Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Padang

For one person, living is cheaper in Padang: $620 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $27,300 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 Padang
Learn more

Padang Living Index

Jump to prices

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Padang

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$620

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Padang

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $620 in Padang.

Dubai $2,896
Padang $620

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $996 in Padang.

Dubai $4,384
Padang $996

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $1,372 in Padang.

Dubai $5,872
Padang $1,372

Living in Dubai is roughly 367% more expensive than in Padang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 115% above, Padang is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$1.64 Rp 29.6K

672.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$15.72 Rp 283.0K

419.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$2.92 Rp 52.5K

219.86%

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$1.44 Rp 26.0K

309.03%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$0.41 Rp 7,394

312.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$0.22 Rp 3,925

254.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

$2.14 Rp 38.6K

538.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

$3.74 Rp 67.3K

260.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$1.14 Rp 20.5K

61.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$1.04 Rp 18.7K

44.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$0.96 Rp 17.4K

167.71%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$1.49 Rp 26.8K

122.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$6.82 Rp 122.8K

84.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$2.88 Rp 51.8K

235.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$6.49 Rp 116.9K

96.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$2.51 Rp 45.2K

3.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$1.24 Rp 22.4K

53.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$1.73 Rp 31.2K

10.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$1.24 Rp 22.4K

10.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$1.15 Rp 20.6K

-1.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$1.84 Rp 33.2K

-45.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

80.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$0.40 Rp 7,241

67.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$2.72 Rp 48.9K

116.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

$21.21 Rp 381.7K

-23.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

$1.73 Rp 31.1K

57.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$3.28 Rp 59.1K

-6.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$0.29 Rp 5,254

451.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$0.52 Rp 9,417

523.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$0.35 Rp 6,239

102.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$2.77 Rp 49.8K

187.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$0.95 Rp 17.0K

3.16%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$20.4K Rp 366.6M

34.46%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$32.7K Rp 588.6M

-32.63%

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

$249 AED 913

$67.6 Rp 1.2M

267.66%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$4.97 Rp 89.5K

995.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$20.99 Rp 377.8K

335.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

$19.55 Rp 351.9K

428.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

$8.88 Rp 159.9K

376.58%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$2.60 Rp 46.7K

526.54%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

949.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$8,325 Rp 149.8M

119.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$42.73 Rp 769.2K

56.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$26.93 Rp 484.8K

115.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$63.8 Rp 1.1M

60.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$72.4 Rp 1.3M

36.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$206 Rp 3.7M

1060.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$154 Rp 2.8M

896.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

$494 Rp 8.9M

829.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$391 Rp 7.0M

652.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

$1,124 Rp 20.2M

526.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

$706 Rp 12.7M

498.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

$165 Rp 3.0M

1996.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

9.46

-52.01%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Padang: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Padang

$154 24.8% 90% $1.4K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Padang

$94 15.1% 76.3% $301

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Padang

$60 9.7% 80.4% $245

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Padang

$192 31% 34.2% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Padang

$93 14.9% 36.8% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Padang

$25 4% 81.8% $111

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Padang

$3.4 * 0.6% 96.2% $86

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,393 in Dubai and $206 in Padang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 1996% 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 $16.00 in Padang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $192 per month, with Padang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇮🇩 Padang

🕒 Local time

11:02 11:02 AM

14:02 2:02 PM

3 h ahead of Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

1,000,096

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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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Highest

Between locations

Dubai Padang 5,650 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Padang

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 Padang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Padang is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 367% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1996% 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 $206 in Padang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Dubai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,896 per month in Dubai versus $620 in Padang – a 367% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $620 in Padang versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Padang but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Padang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Padang 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 Padang 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 Padang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 367% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.