Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Poipet

For one person, living is cheaper in Poipet: $514 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $28,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Dubai
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates
$2,896
/mo nomad
Poipet
🇰🇭 Cambodia
$514
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Poipet

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $514 in Poipet.

  • Dubai $2,896
  • Poipet $514

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $808 in Poipet.

  • Dubai $4,384
  • Poipet $808

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $1,102 in Poipet.

  • Dubai $5,872
  • Poipet $1,102

Living in Dubai is roughly 463% more expensive than in Poipet, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 115% above, Poipet is 62% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dubai
Poipet
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.67 AED 46.55
$2.44 ៛9,901
419.26%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$81.7 AED 300
$20.36 ៛82.7K
301.38%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.34 AED 34.30
$5.92 ៛24.0K
57.77%
Cappuccino
$5.89 AED 21.62
$1.62 ៛6,593
263.58%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.69 AED 6.20
$0.66 ៛2,687
156.06%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 AED 2.86
$0.46 ៛1,854
69.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$13.66 AED 50.2
$1.03 ៛4,178
1226.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$13.49 AED 49.54
$1.99 ៛8,078
577.89%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dubai
Poipet
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.84 AED 6.78
$2.20 ៛8,947
-16.36%
White Bread (500g)
$1.50 AED 5.50
$1.69 ៛6,880
-11.24%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.57 AED 9.45
$0.95 ៛3,842
170.53%
Eggs
$3.32 AED 12.18
$1.69 ៛6,849
96.45%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.60 AED 46.28
$15.61 ៛63.4K
-19.28%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.66 AED 35.46
$2.90 ៛11.8K
233.10%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.78 AED 46.93
$10.22 ៛41.5K
25.05%
Apples (1kg)
$2.60 AED 9.54
$4.19 ៛17.0K
-37.95%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 AED 6.99
$1.21 ៛4,929
57.02%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.91 AED 7.02
$3.72 ៛15.1K
-48.66%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.37 AED 5.02
$1.10 ៛4,465
24.55%
Potato (1kg)
$1.13 AED 4.14
$1.33 ៛5,388
-15.04%
Onion (1kg)
$1.01 AED 3.71
$1.07 ៛4,365
-5.61%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 AED 5.30
$1.37 ៛5,549
5.11%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67 AED 2.48
$0.76 ៛3,070
-11.84%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.88 AED 21.59
$1.35 ៛5,500
335.56%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.15 AED 59.3
$7.69 ៛31.2K
110.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.72 AED 10.00
$1.04 ៛4,204
161.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.08 AED 11.32
$2.23 ៛9,064
38.12%
🚌 Getting Around
Dubai
Poipet
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.60 AED 5.87
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.0 AED 279
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.24 AED 11.91
$1.97 ៛8,012
64.47%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.71 AED 2.61
$1.02 ៛4,139
-30.39%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.96 AED 29.22
$5.10 ៛20.7K
56.08%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.98 AED 3.62
$1.25 ៛5,086
-21.60%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.4K AED 100.6K
$25.0K ៛101.6M
9.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.0K AED 80.9K
$22.6K ៛92.0M
-2.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dubai
Poipet
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$249 AED 913
$101 ៛410.4K
145.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$54.4 AED 200
$5.74 ៛23.3K
848.26%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$91.5 AED 336
$15.57 ៛63.2K
487.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dubai
Poipet
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$103 AED 380
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$42.32 AED 155
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$16.29 AED 59.8
$4.98 ៛20.2K
227.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dubai
Poipet
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$844 AED 3,098
$284 ៛1.2M
196.64%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.3K AED 67.1K
$4,389 ៛17.8M
316.10%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dubai
Poipet
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.0 AED 246
$26.59 ៛108.0K
151.94%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.9 AED 213
$13.15 ៛53.4K
340.61%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 AED 375
$68.6 ៛278.7K
48.78%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.7 AED 363
$44.16 ៛179.4K
123.55%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dubai
Poipet
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,393 AED 8,788
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,533 AED 5,630
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,594 AED 16.9K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,939 AED 10.8K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,046 AED 25.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,222 AED 15.5K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dubai
Poipet
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,461 AED 12.7K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.54
9.2
-50.65%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Poipet: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Dubai
$1.5K
Poipet
- * 100%
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dubai
$394
Poipet
$122 69% $272
Eating Out
Dubai
$305
Poipet
$70 77% $235
Groceries & Markets
Dubai
$292
Poipet
$236 19.2% $56
Clothing & Footwear
Dubai
$147
Poipet
$69 53.2% $78
Sport & Entertainment
Dubai
$136
Poipet
$10 * 92.7% $126
Getting Around
Dubai
$89
Poipet
$7.1 * 92.1% $82

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $82.0 in Dubai vs $20.00 in Poipet for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $236 per month, with Poipet cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇦🇪 Dubai
🇰🇭 Poipet
🕒 Local time
01:34 1:34 AM
04:34 4:34 AM
3 h ahead of Dubai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,790,000
98,934
💱 Currency
UAE Dirham AED د.إ
Exchange rates and currency converter

KHR, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

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).

Cambodian Riel exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4,062 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.46 USD). 1 EUR = 4,567 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Dubai Poipet 5,100 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Dubai
  • Poipet

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 Poipet: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Poipet cheaper than Dubai?
Poipet is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 463% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $4,344 in Dubai and $771 in Poipet to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do food prices compare in Dubai and in Poipet?
Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Dubai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Dubai and in Poipet?
All in, you'll spend $2,896 per month in Dubai versus $514 in Poipet – a 463% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Dubai or in Poipet?
At $514 in Poipet versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Poipet but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Poipet the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Dubai or Poipet more family-friendly?
For families, Poipet 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.
Which city is safer, Dubai or Poipet?
Safety-wise, Dubai and Poipet are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Poipet gentler on the wallet – expenses run 463% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Dubai vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?