Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Gevgelija

For one person, living is cheaper in Gevgelija: $782 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $25,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
Learn more

Dubai Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Gevgelija
Learn more

Gevgelija Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Gevgelija

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Gevgelija

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $782 in Gevgelija.

Dubai $2,896
Gevgelija $782

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $1,226 in Gevgelija.

Dubai $4,384
Gevgelija $1,226

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $1,670 in Gevgelija.

Dubai $5,872
Gevgelija $1,670

Living in Dubai is roughly 270% more expensive than in Gevgelija, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 115% above, Gevgelija is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$7.12 MKD 388

77.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$31.15 MKD 1,699

162.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$5.28 MKD 288

76.89%

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$1.33 MKD 72.3

342.86%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$0.94 MKD 51.3

79.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$0.69 MKD 37.73

13.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

$1.17 MKD 63.6

1067.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

$3.02 MKD 165

346.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$1.23 MKD 66.9

49.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$0.65 MKD 35.19

130.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$0.72 MKD 39.18

256.94%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$2.14 MKD 117

55.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$7.06 MKD 385

78.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$5.53 MKD 302

74.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$11.01 MKD 601

16.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$1.11 MKD 60.5

134.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$1.11 MKD 60.6

71.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$1.36 MKD 74.1

40.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$1.86 MKD 101

-26.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$0.52 MKD 28.44

117.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$0.38 MKD 20.57

165.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$0.35 MKD 19.00

311.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$0.53 MKD 28.87

26.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$2.40 MKD 131

145.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

$3.70 MKD 202

336.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

$1.06 MKD 58.0

156.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$1.43 MKD 78.0

115.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$0.74 MKD 40.45

116.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

$20.23 MKD 1,104

275.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$1.11 MKD 60.7

191.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$0.62 MKD 33.56

14.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$5.56 MKD 303

43.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$1.57 MKD 85.6

-37.58%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$35.1K MKD 1.9M

-22.01%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$27.1K MKD 1.5M

-18.56%

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

$249 AED 913

$92.4 MKD 5,038

169.09%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$18.24 MKD 995

198.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$19.08 MKD 1,041

379.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

$23.96 MKD 1,307

331.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

$16.12 MKD 879

162.53%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$5.37 MKD 293

203.35%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$109 MKD 5,949

673.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$5,751 MKD 313.7K

217.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$82.5 MKD 4,498

-18.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$36.31 MKD 1,980

59.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$54.4 MKD 2,967

87.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$113 MKD 6,149

-12.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$245 MKD 13.4K

877.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$190 MKD 10.3K

708.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

$426 MKD 23.2K

979.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$330 MKD 18.0K

789.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

$1,725 MKD 94.1K

308.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

$1,125 MKD 61.3K

275.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

$579 MKD 31.6K

497.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

4.23

7.33%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Gevgelija: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Gevgelija

$190 24.3% 87.6% $1.3K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Gevgelija

$130 16.6% 67.1% $265

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Gevgelija

$107 13.7% 64.9% $198

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Gevgelija

$165 21.1% 43.5% $127

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Gevgelija

$129 16.5% 12.2% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Gevgelija

$35 4.4% 74.5% $101

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Gevgelija

$27 3.5% 69.3% $62

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,393 in Dubai and $245 in Gevgelija. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 498% 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 $31.00 in Gevgelija for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $165 per month, with Gevgelija cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇲🇰 Gevgelija

🕒 Local time

03:56 3:56 AM

01:56 1:56 AM

2 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

20,664

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dubai Gevgelija 3,500 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Gevgelija

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 Gevgelija: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gevgelija is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 270% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 498% higher in Dubai, 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: $2,393 in Dubai versus $245 in Gevgelija. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Gevgelija runs roughly 275% less than in Dubai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $844 in Dubai versus $109 in Gevgelija. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $782 in Gevgelija versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Gevgelija but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Gevgelija the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Gevgelija 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 Gevgelija 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 Gevgelija gentler on the wallet – expenses run 270% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.