Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Benguela

For one person, living is cheaper in Benguela: $57.9 a month against $2,889 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $34,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,889

/mo nomad

Benguela

🇦🇴 Angola

$57.9

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Benguela

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,889 in Dubai versus $58 in Benguela.

Dubai $2,889
Benguela $58

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,444 in Dubai versus $83 in Benguela.

Dubai $4,444
Benguela $83

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,999 in Dubai versus $109 in Benguela.

Dubai $5,999
Benguela $109

Living in Dubai is roughly 4891% more expensive than in Benguela, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 114% above, Benguela is 96% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.94 AED 47.54

$2.76 AOA 2,522

368.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.2 AED 306

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.35 AED 34.32

$10.72 AOA 9,784

-12.78%

Cappuccino

$5.88 AED 21.60

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

$1.57 AED 5.77

$0.91 AOA 826

72.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 AED 3.47

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.44 AED 49.38

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.57 AED 49.84

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 AED 6.83

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 AED 5.73

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 AED 9.68

Eggs

$3.53 AED 12.96

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.97 AED 47.62

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.94 AED 36.51

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 AED 47.45

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 AED 9.36

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 AED 7.54

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 AED 6.77

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 AED 5.64

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 AED 4.31

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 AED 3.76

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 AED 5.75

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.46

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 AED 23.17

Wine (Bottle)

$16.16 AED 59.4

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 AED 9.48

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 AED 10.60

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 AED 5.15

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.4 AED 303

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 AED 12.07

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 AED 2.40

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 AED 29.84

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 AED 3.68

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

$26.3K AED 96.6K

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

$22.0K AED 81.0K

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

$239 AED 877

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

$56.9 AED 209

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$93.9 AED 345

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.8 AED 334

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.38 AED 170

Cinema Ticket

$16.24 AED 59.6

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

$934 AED 3,429

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K AED 76.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.7 AED 260

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.3 AED 225

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 AED 377

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 AED 426

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 AED 9,134

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,520 AED 5,581

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,234 AED 19.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,028 AED 11.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,982 AED 25.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,433 AED 16.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,553 AED 13.0K

$3,742 AOA 3.4M

-5.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.57

-81.72%

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

Last update for Dubai: November 2, 2026

Last update for Benguela: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.6%

Benguela

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$390 13.5%

Benguela

–

Eating Out

Dubai

$307 10.6%

Benguela

–

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$297 10.3%

Benguela

–

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$158 5.5%

Benguela

–

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$123 4.3%

Benguela

–

Getting Around

Dubai

$95 3.3%

Benguela

–

Cost Breakdown

Benguela pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇦🇴 Benguela

🕒 Local time

08:05 8:05 AM

05:05 5:05 AM

3 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

513,000

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Angolan Kwanza AOA Kz

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

10,000 AOA = 10.96 USD

10,000 AOA = 9.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AOA, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.12 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

Angolan Kwanza exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 913 AOA (1,000 AOA = 1.1 USD). 1 EUR = 1,025 AOA (10,000 AOA = 9.76 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dubai Benguela 6,170 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Benguela

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 Benguela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Benguela wins on cost – living expenses run 98% lower than in Dubai. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Benguela the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Dubai. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

At $58 in Benguela versus $2,889 in Dubai, a $800 budget is realistic in Benguela but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Benguela the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Dubai and Benguela are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.