Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Beja

For one person, living is cheaper in Beja: $621 a month against $2,889 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $27,200 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
30

Cost of Living Index in Beja
Learn more

Beja Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,889

/mo nomad

Beja

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Beja

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

A single person spends $2,889 per month in Dubai vs $621 in Beja, rent included.

Dubai $2,889
Beja $621

A couple spends around $4,444 per month in Dubai vs $1,068 in Beja, rent included.

Dubai $4,444
Beja $1,068

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Dubai vs $1,515 in Beja, rent included.

Dubai $5,999
Beja $1,515

Dubai costs about 365% more than Beja, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Dubai sits 114% above the global median, while Beja is 54% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.94 AED 47.54

$4.09 TND 12.17

216.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.2 AED 306

$16.69 TND 49.63

398.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.35 AED 34.32

$5.04 TND 14.98

85.52%

Cappuccino

$5.88 AED 21.60

$0.67 TND 2.00

777.61%

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

$1.57 AED 5.77

$0.52 TND 1.55

201.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 AED 3.47

$0.25 TND 0.74

276.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.44 AED 49.38

$1.14 TND 3.40

1078.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.57 AED 49.84

$1.64 TND 4.88

727.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 AED 6.83

$0.46 TND 1.38

304.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 AED 5.73

$0.11 TND 0.33

1318.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 AED 9.68

$1.71 TND 5.08

54.39%

Eggs

$3.53 AED 12.96

$1.42 TND 4.22

148.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.97 AED 47.62

$8.01 TND 23.80

61.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.94 AED 36.51

$6.13 TND 18.22

62.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 AED 47.45

$13.16 TND 39.13

-1.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 AED 9.36

$1.60 TND 4.74

59.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 AED 7.54

$4.58 TND 13.63

-55.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 AED 6.77

$1.11 TND 3.31

65.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 AED 5.64

$0.95 TND 2.83

62.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 AED 4.31

$0.64 TND 1.90

82.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 AED 3.76

$0.58 TND 1.72

75.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 AED 5.75

$0.46 TND 1.35

241.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.46

$0.28 TND 0.83

139.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 AED 23.17

$3.29 TND 9.78

91.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.16 AED 59.4

$5.13 TND 15.24

215.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 AED 9.48

$1.17 TND 3.47

120.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 AED 10.60

$1.31 TND 3.91

120.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 AED 5.15

$0.39 TND 1.16

258.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.4 AED 303

$14.88 TND 44.24

453.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 AED 12.07

$0.31 TND 0.93

961.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 AED 2.40

$0.41 TND 1.22

58.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 AED 29.84

$4.90 TND 14.56

65.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 AED 3.68

$0.80 TND 2.39

25.00%

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

$26.3K AED 96.6K

$39.2K TND 116.7K

-33.00%

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

$22.0K AED 81.0K

$36.6K TND 108.7K

-39.71%

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

$239 AED 877

$43.14 TND 128

453.69%

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

$56.9 AED 209

$10.58 TND 31.44

437.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$93.9 AED 345

$20.23 TND 60.1

364.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.8 AED 334

$19.56 TND 58.2

364.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.38 AED 170

$23.47 TND 69.8

97.61%

Cinema Ticket

$16.24 AED 59.6

$3.39 TND 10.08

379.06%

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

$934 AED 3,429

$60.7 TND 180

1437.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K AED 76.8K

$1,216 TND 3,615

1620.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.7 AED 260

$55.4 TND 165

27.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.3 AED 225

$66.4 TND 197

-7.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 AED 377

$108 TND 321

-4.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 AED 426

$139 TND 413

-16.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 AED 9,134

$170 TND 504

1366.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,520 AED 5,581

$84.1 TND 250

1707.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,234 AED 19.2K

$272 TND 810

1820.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,028 AED 11.1K

$288 TND 857

950.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,982 AED 25.6K

$406 TND 1,208

1618.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,433 AED 16.3K

$105 TND 313

4107.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,553 AED 13.0K

$336 TND 998

958.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.57

-58.45%

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

Last update for Dubai: November 2, 2026

Last update for Beja: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.6%

Beja

$84 13.5% 94.5% $1.4K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$390 13.5%

Beja

$74 11.9% 81% $316

Eating Out

Dubai

$307 10.6%

Beja

$68 11% 77.8% $239

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$297 10.3%

Beja

$184 29.6% 38.1% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$158 5.5%

Beja

$166 26.7% 5.1% $8

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$123 4.3%

Beja

$26 4.2% 78.6% $97

Getting Around

Dubai

$95 3.3%

Beja

$19 3% 80.1% $76

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,487 in Dubai versus $170 in Beja. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Dubai are about 11 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $83 in Dubai versus $17 in Beja. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $184 – making Beja the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇹🇳 Beja

🕒 Local time

01:46 1:46 AM

22:46 10:46 PM

3 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

57,000

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

1 TND = 0.336 USD

1 TND = 0.3 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.12 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 2.97 TND (1 TND = 0.336 USD). 1 EUR = 3.34 TND (1 TND = 0.3 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dubai Beja 4,530 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Beja

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 Beja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dubai costs about 365% more than Beja, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,333 per month in Dubai and $932 in Beja. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Beja, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $170 there versus $2,487 in Dubai.

Public transport costs about 82% less in Beja. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $934 per month in Dubai and $61 in Beja. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Beja, where all-in costs run around $621, than in Dubai at $2,889. In Beja it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dubai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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