Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Maglaj

For one person, living is cheaper in Maglaj: $910 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $23,800 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Maglaj
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Maglaj Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Maglaj

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$910

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Maglaj

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $910 in Maglaj.

Dubai $2,896
Maglaj $910

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $1,371 in Maglaj.

Dubai $4,384
Maglaj $1,371

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $1,833 in Maglaj.

Dubai $5,872
Maglaj $1,833

Living in Dubai is roughly 218% more expensive than in Maglaj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 115% above, Maglaj is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$6.85 BAM 11.95

84.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$37.43 BAM 65.3

118.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$6.69 BAM 11.67

39.61%

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$1.63 BAM 2.85

261.35%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$1.82 BAM 3.18

-7.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$1.23 BAM 2.14

-36.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

$2.23 BAM 3.90

512.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

$2.26 BAM 3.95

496.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$1.46 BAM 2.55

26.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$0.92 BAM 1.61

63.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$1.74 BAM 3.04

47.70%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$2.81 BAM 4.90

18.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$7.54 BAM 13.15

67.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$6.72 BAM 11.73

43.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$9.84 BAM 17.18

29.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$1.15 BAM 2.01

126.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$1.67 BAM 2.91

13.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$1.69 BAM 2.95

13.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$1.67 BAM 2.92

-17.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$1.16 BAM 2.03

-2.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$1.12 BAM 1.96

-9.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$1.01 BAM 1.76

42.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$0.83 BAM 1.44

-19.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$3.50 BAM 6.12

68.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

$6.74 BAM 11.77

139.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

$1.17 BAM 2.04

132.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$1.15 BAM 2.01

167.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$1.40 BAM 2.44

14.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

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

$1.11 BAM 1.94

-36.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$10.37 BAM 18.10

-23.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$1.59 BAM 2.77

-38.36%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$30.4K BAM 53.0K

-9.87%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$21.8K BAM 38.1K

0.93%

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

$249 AED 913

$91.9 BAM 160

170.52%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$18.32 BAM 31.97

197.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$28.27 BAM 49.35

223.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

$32.60 BAM 56.9

217.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$4.67 BAM 8.15

248.82%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$135 BAM 236

522.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$3,932 BAM 6,863

364.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$57.2 BAM 99.9

17.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$31.72 BAM 55.4

82.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$95.1 BAM 166

7.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$129 BAM 226

-23.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$338 BAM 591

607.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$253 BAM 442

505.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

$512 BAM 893

797.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$356 BAM 621

726.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

$2,429 BAM 4,239

190.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

$1,764 BAM 3,079

139.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

$741 BAM 1,293

367.00%

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 Maglaj: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Maglaj

$253 27.8% 83.5% $1.3K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Maglaj

$138 15.2% 64.9% $256

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Maglaj

$122 13.5% 59.9% $183

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Maglaj

$200 22% 31.4% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Maglaj

$141 15.5% 3.8% $5.5

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Maglaj

$42 4.6% 69.2% $94

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Maglaj

$13 * 1.4% 85.6% $76

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 $338 in Maglaj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 367% 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 $37.00 in Maglaj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $200 per month, with Maglaj cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇧🇦 Maglaj

🕒 Local time

16:02 4:02 PM

14:02 2:02 PM

2 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

7,000

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

1 BAM = 0.573 USD

1 BAM = 0.511 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 14, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.11 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BAM (1 BAM = 0.573 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BAM (1 BAM = 0.511 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

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Between locations

Dubai Maglaj 3,970 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Maglaj

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 Maglaj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maglaj is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 218% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 367% 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 $338 in Maglaj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Dubai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,896 per month in Dubai versus $910 in Maglaj – a 218% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $910 in Maglaj versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Maglaj but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Maglaj the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Maglaj 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 Maglaj 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 Maglaj gentler on the wallet – expenses run 218% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.