Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Giurgiu

For one person, living is cheaper in Giurgiu: $1,112 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $21,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
Learn more

Dubai Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Giurgiu
Learn more

Giurgiu Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Giurgiu

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,112

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Giurgiu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $1,112 in Giurgiu.

Dubai $2,896
Giurgiu $1,112

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $1,678 in Giurgiu.

Dubai $4,384
Giurgiu $1,678

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $2,245 in Giurgiu.

Dubai $5,872
Giurgiu $2,245

Living in Dubai is roughly 160% more expensive than in Giurgiu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 115% above, Giurgiu is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$10.83 RON 51.3

16.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$52.0 RON 246

57.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$7.21 RON 34.10

29.54%

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$3.57 RON 16.89

64.99%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$2.44 RON 11.56

-30.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$2.14 RON 10.15

-63.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

$3.19 RON 15.10

328.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

$3.32 RON 15.70

306.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$1.52 RON 7.18

21.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$1.35 RON 6.40

11.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$1.68 RON 7.96

52.98%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$3.58 RON 16.96

-7.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$8.67 RON 41.01

45.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$6.89 RON 32.62

40.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$12.35 RON 58.4

3.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$1.52 RON 7.21

71.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$1.51 RON 7.14

25.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$1.63 RON 7.70

17.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$2.62 RON 12.41

-47.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$0.77 RON 3.64

46.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$0.85 RON 4.04

18.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$0.90 RON 4.28

60.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$0.80 RON 3.77

-16.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$6.11 RON 28.93

-3.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

$7.44 RON 35.21

117.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

$1.19 RON 5.63

128.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$1.87 RON 8.84

64.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$0.75 RON 3.53

113.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

$21.57 RON 102

252.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$0.63 RON 2.98

414.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$0.66 RON 3.13

7.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$6.41 RON 30.32

24.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$1.84 RON 8.69

-46.74%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$28.6K RON 135.4K

-4.30%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$26.2K RON 124.1K

-15.98%

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

$249 AED 913

$175 RON 830

41.68%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$7.72 RON 36.55

605.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$9.19 RON 43.48

895.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

$32.75 RON 155

215.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

$23.12 RON 109

83.04%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$9.51 RON 45.00

71.29%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$441 RON 2,086

91.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$6,982 RON 33.0K

161.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$52.4 RON 248

27.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$35.40 RON 167

63.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$75.1 RON 355

35.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$88.9 RON 421

11.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$329 RON 1,557

627.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$309 RON 1,460

396.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

$528 RON 2,500

769.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$436 RON 2,064

573.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

$2,004 RON 9,484

251.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

$1,180 RON 5,585

257.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

$894 RON 4,230

287.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

7.2

-36.94%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Giurgiu: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Giurgiu

$309 27.8% 79.9% $1.2K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Giurgiu

$192 17.3% 51.2% $202

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Giurgiu

$192 17.3% 37.1% $113

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Giurgiu

$225 20.3% 22.7% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Giurgiu

$113 10.2% 22.7% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Giurgiu

$52 4.7% 61.9% $84

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Giurgiu

$28 2.6% 68% $61

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,393 in Dubai and $329 in Giurgiu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 287% 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 $52.0 in Giurgiu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $225 per month, with Giurgiu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇷🇴 Giurgiu

🕒 Local time

02:30 2:30 AM

01:30 1:30 AM

1 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

61,353

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, 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).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dubai Giurgiu 3,370 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Giurgiu

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 Giurgiu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Giurgiu is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 160% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 287% 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 $329 in Giurgiu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Giurgiu runs roughly 252% 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 $441 in Giurgiu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,112 in Giurgiu versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Giurgiu but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Giurgiu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Giurgiu 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 Giurgiu 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 Giurgiu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 160% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.