Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Kongsberg

For one person, living is cheaper in Kongsberg: $2,648 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Dubai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

140

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
Learn more

Dubai Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Kongsberg
Learn more

Kongsberg Living Index

Jump to prices

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Kongsberg

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,648

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Kongsberg

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $2,648 in Kongsberg.

Dubai $2,896
Kongsberg $2,648

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $3,866 in Kongsberg.

Dubai $4,384
Kongsberg $3,866

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $5,085 in Kongsberg.

Dubai $5,872
Kongsberg $5,085

Living in Dubai is roughly 9% more expensive than in Kongsberg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dubai 115% above, Kongsberg 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$21.26 NOK 200

-40.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$73.1 NOK 688

11.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$15.39 NOK 145

-39.31%

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$5.13 NOK 48.33

14.81%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$4.17 NOK 39.27

-59.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$3.25 NOK 30.64

-76.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

$11.91 NOK 112

14.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

$10.49 NOK 98.7

28.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$2.49 NOK 23.43

-26.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$3.19 NOK 30.04

-52.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$4.53 NOK 42.67

-43.27%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$4.92 NOK 46.31

-32.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$10.64 NOK 100

18.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$12.25 NOK 115

-21.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$18.90 NOK 178

-32.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$3.20 NOK 30.12

-18.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$2.66 NOK 24.99

-28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$3.43 NOK 32.29

-44.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$4.86 NOK 45.77

-71.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$2.66 NOK 25.02

-57.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$2.54 NOK 23.90

-60.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$3.04 NOK 28.58

-52.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$2.38 NOK 22.42

-71.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$17.65 NOK 166

-66.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

$15.91 NOK 150

1.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

$3.42 NOK 32.22

-20.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$3.79 NOK 35.66

-18.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$2.96 NOK 27.86

-45.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

$91.8 NOK 864

-17.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$12.13 NOK 114

-73.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$1.87 NOK 17.64

-62.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$30.95 NOK 291

-74.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$2.35 NOK 22.14

-58.30%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$47.3K NOK 445.0K

-42.07%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$45.0K NOK 423.5K

-51.03%

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

$249 AED 913

$312 NOK 2,937

-20.35%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$27.86 NOK 262

95.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$52.5 NOK 494

74.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

$46.78 NOK 440

121.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

$56.1 NOK 528

-24.52%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$19.74 NOK 186

-17.48%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$237 NOK 2,228

256.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$3,828 NOK 36.0K

377.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$90.3 NOK 850

-25.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$54.7 NOK 515

5.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$133 NOK 1,254

-23.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$158 NOK 1,485

-37.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$1,075 NOK 10.1K

122.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$1,035 NOK 9,746

48.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

$1,988 NOK 18.7K

131.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$1,647 NOK 15.5K

78.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

$6,070 NOK 57.1K

16.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

$4,101 NOK 38.6K

2.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

$3,491 NOK 32.9K

-0.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

4.94

-8.10%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Kongsberg: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Kongsberg

$1K 39.1% 32.5% $498

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Kongsberg

$392 14.8% 0.5% $2.1

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Kongsberg

$388 14.7% 27.2% $83

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Kongsberg

$425 16% 45.6% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Kongsberg

$196 7.4% 33.9% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Kongsberg

$86 3.3% 36.6% $50

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Kongsberg

$125 4.7% 40.4% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,393 in Dubai and $1,075 in Kongsberg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kongsberg pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $82.0 in Dubai vs $73.0 in Kongsberg. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $425, with Dubai cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇳🇴 Kongsberg

🕒 Local time

21:56 9:56 PM

19:56 7:56 PM

2 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

28,878

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dubai Kongsberg 5,180 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Kongsberg

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 Kongsberg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kongsberg is cheaper overall, especially in utilities and leisure. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Kongsberg. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,393 in Dubai versus $1,075 in Kongsberg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kongsberg runs roughly 21% 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 $237 in Kongsberg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,648 in Kongsberg versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Kongsberg but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Kongsberg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kongsberg 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 Kongsberg 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 Kongsberg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.