Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Lukavac

For one person, living is cheaper in Lukavac: $895 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $24,000 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Lukavac
Learn more

Lukavac Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Lukavac

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$895

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Lukavac

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $895 in Lukavac.

Dubai $2,896
Lukavac $895

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $1,367 in Lukavac.

Dubai $4,384
Lukavac $1,367

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $1,839 in Lukavac.

Dubai $5,872
Lukavac $1,839

Living in Dubai is roughly 224% more expensive than in Lukavac, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 115% above, Lukavac is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$5.18 BAM 9.01

144.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$30.85 BAM 53.6

164.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$5.57 BAM 9.69

67.68%

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$1.67 BAM 2.91

252.69%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$1.83 BAM 3.17

-7.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$1.19 BAM 2.07

-34.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

$2.30 BAM 4.01

493.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

$2.08 BAM 3.62

548.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$1.27 BAM 2.21

44.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$0.93 BAM 1.62

61.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$2.04 BAM 3.56

25.98%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$2.64 BAM 4.60

25.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$10.29 BAM 17.89

22.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$7.14 BAM 12.42

35.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$10.57 BAM 18.38

20.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$1.13 BAM 1.96

130.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$1.60 BAM 2.78

18.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$1.42 BAM 2.46

34.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$1.18 BAM 2.05

16.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$1.03 BAM 1.79

9.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$1.01 BAM 1.76

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$0.76 BAM 1.32

89.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$0.72 BAM 1.25

-6.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$3.92 BAM 6.82

50.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

$3.97 BAM 6.90

306.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

$0.78 BAM 1.35

248.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$0.87 BAM 1.52

254.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$1.33 BAM 2.31

20.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

$60.0 BAM 104

26.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$1.68 BAM 2.93

92.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$0.60 BAM 1.04

18.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$5.85 BAM 10.17

36.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$1.56 BAM 2.71

-37.18%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$31.0K BAM 53.9K

-11.71%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$21.1K BAM 36.6K

4.65%

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

$249 AED 913

$91.4 BAM 159

171.85%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$18.04 BAM 31.37

201.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$26.21 BAM 45.57

248.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

$37.61 BAM 65.4

174.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$5.70 BAM 9.91

185.79%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$134 BAM 232

530.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$3,793 BAM 6,596

381.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$59.2 BAM 103

13.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$32.47 BAM 56.5

78.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$94.5 BAM 164

8.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$83.4 BAM 145

18.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$295 BAM 514

709.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$217 BAM 377

607.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

$590 BAM 1,025

679.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$350 BAM 609

739.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

$2,493 BAM 4,336

182.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

$1,730 BAM 3,009

143.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

$567 BAM 986

510.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

4.3

5.58%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Lukavac: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Lukavac

$217 24.2% 85.9% $1.3K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Lukavac

$136 15.2% 65.6% $259

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Lukavac

$106 11.8% 65.3% $199

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Lukavac

$196 21.9% 32.7% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Lukavac

$121 13.6% 17.2% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Lukavac

$49 5.5% 64% $87

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Lukavac

$70 7.8% 21.5% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,393 in Dubai and $295 in Lukavac. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 510% 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 $31.00 in Lukavac for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $196 per month, with Lukavac cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇧🇦 Lukavac

🕒 Local time

06:24 6:24 AM

04:24 4:24 AM

2 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

12,061

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

1 BAM = 0.575 USD

1 BAM = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BAM, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BAM (1 BAM = 0.512 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

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Between locations

Dubai Lukavac 3,940 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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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 Lukavac: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lukavac is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 224% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 510% 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 $295 in Lukavac. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lukavac runs roughly 27% 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 $134 in Lukavac. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $895 in Lukavac versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lukavac but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Lukavac the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lukavac 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 Lukavac 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 Lukavac gentler on the wallet – expenses run 224% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.