Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Jizan

For one person, living is cheaper in Jizan: $930 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $23,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
Learn more

Dubai Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Jizan
Learn more

Jizan Living Index

Jump to prices

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Jizan

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$930

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Jizan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $930 in Jizan.

Dubai $2,896
Jizan $930

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $1,530 in Jizan.

Dubai $4,384
Jizan $1,530

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $2,131 in Jizan.

Dubai $5,872
Jizan $2,131

Living in Dubai is roughly 212% more expensive than in Jizan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 115% above, Jizan is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$5.20 SAR 19.53

143.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$37.15 SAR 139

119.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$7.18 SAR 26.92

30.08%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 SAR 6.34

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 SAR 6.91

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$3.16 SAR 11.88

86.39%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$0.73 SAR 2.74

131.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$0.28 SAR 1.06

178.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$1.76 SAR 6.61

4.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$0.94 SAR 3.53

59.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$2.24 SAR 8.40

14.73%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$2.97 SAR 11.15

11.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$7.95 SAR 29.82

58.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$5.09 SAR 19.08

89.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$14.87 SAR 55.8

-14.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$1.86 SAR 6.98

39.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$1.57 SAR 5.90

21.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$2.08 SAR 7.79

-8.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$1.43 SAR 5.35

-4.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$1.33 SAR 4.99

-15.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$1.43 SAR 5.35

-29.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$1.27 SAR 4.75

13.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$0.74 SAR 2.77

-9.46%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.57 SAR 5.89

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 SAR 6.84

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 SAR 5.97

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$6.50 SAR 24.41

-9.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$1.07 SAR 4.03

49.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

$23.19 SAR 87.0

227.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$2.71 SAR 10.18

19.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$3.24 SAR 12.15

-78.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$15.88 SAR 59.6

-49.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$0.61 SAR 2.29

60.66%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$43.6K SAR 163.5K

-37.15%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$17.6K SAR 65.9K

25.50%

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

$249 AED 913

$103 SAR 388

140.12%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$37.07 SAR 139

46.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$64.1 SAR 241

42.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

$98.6 SAR 370

4.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

$37.70 SAR 141

12.25%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$16.03 SAR 60.1

1.62%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$199 SAR 749

322.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$4,125 SAR 15.5K

342.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$32.30 SAR 121

107.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$54.8 SAR 205

5.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$120 SAR 450

-14.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$46.80 SAR 176

110.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$262 SAR 982

814.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$132 SAR 494

1063.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

$475 SAR 1,783

866.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$361 SAR 1,353

715.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

$805 SAR 3,019

775.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

$1,614 SAR 6,057

114.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

-9.20%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Jizan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Jizan

$132 14.2% 91.4% $1.4K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Jizan

$205 22% 48.1% $190

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Jizan

$105 11.3% 65.5% $200

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Jizan

$197 21.2% 32.6% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Jizan

$114 12.3% 22.1% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Jizan

$131 14.1% 3.9% $5.4

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Jizan

$46 5% 48% $43

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,393 in Dubai and $262 in Jizan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 114% 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 $37.00 in Jizan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $197 per month, with Jizan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇸🇦 Jizan

🕒 Local time

07:38 7:38 AM

06:38 6:38 AM

1 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

127,743

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dubai Jizan 1,590 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Jizan

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 Jizan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jizan is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 212% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 114% 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 $262 in Jizan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Jizan runs roughly 228% 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 $199 in Jizan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $930 in Jizan versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Jizan but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Jizan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Jizan 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 Jizan 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 Jizan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 212% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.