Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Gabes

For one person, living is cheaper in Gabes: $522 a month against $2,889 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $28,400 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Gabes
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Gabes Living Index

Jump to prices

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,889

/mo nomad

Gabes

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$522

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Gabes

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,889 in Dubai versus $522 in Gabes.

Dubai $2,889
Gabes $522

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,444 in Dubai versus $831 in Gabes.

Dubai $4,444
Gabes $831

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,999 in Dubai versus $1,140 in Gabes.

Dubai $5,999
Gabes $1,140

Living in Dubai is roughly 454% more expensive than in Gabes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 114% above, Gabes is 61% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.94 AED 47.54

$2.80 TND 8.31

362.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.2 AED 306

$16.81 TND 49.88

395.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.35 AED 34.32

$3.49 TND 10.35

167.91%

Cappuccino

$5.88 AED 21.59

$0.84 TND 2.48

600.00%

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

$1.57 AED 5.77

$0.69 TND 2.05

127.54%

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 49.37

$1.15 TND 3.40

1068.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.57 AED 49.84

$1.52 TND 4.51

792.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 AED 6.83

$0.43 TND 1.28

332.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 AED 5.73

$0.26 TND 0.76

500.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 AED 9.68

$1.80 TND 5.34

46.67%

Eggs

$3.53 AED 12.96

$1.44 TND 4.28

145.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.97 AED 47.62

$12.05 TND 35.75

7.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.94 AED 36.51

$5.77 TND 17.14

72.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 AED 47.45

$14.67 TND 43.53

-11.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 AED 9.36

$1.60 TND 4.76

59.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 AED 7.54

$2.91 TND 8.64

-29.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 AED 6.77

$0.87 TND 2.58

111.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 AED 5.64

$0.95 TND 2.82

62.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 AED 4.31

$0.90 TND 2.69

30.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 AED 3.76

$0.60 TND 1.78

70.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 AED 5.75

$0.34 TND 1.02

361.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.46

$0.29 TND 0.85

131.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 AED 23.17

$3.43 TND 10.19

83.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.16 AED 59.4

$3.41 TND 10.13

373.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 AED 9.48

$0.73 TND 2.18

253.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 AED 10.60

$0.81 TND 2.39

256.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 AED 5.15

$0.20 TND 0.59

600.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.4 AED 303

$6.77 TND 20.10

1117.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 AED 12.07

$0.29 TND 0.86

1034.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 AED 2.40

$0.17 TND 0.50

282.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 AED 29.84

$4.28 TND 12.72

89.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 AED 3.68

$0.83 TND 2.46

20.48%

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

$26.3K AED 96.6K

$38.8K TND 115.1K

-32.21%

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

$22.0K AED 81.0K

$28.2K TND 83.8K

-21.88%

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

$239 AED 877

$43.96 TND 130

443.36%

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

$56.9 AED 209

$7.66 TND 22.72

642.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$93.9 AED 345

$16.43 TND 48.77

471.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.8 AED 334

$31.34 TND 93.0

189.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.38 AED 170

$4.74 TND 14.07

878.48%

Cinema Ticket

$16.24 AED 59.6

$3.45 TND 10.23

370.72%

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

$934 AED 3,429

$56.8 TND 169

1543.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K AED 76.8K

$1,944 TND 5,768

976.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.7 AED 260

$32.06 TND 95.2

120.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.3 AED 225

$39.67 TND 118

54.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 AED 377

$76.3 TND 226

34.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 AED 426

$66.5 TND 197

74.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 AED 9,134

$112 TND 333

2118.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,520 AED 5,581

$71.3 TND 212

2031.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,234 AED 19.2K

$197 TND 585

2553.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,028 AED 11.1K

$116 TND 344

2509.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,982 AED 25.6K

$946 TND 2,809

637.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,433 AED 16.3K

$611 TND 1,815

624.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,553 AED 13.0K

$416 TND 1,235

754.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.57

-61.92%

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

Last update for Dubai: November 2, 2026

Last update for Gabes: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.6%

Gabes

$71 13.7% 95.3% $1.4K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$390 13.5%

Gabes

$68 13.1% 82.5% $322

Eating Out

Dubai

$307 10.6%

Gabes

$55 10.6% 81.9% $251

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$297 10.3%

Gabes

$183 35.2% 38.3% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$158 5.5%

Gabes

$97 18.5% 38.9% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$123 4.3%

Gabes

$38 7.3% 69% $85

Getting Around

Dubai

$95 3.3%

Gabes

$8.7 1.7% 90.8% $86

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,487 in Dubai and $112 in Gabes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays about 8.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $83 in Dubai vs $17 in Gabes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $183 per month, with Gabes cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇹🇳 Gabes

🕒 Local time

08:41 8:41 AM

05:41 5:41 AM

3 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

130,984

💱 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 = 0.337 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 6, 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 6, 2026: 1 USD = 2.97 TND (1 TND = 0.337 USD). 1 EUR = 3.33 TND (1 TND = 0.3 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Dubai Gabes 4,440 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Gabes

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 Gabes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gabes is about 82% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Dubai is about 8.5 times higher, 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: $2,487 in Dubai versus $112 in Gabes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Gabes runs roughly 92% less than in Dubai. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $934 in Dubai versus $57 in Gabes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $522 in Gabes versus $2,889 in Dubai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Gabes but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Gabes 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.

Expats usually find Gabes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 82% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.