Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Boras

For one person, living is cheaper in Boras: $1,862 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Boras
Learn more

Boras Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Boras

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,862

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Boras

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $1,862 in Boras.

Dubai $2,896
Boras $1,862

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $2,190 in Boras.

Dubai $4,384
Boras $2,190

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $2,519 in Boras.

Dubai $5,872
Boras $2,519

Living in Dubai is roughly 56% more expensive than in Boras, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dubai 115% above, Boras 38% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$12.85 SEK 127

-1.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$90.2 SEK 894

-9.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$9.85 SEK 97.6

-5.18%

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$4.33 SEK 42.89

36.03%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$2.12 SEK 21.02

-20.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$1.95 SEK 19.33

-60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

$6.85 SEK 67.9

99.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

$6.94 SEK 68.8

94.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$1.62 SEK 16.06

13.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$2.56 SEK 25.34

-41.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$2.94 SEK 29.17

-12.59%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$4.53 SEK 44.88

-26.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$12.43 SEK 123

1.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$11.63 SEK 115

-16.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$15.46 SEK 153

-17.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$3.10 SEK 30.72

-16.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$2.61 SEK 25.83

-27.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$2.75 SEK 27.27

-30.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$3.47 SEK 34.42

-60.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$1.46 SEK 14.43

-22.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$1.35 SEK 13.41

-25.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$2.21 SEK 21.85

-34.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$1.35 SEK 13.39

-50.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$6.49 SEK 64.3

-9.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

$8.23 SEK 81.6

96.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

$1.78 SEK 17.65

52.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$1.62 SEK 16.08

90.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$3.66 SEK 36.29

-56.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

$75.5 SEK 748

0.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$5.03 SEK 49.83

-35.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$1.07 SEK 10.64

-33.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$40.70 SEK 403

-80.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$1.77 SEK 17.55

-44.63%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$25.3K SEK 250.5K

8.31%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$15.2K SEK 150.9K

44.65%

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

$249 AED 913

$58.6 SEK 580

324.35%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$28.96 SEK 287

87.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$39.63 SEK 393

130.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

$34.24 SEK 339

201.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

$24.72 SEK 245

71.20%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$14.86 SEK 147

9.62%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$156 SEK 1,542

442.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$49.27 SEK 488

35.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$50.7 SEK 502

14.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$78.5 SEK 778

30.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$101 SEK 998

-1.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$862 SEK 8,540

77.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

$2,412 SEK 23.9K

43.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

4.8

-5.42%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Boras: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Boras

$862 46.3% 43.8% $671

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Boras

$127 6.8% 67.8% $267

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Boras

$249 13.4% 18.5% $56

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Boras

$334 17.9% 14.4% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Boras

$126 6.8% 14.3% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Boras

$64 3.4% 53% $72

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Boras

$101 5.4% 12.8% $11

Cost Breakdown

Dubai pays 43% 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: $82.0 in Dubai vs $90.0 in Boras for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $334 per month, with Dubai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇸🇪 Boras

🕒 Local time

11:40 11:40 AM

09:40 9:40 AM

2 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

66,273

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dubai Boras 4,920 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Boras

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 Boras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Boras is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and utilities. The 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 43% higher in Dubai, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

All in, you'll spend $2,896 per month in Dubai versus $1,862 in Boras – a 56% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Boras runs roughly 1% less than in Dubai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,862 in Boras versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Boras but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Boras the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Dubai and Boras 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 Boras gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.