5 Rp 1.2M

45.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,380 AED 8,741

$214 Rp 3.8M

1010.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 AED 5,531

$178 Rp 3.2M

744.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,437 AED 16.3K

$381 Rp 6.8M

1065.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,010 AED 11.1K

$266 Rp 4.8M

1030.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,121 AED 26.2K

$725 Rp 13.0M

882.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,135 AED 15.2K

$312 Rp 5.6M

1223.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,391 AED 12.5K

$281 Rp 5.0M

1105.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

11.38

-60.11%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 5, 2026

Last update for Bandung: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.5%

Bandung

$178 28.4% 88.2% $1.3K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$396 13.8%

Bandung

$57 9.1% 85.6% $339

Eating Out

Dubai

$309 10.8%

Bandung

$63 10.1% 79.5% $245

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$293 10.2%

Bandung

$194 30.9% 33.6% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Bandung

$98 15.6% 33.7% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$131 4.6%

Bandung

$24 3.8% 81.8% $107

Getting Around

Dubai

$87 3%

Bandung

$14 2.3% 83.6% $73

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,380 in Dubai and $214 in Bandung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 1105% 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 $14.00 in Bandung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $194 per month, with Bandung cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇮🇩 Bandung

🕒 Local time

17:50 5:50 PM

20:50 8:50 PM

3 h ahead of Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

2,390,120

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, 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).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,875 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,030 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dubai Bandung 6,690 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Bandung

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 Bandung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bandung wins on cost – living expenses run 345% lower than in Dubai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bandung the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1105% 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: $2,380 in Dubai versus $214 in Bandung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Dubai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bandung – a meal for two runs $14.00 versus $81.0 in Dubai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $641 in Bandung versus $2,854 in Dubai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bandung but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Bandung the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bandung delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $641 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bandung hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Dubai and Bandung 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 Bandung 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.