Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Leeuwarden

For one person, living is cheaper in Leeuwarden: $2,569 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 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
125

Cost of Living Index in Leeuwarden
Learn more

Leeuwarden Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Leeuwarden

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,569

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Leeuwarden

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $2,569 in Leeuwarden.

Dubai $2,896
Leeuwarden $2,569

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $3,793 in Leeuwarden.

Dubai $4,384
Leeuwarden $3,793

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $5,018 in Leeuwarden.

Dubai $5,872
Leeuwarden $5,018

Living in Dubai is roughly 13% more expensive than in Leeuwarden, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dubai 115% above, Leeuwarden 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$21.90 €19.48

-42.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$113 €101

-27.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$15.35 €13.66

-39.15%

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$3.85 €3.42

52.99%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$3.64 €3.24

-53.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$2.93 €2.61

-73.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

$6.73 €5.99

102.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

$5.24 €4.66

157.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$1.17 €1.04

57.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$1.86 €1.65

-19.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$2.42 €2.16

6.20%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$4.26 €3.79

-22.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$12.58 €11.19

0.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$14.26 €12.69

-32.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$15.76 €14.02

-18.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$2.29 €2.04

13.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$2.48 €2.20

-23.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$1.91 €1.70

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$5.12 €4.55

-73.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$1.76 €1.57

-35.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$1.91 €1.69

-47.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$1.17 €1.04

23.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$0.97 €0.86

-30.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$13.98 €12.44

-57.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

$7.20 €6.40

124.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

$1.85 €1.65

47.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$1.73 €1.54

78.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$3.40 €3.02

-52.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

$129 €114

-40.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$8.81 €7.83

-63.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$3.83 €3.41

-81.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$49.76 €44.27

-84.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$2.45 €2.18

-60.00%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$41.7K €37.1K

-34.39%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$39.2K €34.9K

-43.82%

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

$249 AED 913

$365 €325

-31.99%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$43.62 €38.80

24.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$45.88 €40.81

99.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

$37.11 €33.01

178.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

$18.37 €16.34

130.38%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$16.79 €14.93

-2.98%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$1,330 €1,183

-36.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$22.7K €20.2K

-19.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$114 €101

-41.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$39.36 €35.01

47.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$129 €115

-21.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$135 €120

-26.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$1,380 €1,228

73.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$1,022 €909

49.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

$3,779 €3,361

21.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$1,582 €1,407

85.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

$3,620 €3,220

94.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

$3,276 €2,914

28.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

$3,004 €2,672

15.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

4.38

3.65%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Leeuwarden: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Leeuwarden

$1K 39.8% 33.3% $511

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Leeuwarden

$455 17.7% 15.3% $60

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Leeuwarden

$338 13.2% 10.7% $33

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Leeuwarden

$325 12.7% 11.6% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Leeuwarden

$188 7.3% 28% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Leeuwarden

$71 2.8% 48% $65

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Leeuwarden

$170 6.6% 91% $81

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,393 in Dubai and $1,380 in Leeuwarden. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 15% 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 $113 in Leeuwarden for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $325 per month, with Dubai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇳🇱 Leeuwarden

🕒 Local time

13:11 1:11 PM

11:11 11:11 AM

2 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

91,992

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD 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).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Dubai Leeuwarden 5,130 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Leeuwarden

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 Leeuwarden: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Leeuwarden is cheaper overall, especially in utilities and leisure. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 15% 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 $1,380 in Leeuwarden. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Leeuwarden runs roughly 69% 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 $1,330 in Leeuwarden. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Leeuwarden is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Leeuwarden 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 Leeuwarden 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 Leeuwarden gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.