Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Pekanbaru

For one person, living is cheaper in Pekanbaru: $628 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $27,200 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Pekanbaru
Learn more

Pekanbaru Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Pekanbaru

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$628

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Pekanbaru

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $628 in Pekanbaru.

Dubai $2,896
Pekanbaru $628

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $983 in Pekanbaru.

Dubai $4,384
Pekanbaru $983

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $1,339 in Pekanbaru.

Dubai $5,872
Pekanbaru $1,339

Living in Dubai is roughly 361% more expensive than in Pekanbaru, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 115% above, Pekanbaru is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$1.43 Rp 25.8K

786.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$8.20 Rp 147.6K

896.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$2.41 Rp 43.4K

287.55%

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$1.30 Rp 23.3K

353.08%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$0.58 Rp 10.4K

191.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$0.33 Rp 5,954

136.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

$2.07 Rp 37.3K

559.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

291.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$1.30 Rp 23.3K

41.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$1.15 Rp 20.6K

30.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$0.89 Rp 16.1K

188.76%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$1.68 Rp 30.3K

97.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$7.30 Rp 131.3K

72.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$2.37 Rp 42.7K

307.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$6.49 Rp 116.9K

96.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$2.70 Rp 48.5K

-3.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$1.70 Rp 30.6K

11.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$2.41 Rp 43.4K

-20.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$1.27 Rp 22.8K

7.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$1.24 Rp 22.3K

-8.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

-47.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

92.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$0.35 Rp 6,350

91.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$2.16 Rp 38.9K

172.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

$21.45 Rp 386.0K

-24.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

42.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$3.01 Rp 54.2K

2.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$0.29 Rp 5,230

451.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

$8.44 Rp 152.0K

799.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$0.92 Rp 16.6K

252.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$0.40 Rp 7,154

77.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$2.68 Rp 48.2K

197.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$0.76 Rp 13.6K

28.95%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$23.3K Rp 418.9M

17.67%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$26.0K Rp 468.5M

-15.36%

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

$249 AED 913

$62.1 Rp 1.1M

300.29%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$5.99 Rp 107.9K

808.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$23.78 Rp 428.1K

284.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

$28.34 Rp 510.2K

264.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

$8.31 Rp 149.7K

409.27%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$3.03 Rp 54.6K

437.62%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$96.0 Rp 1.7M

778.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$7,773 Rp 139.9M

134.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$31.96 Rp 575.3K

109.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$28.42 Rp 511.6K

103.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$54.8 Rp 985.5K

86.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$80.8 Rp 1.5M

22.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$262 Rp 4.7M

814.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$145 Rp 2.6M

958.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

$540 Rp 9.7M

750.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$356 Rp 6.4M

725.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

$1,070 Rp 19.3M

558.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

$807 Rp 14.5M

422.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

$176 Rp 3.2M

1866.29%

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 Pekanbaru: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Pekanbaru

$145 23.1% 90.6% $1.4K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Pekanbaru

$92 14.6% 76.7% $303

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Pekanbaru

$55 8.8% 81.9% $250

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Pekanbaru

$201 32% 31.1% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Pekanbaru

$88 14% 39.8% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Pekanbaru

$34 5.5% 74.7% $102

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Pekanbaru

$13 2% 86% $77

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,393 in Dubai and $262 in Pekanbaru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 1866% 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 Pekanbaru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $201 per month, with Pekanbaru cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇮🇩 Pekanbaru

🕒 Local time

07:55 7:55 AM

10:55 10:55 AM

3 h ahead of Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

1,020,308

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dubai Pekanbaru 5,660 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Pekanbaru

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 Pekanbaru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pekanbaru is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 361% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1866% 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 $262 in Pekanbaru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Pekanbaru runs roughly 800% 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 $96.0 in Pekanbaru. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $628 in Pekanbaru versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Pekanbaru but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Pekanbaru the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Pekanbaru 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 Pekanbaru 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 Pekanbaru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 361% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.