Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Irbid

For one person, living is cheaper in Irbid: $773 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $25,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Irbid
Learn more

Irbid Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Irbid

🇯🇴 Jordan

$773

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Irbid

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $773 in Irbid.

Dubai $2,896
Irbid $773

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $1,229 in Irbid.

Dubai $4,384
Irbid $1,229

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $1,685 in Irbid.

Dubai $5,872
Irbid $1,685

Living in Dubai is roughly 275% more expensive than in Irbid, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 115% above, Irbid is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$4.12 JOD 2.92

207.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$42.85 JOD 30.33

90.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$7.17 JOD 5.08

30.26%

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$1.44 JOD 1.02

309.03%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$0.47 JOD 0.33

259.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$0.32 JOD 0.22

143.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

$6.42 JOD 4.55

112.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

$6.04 JOD 4.27

123.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$1.12 JOD 0.79

64.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$0.43 JOD 0.30

248.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$1.59 JOD 1.13

61.64%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$1.76 JOD 1.25

88.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$7.83 JOD 5.55

60.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$4.76 JOD 3.37

102.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$12.77 JOD 9.04

0.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$1.44 JOD 1.02

80.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$1.51 JOD 1.07

25.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$1.07 JOD 0.76

78.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$0.63 JOD 0.44

117.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$0.91 JOD 0.65

24.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$0.82 JOD 0.58

23.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$0.61 JOD 0.43

136.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$0.65 JOD 0.46

3.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$3.46 JOD 2.45

69.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

$6.89 JOD 4.88

134.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

$2.81 JOD 1.99

-3.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$4.11 JOD 2.91

-25.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$0.69 JOD 0.49

131.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$0.50 JOD 0.35

548.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$1.45 JOD 1.02

-51.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$7.14 JOD 5.05

11.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$1.66 JOD 1.18

-40.96%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$26.5K JOD 18.8K

3.36%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$31.1K JOD 22.0K

-29.15%

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

$249 AED 913

$96.8 JOD 68.5

156.71%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$15.64 JOD 11.07

248.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$31.14 JOD 22.05

193.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

$35.16 JOD 24.89

194.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

$21.18 JOD 14.99

99.81%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$9.95 JOD 7.05

63.72%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$92.1 JOD 65.2

816.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$4,073 JOD 2,884

348.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$44.34 JOD 31.39

51.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$28.14 JOD 19.93

105.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$80.9 JOD 57.3

26.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$49.95 JOD 35.37

97.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$222 JOD 157

976.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$164 JOD 116

833.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

$389 JOD 276

1080.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$300 JOD 213

878.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

$510 JOD 361

1281.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

$500 JOD 354

744.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

$564 JOD 400

513.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

6.81

-33.33%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Irbid: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Irbid

$164 21.3% 89.3% $1.4K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Irbid

$144 18.6% 63.6% $251

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Irbid

$119 15.4% 61% $186

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Irbid

$189 24.4% 35.3% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Irbid

$91 11.8% 37.6% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Irbid

$55 7.1% 59.5% $81

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Irbid

$10 * 1.4% 88.2% $79

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,393 in Dubai and $222 in Irbid. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 513% 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 $43.00 in Irbid for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $189 per month, with Irbid cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇯🇴 Irbid

🕒 Local time

17:07 5:07 PM

16:07 4:07 PM

1 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

292,000

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Jordanian Dinar JOD د.ا

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

1 JOD = 1.41 USD

1 JOD = 1.26 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JOD, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

Jordanian Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.708 JOD (1 JOD = 1.41 USD). 1 EUR = 0.796 JOD (1 JOD = 1.26 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Dubai Irbid 2,060 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Irbid

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 Irbid: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Irbid is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 275% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 513% 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 $222 in Irbid. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Dubai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,896 per month in Dubai versus $773 in Irbid – a 275% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $773 in Irbid versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Irbid but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Irbid the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Irbid 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 Irbid 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 Irbid gentler on the wallet – expenses run 275% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.