Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Khamis Mushayt

For one person, living is cheaper in Khamis Mushayt: $1,207 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $20,300 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
55

Cost of Living Index in Khamis Mushayt
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Khamis Mushayt Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Khamis Mushayt

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Khamis Mushayt

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $1,207 in Khamis Mushayt.

Dubai $2,896
Khamis Mushayt $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $1,692 in Khamis Mushayt.

Dubai $4,384
Khamis Mushayt $1,692

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $2,176 in Khamis Mushayt.

Dubai $5,872
Khamis Mushayt $2,176

Living in Dubai is roughly 140% more expensive than in Khamis Mushayt, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 115% above, Khamis Mushayt is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$4.52 SAR 16.97

180.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$31.95 SAR 120

155.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$7.03 SAR 26.36

32.86%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 SAR 6.66

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 SAR 9.69

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$2.91 SAR 10.92

102.41%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$0.69 SAR 2.59

144.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$0.23 SAR 0.87

239.13%

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

$1.62 SAR 6.06

13.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$0.38 SAR 1.43

294.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$3.24 SAR 12.15

-20.68%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$2.41 SAR 9.03

37.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$6.19 SAR 23.24

103.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$5.59 SAR 20.98

72.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$13.54 SAR 50.8

-5.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$2.14 SAR 8.02

21.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$1.75 SAR 6.58

8.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$1.59 SAR 5.97

20.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$1.56 SAR 5.86

-12.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$1.17 SAR 4.41

-3.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$1.34 SAR 5.01

-24.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$1.18 SAR 4.44

22.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$0.53 SAR 2.00

26.42%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.81 SAR 10.53

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 SAR 6.15

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 SAR 7.85

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$6.84 SAR 25.66

-14.04%

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

$1.08 SAR 4.06

48.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

$42.06 SAR 158

80.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$2.60 SAR 9.75

24.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$1.72 SAR 6.45

-58.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$14.65 SAR 55.0

-45.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$0.64 SAR 2.41

53.12%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$41.8K SAR 156.9K

-34.49%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$22.4K SAR 84.1K

-1.68%

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

$249 AED 913

$105 SAR 395

135.81%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$32.67 SAR 123

66.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$72.3 SAR 271

26.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

$81.6 SAR 306

26.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$13.17 SAR 49.43

23.69%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$475 SAR 1,782

77.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$6,865 SAR 25.8K

166.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$45.16 SAR 169

48.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$50.4 SAR 189

14.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$105 SAR 396

-3.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$83.1 SAR 312

18.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$530 SAR 1,990

351.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$425 SAR 1,594

260.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

$849 SAR 3,187

440.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$517 SAR 1,941

468.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

$2,044 SAR 7,669

244.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

$1,575 SAR 5,911

167.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

$1,606 SAR 6,027

115.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

5.54

-18.05%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Khamis Mushayt: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Khamis Mushayt

$425 35.2% 72.3% $1.1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Khamis Mushayt

$210 17.4% 46.7% $184

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Khamis Mushayt

$96 7.9% 68.6% $209

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Khamis Mushayt

$182 15.1% 37.5% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Khamis Mushayt

$128 10.6% 12.8% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Khamis Mushayt

$108 8.9% 20.6% $28

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Khamis Mushayt

$58 4.8% 35.4% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,393 in Dubai and $530 in Khamis Mushayt. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 115% 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 $32.00 in Khamis Mushayt for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $182 per month, with Khamis Mushayt cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇸🇦 Khamis Mushayt

🕒 Local time

06:53 6:53 AM

05:53 5:53 AM

1 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

430,828

💱 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

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Between locations

Dubai Khamis Mushayt 1,490 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Khamis Mushayt

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 Khamis Mushayt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Khamis Mushayt is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 140% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 115% 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 $530 in Khamis Mushayt. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Khamis Mushayt runs roughly 81% 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 $475 in Khamis Mushayt. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,207 in Khamis Mushayt versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Khamis Mushayt but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Khamis Mushayt the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Khamis Mushayt 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 Khamis Mushayt 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 Khamis Mushayt gentler on the wallet – expenses run 140% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.