Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Kakinada

For one person, living is cheaper in Kakinada: $299 a month against $2,889 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $31,100 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
14

Cost of Living Index in Kakinada
Learn more

Kakinada Living Index

Jump to prices

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,889

/mo nomad

Kakinada

🇮🇳 India

$299

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Kakinada

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,889 in Dubai versus $299 in Kakinada.

Dubai $2,889
Kakinada $299

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,444 in Dubai versus $477 in Kakinada.

Dubai $4,444
Kakinada $477

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,999 in Dubai versus $656 in Kakinada.

Dubai $5,999
Kakinada $656

Living in Dubai is roughly 867% more expensive than in Kakinada, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 114% above, Kakinada is 78% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.94 AED 47.54

$1.07 ₹101

1109.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.2 AED 306

$8.76 ₹827

850.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.35 AED 34.32

$3.24 ₹306

188.58%

Cappuccino

$5.88 AED 21.59

$0.52 ₹48.65

1030.77%

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

$1.57 AED 5.77

$0.31 ₹28.99

406.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 AED 3.47

$0.09 ₹8.93

944.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.44 AED 49.37

$1.04 ₹98.0

1192.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.57 AED 49.84

$2.22 ₹209

511.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 AED 6.83

$0.53 ₹50.3

250.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 AED 5.73

$0.48 ₹45.08

225.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 AED 9.68

$0.54 ₹51.1

388.89%

Eggs

$3.53 AED 12.96

$0.72 ₹68.4

390.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.97 AED 47.62

$3.83 ₹362

238.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.94 AED 36.51

$2.47 ₹233

302.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 AED 47.45

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 AED 9.36

$1.79 ₹169

42.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 AED 7.54

$0.73 ₹69.1

180.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 AED 6.77

$0.75 ₹70.5

145.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 AED 5.64

$0.46 ₹43.76

234.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 AED 4.31

$0.40 ₹37.58

192.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 AED 3.76

$0.35 ₹33.11

191.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 AED 5.75

$0.58 ₹54.3

170.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.46

$0.29 ₹27.08

131.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 AED 23.17

$4.25 ₹402

48.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.16 AED 59.4

$7.21 ₹681

124.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 AED 9.48

$1.92 ₹181

34.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 AED 10.60

$2.99 ₹282

-3.34%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$3.46 ₹327

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 AED 5.15

$0.33 ₹31.43

324.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.4 AED 303

$7.11 ₹672

1059.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 AED 12.07

$1.20 ₹113

174.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 AED 2.40

$0.22 ₹21.04

195.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 AED 29.84

$2.14 ₹202

279.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 AED 3.68

$1.12 ₹106

-10.71%

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

$26.3K AED 96.6K

$11.2K ₹1.1M

134.22%

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

$22.0K AED 81.0K

$20.9K ₹2.0M

5.27%

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

$239 AED 877

$31.93 ₹3,016

648.07%

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

$56.9 AED 209

$3.23 ₹305

1660.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$93.9 AED 345

$5.15 ₹487

1723.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.8 AED 334

$14.35 ₹1,356

533.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.38 AED 170

$6.55 ₹619

608.09%

Cinema Ticket

$16.24 AED 59.6

$2.05 ₹194

692.20%

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

$934 AED 3,429

$28.56 ₹2,698

3169.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K AED 76.8K

$1,224 ₹115.6K

1608.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.7 AED 260

$9.64 ₹910

633.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.3 AED 225

$7.99 ₹755

667.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 AED 377

$15.98 ₹1,509

542.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 AED 426

$13.07 ₹1,235

788.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 AED 9,134

$69.8 ₹6,595

3462.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,520 AED 5,581

$77.2 ₹7,294

1868.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,234 AED 19.2K

$166 ₹15.7K

3052.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,028 AED 11.1K

$187 ₹17.7K

1515.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,982 AED 25.6K

$919 ₹86.9K

659.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,433 AED 16.3K

$542 ₹51.2K

717.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,553 AED 13.0K

$551 ₹52.1K

544.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.57

-49.22%

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

Last update for Dubai: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kakinada: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.6%

Kakinada

$77 25.9% 94.9% $1.4K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$390 13.5%

Kakinada

$40 13.5% 89.7% $349

Eating Out

Dubai

$307 10.6%

Kakinada

$36 12% 88.4% $271

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$297 10.3%

Kakinada

$95 31.9% 68% $202

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$158 5.5%

Kakinada

$21 7% 86.7% $137

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$123 4.3%

Kakinada

$18 6.2% 85% $105

Getting Around

Dubai

$95 3.3%

Kakinada

$11 3.6% 88.6% $84

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,487 in Dubai and $70 in Kakinada. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays about 6.4 times 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: $83 in Dubai vs $9 in Kakinada for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $95 per month, with Kakinada cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇮🇳 Kakinada

🕒 Local time

07:50 7:50 AM

09:20 9:20 AM

1 h 30 min ahead of Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

384,182

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.59 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.12 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 94.47 INR (100 INR = 1.06 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dubai Kakinada 2,940 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Kakinada

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 Kakinada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kakinada is about 90% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Dubai is about 6.4 times higher, 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: $2,487 in Dubai versus $70 in Kakinada. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kakinada runs roughly 91% less than in Dubai. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $934 in Dubai versus $29 in Kakinada. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $299 in Kakinada versus $2,889 in Dubai, a $800 budget is realistic in Kakinada but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Kakinada the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Kakinada are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Kakinada gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.