Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Lija

For one person, living is cheaper in Lija: $1,972 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 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
101

Cost of Living Index in Lija
Learn more

Lija Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Lija

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,972

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Lija

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $1,972 in Lija.

Dubai $2,896
Lija $1,972

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $3,209 in Lija.

Dubai $4,384
Lija $3,209

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $4,446 in Lija.

Dubai $5,872
Lija $4,446

Living in Dubai is roughly 47% more expensive than in Lija, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dubai 115% above, Lija 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$22.27 €19.81

-43.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$91.0 €81.0

-10.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$13.14 €11.69

-28.92%

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$3.13 €2.79

88.18%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$2.42 €2.15

-30.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$1.97 €1.75

-60.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

$5.45 €4.85

150.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

$6.71 €5.97

101.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$1.33 €1.18

38.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$1.41 €1.25

6.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$3.46 €3.08

-25.72%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$4.22 €3.76

-21.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$10.49 €9.33

20.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$12.19 €10.84

-20.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$18.21 €16.20

-29.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$3.86 €3.44

-32.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$2.74 €2.44

-30.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$3.83 €3.40

-50.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$3.69 €3.28

-62.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$1.92 €1.71

-41.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$3.42 €3.04

-70.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$2.19 €1.95

-34.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$1.54 €1.37

-56.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$6.36 €5.66

-7.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

$6.11 €5.44

164.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

$2.37 €2.11

14.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$2.28 €2.03

35.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$2.37 €2.11

-32.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$3.95 €3.52

-17.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$1.78 €1.58

-60.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$32.04 €28.50

-75.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$1.52 €1.35

-35.53%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$27.8K €24.7K

-1.55%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$39.1K €34.8K

-43.66%

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

$249 AED 913

$156 €138

59.69%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$31.66 €28.16

71.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$28.94 €25.75

216.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

$70.5 €62.7

46.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$11.36 €10.11

43.40%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$279 €248

202.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$12.2K €10.9K

49.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$57.8 €51.4

15.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$68.0 €60.5

-14.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$111 €98.8

-8.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$130 €116

-24.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$1,106 €984

116.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$819 €728

87.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

$1,794 €1,595

156.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$1,693 €1,506

73.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

$4,111 €3,657

71.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

$2,697 €2,399

56.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

4.05

12.10%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Lija: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Lija

$819 41.5% 46.6% $714

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Lija

$216 11% 45.2% $178

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Lija

$313 15.9% 2.7% $8.3

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Lija

$343 17.4% 17.7% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Lija

$165 8.4% 12.7% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Lija

$93 4.7% 31.5% $43

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Lija

$22 * 1.1% 75% $67

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,393 in Dubai and $1,106 in Lija. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $82.0 in Dubai vs $91.0 in Lija for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $343 per month, with Dubai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇲🇹 Lija

🕒 Local time

01:05 1:05 AM

23:05 11:05 PM

2 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

3,200

💱 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 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dubai Lija 4,050 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Lija

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 Lija: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lija is cheaper overall, especially in utilities, leisure, and transport. The 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,344 in Dubai and $2,958 in Lija to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,393 in Dubai versus $1,106 in Lija. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Dubai pay roughly 18% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,896 per month in Dubai versus $1,972 in Lija – a 47% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,972 in Lija versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lija but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Lija the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lija 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 Lija 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 Lija gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.