Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Goes

For one person, living is cheaper in Goes: $2,593 a month against $2,883 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 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
126

Cost of Living Index in Goes
Learn more

Goes Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,883

/mo nomad

Goes

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,593

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Goes

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,883 in Dubai versus $2,593 in Goes.

Dubai $2,883
Goes $2,593

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,403 in Dubai versus $3,733 in Goes.

Dubai $4,403
Goes $3,733

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,923 in Dubai versus $4,873 in Goes.

Dubai $5,923
Goes $4,873

Living in Dubai is roughly 11% more expensive than in Goes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dubai 113% above, Goes 91% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.99 AED 47.72

$16.51 €14.72

-21.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.9 AED 301

$72.7 €64.8

12.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.64 AED 35.40

$14.84 €13.23

-35.04%

Cappuccino

$6.09 AED 22.38

$4.89 €4.36

24.54%

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

$1.61 AED 5.93

$3.24 €2.89

-50.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 AED 2.76

$2.81 €2.50

-73.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.79 AED 50.6

$6.57 €5.85

109.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.41 AED 49.25

$5.67 €5.05

136.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 AED 6.83

$1.47 €1.31

26.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 AED 5.62

$2.40 €2.14

-36.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.55 AED 9.38

$3.71 €3.31

-31.27%

Eggs

$3.28 AED 12.06

$5.25 €4.68

-37.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.14 AED 44.57

$15.14 €13.49

-19.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.15 AED 33.62

$14.91 €13.29

-38.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 AED 47.00

$15.87 €14.14

-19.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 AED 9.39

$2.78 €2.48

-7.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.03

$2.48 €2.21

-22.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 AED 6.69

$1.87 €1.66

-2.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 AED 5.26

$5.62 €5.01

-74.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 AED 4.04

$1.81 €1.61

-39.23%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 AED 3.40

$2.80 €2.50

-67.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 AED 5.58

$1.28 €1.14

18.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 AED 2.54

$0.87 €0.77

-20.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.41 AED 23.55

$14.06 €12.53

-54.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.52 AED 60.7

$6.98 €6.22

136.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 AED 9.41

$1.29 €1.15

98.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$2.61 €2.33

18.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 AED 5.82

$3.40 €3.03

-53.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.9 AED 279

$88.0 €78.4

-13.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 AED 11.72

$4.07 €3.63

-21.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.62

$2.80 €2.50

-74.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 AED 30.13

$29.59 €26.38

-72.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 AED 3.73

$2.42 €2.16

-58.26%

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

$26.1K AED 96.0K

$42.0K €37.5K

-37.79%

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

$21.8K AED 80.2K

$38.6K €34.4K

-43.43%

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

$245 AED 900

$340 €303

-27.98%

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

$57.5 AED 211

$22.78 €20.30

152.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.3 AED 335

$61.6 €54.9

48.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$105 AED 385

$40.24 €35.86

160.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.58 AED 171

$23.47 €20.92

98.47%

Cinema Ticket

$16.04 AED 58.9

$14.53 €12.95

10.39%

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

$873 AED 3,206

$2,996 €2,670

-70.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K AED 66.2K

$5,979 €5,329

201.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 AED 260

$93.8 €83.6

-24.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 AED 229

$42.63 €37.99

46.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 AED 390

$86.7 €77.3

22.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 AED 376

$99.0 €88.2

3.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,454 AED 9,014

$1,415 €1,261

73.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,510 AED 5,545

$1,172 €1,045

28.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,640 AED 17.0K

$2,429 €2,165

91.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,961 AED 10.9K

$1,880 €1,675

57.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,219 AED 26.5K

$5,254 €4,683

37.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,232 AED 15.5K

$4,444 €3,961

-4.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,584 AED 13.2K

$3,080 €2,745

16.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

3.95

14.94%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 18, 2026

Last update for Goes: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.4%

Goes

$1.2K 45.2% 22.3% $337

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.7%

Goes

$425 16.4% 7.8% $31

Eating Out

Dubai

$311 10.8%

Goes

$304 11.7% 2.4% $7.5

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$288 10%

Goes

$359 13.8% 24.5% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$154 5.3%

Goes

$145 5.6% 5.7% $8.8

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$137 4.8%

Goes

$69 2.7% 49.4% $68

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Goes

$120 4.6% 34.4% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,454 in Dubai and $1,415 in Goes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 16% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $82 in Dubai vs $73 in Goes. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $359, with Dubai cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇳🇱 Goes

🕒 Local time

10:56 10:56 AM

07:56 7:56 AM

3 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

27,495

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.12 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dubai Goes 5,210 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Goes

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 Goes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Goes is cheaper overall, especially in leisure, utilities, and clothing. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 16% 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: $2,454 in Dubai versus $1,415 in Goes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Dubai runs roughly 14% less than in Goes. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Childcare runs $873 in Dubai versus $2,996 in Goes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Goes is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Safety-wise, Dubai and Goes are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Goes wins on affordability, Dubai on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.