Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Modiin

For one person, living is cheaper in Dubai: $2,896 a month against $3,737 in Modiin, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 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
182

Cost of Living Index in Modiin
Learn more

Modiin Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Modiin

🇮🇱 Israel

$3,737

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Modiin

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $3,737 in Modiin.

Dubai $2,896
Modiin $3,737

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $5,023 in Modiin.

Dubai $4,384
Modiin $5,023

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $6,309 in Modiin.

Dubai $5,872
Modiin $6,309

Living in Dubai costs roughly 23% less than in Modiin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dubai 115% above, Modiin 177% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$26.55 ₪82.6

-52.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$90.2 ₪281

-9.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$20.05 ₪62.4

-53.42%

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$5.32 ₪16.54

10.71%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$4.00 ₪12.45

-57.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$3.12 ₪9.70

-75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

$11.25 ₪34.99

21.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

$10.10 ₪31.43

33.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$2.53 ₪7.86

-27.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$4.43 ₪13.79

-66.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$3.46 ₪10.76

-25.72%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$5.32 ₪16.55

-37.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$18.16 ₪56.5

-30.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$16.16 ₪50.3

-40.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$26.22 ₪81.6

-51.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$4.59 ₪14.29

-43.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$3.18 ₪9.88

-40.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$2.54 ₪7.91

-24.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$3.28 ₪10.20

-58.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$1.89 ₪5.88

-40.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$1.74 ₪5.41

-41.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$2.35 ₪7.32

-38.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$2.42 ₪7.53

-72.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$14.89 ₪46.33

-60.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

$16.04 ₪49.89

0.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

$3.62 ₪11.27

-24.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$4.08 ₪12.70

-24.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$2.59 ₪8.05

-38.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

$100 ₪312

-24.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$4.32 ₪13.45

-25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$1.14 ₪3.53

-37.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$19.27 ₪60.0

-58.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$2.55 ₪7.92

-61.57%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$55.5K ₪172.8K

-50.69%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$55.3K ₪171.9K

-60.13%

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

$249 AED 913

$344 ₪1,070

-27.77%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$11.58 ₪36.03

370.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$35.15 ₪109

160.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

$116 ₪360

-10.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

$19.58 ₪60.9

116.14%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$15.80 ₪49.14

3.10%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$1,625 ₪5,057

-48.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$30.7K ₪95.6K

-40.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$103 ₪322

-35.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$65.8 ₪205

-11.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$173 ₪539

-41.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$132 ₪409

-24.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$2,274 ₪7,076

5.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$1,931 ₪6,008

-20.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

$2,378 ₪7,398

93.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$2,406 ₪7,486

22.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

$9,485 ₪29.5K

-25.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

$9,557 ₪29.7K

-55.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

$5,890 ₪18.3K

-41.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

4.8

-5.42%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Modiin: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Modiin

$1.9K 51.7% 26% $398

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Modiin

$391 10.5% 0.9% $3.6

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Modiin

$441 11.8% 44.6% $136

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Modiin

$493 13.2% 69.1% $202

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Modiin

$213 5.7% 45.5% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Modiin

$147 3.9% 8.3% $11

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Modiin

$121 3.2% 35.4% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,393 in Dubai and $2,274 in Modiin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Modiin pays 70% 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 $90.0 in Modiin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $493 per month, with Dubai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇮🇱 Modiin

🕒 Local time

03:25 3:25 AM

02:25 2:25 AM

1 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

93,277

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

1 ILS = 0.321 USD

1 ILS = 0.286 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ILS, 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).

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.11 ILS (1 ILS = 0.321 USD). 1 EUR = 3.5 ILS (1 ILS = 0.286 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dubai Modiin 2,110 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Modiin

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 Modiin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dubai is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 70% lower in Modiin. 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 $2,274 in Modiin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Dubai runs roughly 32% less than in Modiin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $844 in Dubai versus $1,625 in Modiin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Dubai is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Dubai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Modiin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Dubai and Modiin 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 Dubai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Modiin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.