Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Makarska

For one person, living is cheaper in Makarska: $1,586 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 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
78

Cost of Living Index in Makarska
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Makarska Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Makarska

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,586

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Makarska

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $1,586 in Makarska.

Dubai $2,896
Makarska $1,586

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $2,463 in Makarska.

Dubai $4,384
Makarska $2,463

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $3,339 in Makarska.

Dubai $5,872
Makarska $3,339

Living in Dubai is roughly 83% more expensive than in Makarska, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dubai 115% above, Makarska 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$17.45 €15.52

-27.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$79.0 €70.3

3.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$7.89 €7.02

18.38%

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$3.34 €2.97

76.35%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$4.00 €3.56

-57.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$3.06 €2.73

-74.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

$5.64 €5.02

142.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

$4.54 €4.04

197.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$1.13 €1.01

62.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$1.70 €1.51

-11.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$3.07 €2.73

-16.29%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$4.89 €4.35

-32.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$15.33 €13.63

-17.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$9.49 €8.45

1.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$11.73 €10.43

8.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$1.96 €1.74

32.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$1.51 €1.35

25.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$2.10 €1.87

-9.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$2.67 €2.38

-48.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$2.22 €1.97

-49.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$2.01 €1.79

-49.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$1.53 €1.36

-5.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$1.63 €1.45

-58.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$5.55 €4.94

5.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

$7.65 €6.80

111.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

$1.37 €1.22

98.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$1.49 €1.32

106.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$1.53 €1.36

4.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

$39.51 €35.14

92.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$3.09 €2.75

4.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$1.43 €1.27

-50.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$12.02 €10.69

-33.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$1.67 €1.49

-41.32%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$25.9K €23.1K

5.66%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$24.9K €22.2K

-11.63%

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

$249 AED 913

$177 €158

40.07%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$27.30 €24.28

99.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$42.91 €38.17

113.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

$46.14 €41.04

124.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

$16.43 €14.61

157.58%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$8.98 €7.99

81.40%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$413 €368

104.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$6,923 €6,158

163.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$87.7 €78.0

-23.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$45.07 €40.09

28.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$105 €93.5

-2.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$79.2 €70.4

24.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$692 €616

245.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$516 €459

196.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

$1,197 €1,065

283.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$877 €780

235.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

$3,594 €3,197

96.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

$3,232 €2,875

30.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

3.72

22.04%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Makarska: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Makarska

$516 32.5% 66.3% $1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Makarska

$248 15.6% 37.2% $147

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Makarska

$269 17% 11.9% $36

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Makarska

$291 18.3% 0.3% $0.8

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Makarska

$143 9% 2.7% $3.9

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Makarska

$64 4% 52.9% $72

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Makarska

$56 3.5% 37.3% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,393 in Dubai and $692 in Makarska. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $82.0 in Dubai vs $79.0 in Makarska for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $291 per month, with Makarska cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇭🇷 Makarska

🕒 Local time

20:46 8:46 PM

18:46 6:46 PM

2 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

12,809

💱 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 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dubai Makarska 4,000 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Makarska

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 Makarska: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Makarska is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 83% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,344 in Dubai and $2,379 in Makarska 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 $692 in Makarska. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Makarska runs roughly 92% 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 $413 in Makarska. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,586 in Makarska versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Makarska but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Makarska the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Makarska 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 Makarska 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 Makarska gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.