Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Gabane

For one person, living is cheaper in Gabane: $117 a month against $2,889 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $33,300 less a year.

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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

Gabane

🇧🇼 Botswana

$117

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Gabane

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,889 in Dubai versus $117 in Gabane.

Dubai $2,889
Gabane $117

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,444 in Dubai versus $162 in Gabane.

Dubai $4,444
Gabane $162

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,999 in Dubai versus $208 in Gabane.

Dubai $5,999
Gabane $208

Living in Dubai is roughly 2370% more expensive than in Gabane.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 114% above, Gabane is 91% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.94 AED 47.54

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.2 AED 306

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.35 AED 34.32

Cappuccino

$5.88 AED 21.60

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

$1.57 AED 5.77

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

$161 P 2,164

1448.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,520 AED 5,581

$117 P 1,576

1199.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,234 AED 19.2K

$299 P 4,035

1647.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,028 AED 11.1K

$208 P 2,801

1356.17%

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

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.57

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

Last update for Dubai: November 2, 2026

Last update for Gabane: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.6%

Gabane

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$390 13.5%

Gabane

–

Eating Out

Dubai

$307 10.6%

Gabane

–

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$297 10.3%

Gabane

–

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$158 5.5%

Gabane

–

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$123 4.3%

Gabane

–

Getting Around

Dubai

$95 3.3%

Gabane

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,487 in Dubai and $161 in Gabane. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇧🇼 Gabane

🕒 Local time

16:50 4:50 PM

14:50 2:50 PM

2 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

14,842

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Botswana Pula BWP P

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

100 BWP = 7.42 USD

100 BWP = 6.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BWP, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.11 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

Botswana Pula exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 13.47 BWP (100 BWP = 7.42 USD). 1 EUR = 15.08 BWP (100 BWP = 6.63 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dubai Gabane 6,370 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Gabane

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 Gabane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,889 in Dubai and $117 in Gabane, so Gabane is about 96% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $4,333 in Dubai and $175 in Gabane to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,487 in Dubai versus $161 in Gabane. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

At $117 in Gabane versus $2,889 in Dubai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Gabane but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Gabane 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.