Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Marsta

For one person, living is cheaper in Marsta: $1,642 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
Learn more

Dubai Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Marsta
Learn more

Marsta Living Index

Jump to prices

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Marsta

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,642

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Marsta

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $1,642 in Marsta.

Dubai $2,896
Marsta $1,642

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $2,549 in Marsta.

Dubai $4,384
Marsta $2,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $3,456 in Marsta.

Dubai $5,872
Marsta $3,456

Living in Dubai is roughly 76% more expensive than in Marsta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dubai 115% above, Marsta 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$13.20 SEK 131

-4.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$65.8 SEK 652

24.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$10.22 SEK 101

-8.61%

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$4.42 SEK 43.82

33.26%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$2.00 SEK 19.85

-15.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$1.75 SEK 17.30

-55.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

$7.12 SEK 70.6

91.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

$6.78 SEK 67.2

98.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$1.69 SEK 16.77

8.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$3.04 SEK 30.15

-50.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$5.64 SEK 55.9

-54.43%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$3.57 SEK 35.39

-7.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$13.48 SEK 134

-6.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$8.95 SEK 88.7

7.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$16.90 SEK 167

-24.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$3.03 SEK 30.05

-14.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$2.67 SEK 26.49

-28.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$1.96 SEK 19.43

-2.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$3.72 SEK 36.89

-63.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$1.41 SEK 13.98

-19.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$1.48 SEK 14.66

-31.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$1.95 SEK 19.31

-26.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$1.83 SEK 18.10

-63.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$7.15 SEK 70.9

-17.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

$10.10 SEK 100

59.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

$1.87 SEK 18.56

45.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$2.03 SEK 20.13

51.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$3.36 SEK 33.27

-52.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

$75.8 SEK 751

0.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$13.16 SEK 130

-75.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$2.00 SEK 19.86

-64.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$56.4 SEK 559

-85.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$1.74 SEK 17.20

-43.68%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$32.4K SEK 321.1K

-15.50%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$32.5K SEK 321.9K

-32.19%

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

$249 AED 913

$60.2 SEK 597

312.59%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$27.96 SEK 277

94.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$39.22 SEK 389

133.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

$37.67 SEK 373

174.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

$26.55 SEK 263

59.40%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$16.03 SEK 159

1.62%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$216 SEK 2,137

291.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$5,033 SEK 49.9K

262.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$49.36 SEK 489

35.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$30.13 SEK 299

92.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$89.4 SEK 885

14.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$100 SEK 995

-1.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$802 SEK 7,943

198.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$610 SEK 6,042

151.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

$1,347 SEK 13.3K

241.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$1,005 SEK 9,954

192.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

$3,974 SEK 39.4K

77.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

$2,757 SEK 27.3K

53.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

$4,563 SEK 45.2K

-24.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

2.8

62.14%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Marsta: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Marsta

$610 37.1% 60.2% $923

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Marsta

$127 7.8% 67.7% $267

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Marsta

$254 15.4% 16.9% $52

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Marsta

$348 21.2% 19.4% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Marsta

$121 7.4% 17.3% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Marsta

$70 4.3% 48.7% $66

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Marsta

$112 6.8% 26.1% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,393 in Dubai and $802 in Marsta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Marsta pays 32% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $82.0 in Dubai vs $66.0 in Marsta. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $348, with Dubai cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇸🇪 Marsta

🕒 Local time

18:54 6:54 PM

16:54 4:54 PM

2 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

24,068

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, 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).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dubai Marsta 4,800 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Marsta

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 Marsta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Marsta is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and utilities. The 76% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 32% lower in Marsta. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,393 in Dubai versus $802 in Marsta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Marsta runs roughly 0% 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 $216 in Marsta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,642 in Marsta versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Marsta but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Marsta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Marsta 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 Marsta 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 Marsta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 76% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.