Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Nakhon Ratchasima

For one person, living is cheaper in Nakhon Ratchasima: $778 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $25,400 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Nakhon Ratchasima
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Nakhon Ratchasima Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Nakhon Ratchasima

🇹🇭 Thailand

$778

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Nakhon Ratchasima

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $778 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Dubai $2,896
Nakhon Ratchasima $778

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $1,275 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Dubai $4,384
Nakhon Ratchasima $1,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $1,773 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Dubai $5,872
Nakhon Ratchasima $1,773

Living in Dubai is roughly 272% more expensive than in Nakhon Ratchasima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 115% above, Nakhon Ratchasima is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$2.85 ฿95.2

344.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$26.19 ฿875

212.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$5.92 ฿198

57.77%

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$1.90 ฿63.5

210.00%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$0.53 ฿17.68

218.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$0.31 ฿10.41

151.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

$1.81 ฿60.6

654.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

$2.70 ฿90.3

399.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$1.66 ฿55.6

10.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$1.22 ฿40.61

22.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$1.26 ฿42.25

103.97%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$1.50 ฿50.1

121.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$15.26 ฿510

-17.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$2.58 ฿86.1

274.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$10.27 ฿343

24.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$3.15 ฿105

-17.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$1.26 ฿42.10

50.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$1.92 ฿64.1

-0.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$1.93 ฿64.6

-29.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$1.20 ฿40.12

-5.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$1.04 ฿34.87

-2.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$1.27 ฿42.32

13.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$0.37 ฿12.50

81.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$2.84 ฿95.0

107.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

$17.86 ฿597

-9.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

$1.70 ฿57.0

60.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$2.99 ฿100.0

3.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$0.46 ฿15.47

247.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

$19.17 ฿641

296.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$1.06 ฿35.51

205.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$1.09 ฿36.38

-34.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$7.29 ฿244

9.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$1.33 ฿44.44

-26.32%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$45.1K ฿1.5M

-39.23%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$26.8K ฿894.2K

-17.66%

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

$249 AED 913

$89.1 ฿2,977

178.96%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$11.76 ฿393

362.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$19.28 ฿644

374.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

$46.96 ฿1,569

120.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

$15.08 ฿504

180.64%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$4.79 ฿160

240.08%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$176 ฿5,868

380.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$14.2K ฿475.9K

28.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$50.1 ฿1,674

33.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$28.96 ฿968

100.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$77.9 ฿2,604

31.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$67.1 ฿2,244

47.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$221 ฿7,375

984.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$156 ฿5,221

881.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

$487 ฿16.3K

843.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$418 ฿14.0K

603.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

$3,378 ฿112.9K

108.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

$1,699 ฿56.8K

148.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

$592 ฿19.8K

484.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

5.1

-10.98%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Nakhon Ratchasima: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$156 20.1% 89.8% $1.4K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$120 15.4% 69.5% $274

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$81 10.4% 73.4% $224

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$235 30.3% 19.3% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$101 13% 31.2% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$57 7.3% 58.4% $79

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Nakhon Ratchasima

$28 3.5% 69.1% $62

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,393 in Dubai and $221 in Nakhon Ratchasima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 484% 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 $26.00 in Nakhon Ratchasima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $235 per month, with Nakhon Ratchasima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇹🇭 Nakhon Ratchasima

🕒 Local time

01:08 1:08 AM

04:08 4:08 AM

3 h ahead of Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

126,391

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, 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).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dubai Nakhon Ratchasima 5,000 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Nakhon Ratchasima

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 Nakhon Ratchasima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nakhon Ratchasima is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 272% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 484% 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 $221 in Nakhon Ratchasima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Nakhon Ratchasima runs roughly 296% 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 $176 in Nakhon Ratchasima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $778 in Nakhon Ratchasima versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nakhon Ratchasima but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Nakhon Ratchasima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nakhon Ratchasima 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 Nakhon Ratchasima 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 Nakhon Ratchasima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 272% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.