Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Medan

For one person, living is cheaper in Medan: $613 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $27,400 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
30

Cost of Living Index in Medan
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Medan Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Medan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$613

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Medan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $613 in Medan.

Dubai $2,896
Medan $613

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $940 in Medan.

Dubai $4,384
Medan $940

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $1,266 in Medan.

Dubai $5,872
Medan $1,266

Living in Dubai is roughly 372% more expensive than in Medan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 115% above, Medan is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$1.71 Rp 30.8K

640.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$8.30 Rp 149.4K

884.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$2.95 Rp 53.0K

216.61%

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$1.53 Rp 27.5K

284.97%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$0.35 Rp 6,215

382.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$0.25 Rp 4,534

212.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

$1.66 Rp 29.9K

722.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

275.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$1.11 Rp 20.0K

65.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

27.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$0.81 Rp 14.7K

217.28%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$1.32 Rp 23.8K

151.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$8.12 Rp 146.2K

55.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

169.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$6.36 Rp 114.5K

100.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$2.40 Rp 43.1K

8.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$1.05 Rp 18.9K

80.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$1.42 Rp 25.5K

34.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$0.93 Rp 16.7K

47.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$0.84 Rp 15.1K

34.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$1.80 Rp 32.3K

-43.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$0.38 Rp 6,905

278.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$0.44 Rp 7,872

52.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$2.87 Rp 51.7K

104.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

$15.72 Rp 282.9K

2.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

$1.83 Rp 32.9K

48.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$3.01 Rp 54.1K

2.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$0.27 Rp 4,816

492.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

$5.93 Rp 106.7K

1180.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$0.51 Rp 9,186

535.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$0.19 Rp 3,465

273.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

22.50%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$24.7K Rp 444.1M

11.00%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$32.2K Rp 579.9M

-31.61%

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

$249 AED 913

$84.8 Rp 1.5M

192.90%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$3.17 Rp 57.0K

1617.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$23.57 Rp 424.3K

288.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

$16.95 Rp 305.0K

510.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

$8.41 Rp 151.5K

403.21%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$3.29 Rp 59.3K

395.14%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$112 Rp 2.0M

655.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$1,692 Rp 30.5M

979.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$54.2 Rp 975.9K

23.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$38.53 Rp 693.6K

50.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$108 Rp 1.9M

-5.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$111 Rp 2.0M

-11.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$233 Rp 4.2M

927.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$89.8 Rp 1.6M

1607.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

$494 Rp 8.9M

829.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$212 Rp 3.8M

1288.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

$1,158 Rp 20.8M

508.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

$560 Rp 10.1M

654.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

$215 Rp 3.9M

1508.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

9.25

-50.92%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Medan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Medan

$90 14.6% 94.1% $1.4K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Medan

$112 18.2% 71.7% $283

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Medan

$59 9.6% 80.8% $247

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Medan

$181 29.5% 38% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Medan

$140 22.9% 4.3% $6.3

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Medan

$24 3.8% 82.7% $112

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Medan

$8.5 1.4% 90.5% $81

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,393 in Dubai and $233 in Medan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 1508% 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 $8.00 in Medan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $181 per month, with Medan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇮🇩 Medan

🕒 Local time

02:26 2:26 AM

05:26 5:26 AM

3 h ahead of Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

2,097,610

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR 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).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dubai Medan 5,220 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Medan

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 Medan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medan is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 372% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1508% 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 $233 in Medan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medan runs roughly 1181% 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 $112 in Medan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $613 in Medan versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medan but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Medan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medan 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 Medan 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 Medan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 372% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.