Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Port Said

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Said: $434 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $29,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Dubai
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates
$2,896
/mo nomad
Port Said
🇪🇬 Egypt
$434
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Port Said

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $434 in Port Said.

  • Dubai $2,896
  • Port Said $434

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $721 in Port Said.

  • Dubai $4,384
  • Port Said $721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $1,008 in Port Said.

  • Dubai $5,872
  • Port Said $1,008

Living in Dubai is roughly 567% more expensive than in Port Said, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 115% above, Port Said is 68% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dubai
Port Said
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.67 AED 46.55
$3.89 E£208
225.71%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$81.7 AED 300
$19.15 E£1,024
326.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.34 AED 34.30
$4.72 E£252
97.88%
Cappuccino
$5.89 AED 21.62
$1.25 E£67.0
371.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.69 AED 6.20
$0.32 E£17.15
428.12%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 AED 2.86
$0.11 E£5.89
609.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$13.66 AED 50.2
$1.31 E£70.0
942.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$13.49 AED 49.54
$2.79 E£149
383.51%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dubai
Port Said
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.84 AED 6.78
$0.78 E£41.84
135.90%
White Bread (500g)
$1.50 AED 5.50
$0.71 E£37.68
111.27%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.57 AED 9.45
$0.60 E£32.10
328.33%
Eggs
$3.32 AED 12.18
$1.18 E£63.0
181.36%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.60 AED 46.28
$3.92 E£209
221.43%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.66 AED 35.46
$3.73 E£199
158.98%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.78 AED 46.93
$7.85 E£419
62.80%
Apples (1kg)
$2.60 AED 9.54
$1.57 E£83.8
65.61%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 AED 6.99
$0.77 E£41.39
146.75%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.91 AED 7.02
$0.54 E£29.09
253.70%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.37 AED 5.02
$0.29 E£15.64
372.41%
Potato (1kg)
$1.13 AED 4.14
$0.20 E£10.68
465.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.01 AED 3.71
$0.32 E£17.14
215.63%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 AED 5.30
$0.27 E£14.58
433.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67 AED 2.48
$0.19 E£9.98
252.63%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.88 AED 21.59
$1.85 E£98.9
217.84%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.15 AED 59.3
$5.57 E£298
189.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.72 AED 10.00
$1.23 E£65.8
121.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.08 AED 11.32
$2.24 E£120
37.50%
🚌 Getting Around
Dubai
Port Said
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.60 AED 5.87
$0.19 E£10.09
742.11%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.0 AED 279
$2.31 E£124
3187.88%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.24 AED 11.91
$0.27 E£14.40
1100.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.71 AED 2.61
$0.20 E£10.52
255.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.96 AED 29.22
$1.20 E£64.3
563.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.98 AED 3.62
$0.29 E£15.56
237.93%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.4K AED 100.6K
$32.5K E£1.7M
-15.86%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.0K AED 80.9K
$27.3K E£1.5M
-19.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dubai
Port Said
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$249 AED 913
$14.32 E£765
1635.34%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$54.4 AED 200
$6.94 E£371
684.29%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$91.5 AED 336
$7.04 E£376
1199.29%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dubai
Port Said
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$103 AED 380
$16.43 E£878
529.34%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$42.32 AED 155
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$16.29 AED 59.8
$2.81 E£150
479.72%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dubai
Port Said
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$844 AED 3,098
$35.35 E£1,889
2286.20%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.3K AED 67.1K
$565 E£30.2K
3132.67%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dubai
Port Said
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.0 AED 246
$33.03 E£1,765
102.82%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.9 AED 213
$45.42 E£2,427
27.56%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 AED 375
$131 E£6,982
-21.86%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.7 AED 363
$55.5 E£2,967
77.81%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dubai
Port Said
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,393 AED 8,788
$135 E£7,198
1676.64%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,533 AED 5,630
$67.9 E£3,629
2157.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,594 AED 16.9K
$227 E£12.1K
1927.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,939 AED 10.8K
$139 E£7,404
2021.39%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,046 AED 25.9K
$770 E£41.1K
815.05%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,222 AED 15.5K
$357 E£19.1K
1082.09%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dubai
Port Said
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,461 AED 12.7K
$187 E£10.0K
1749.04%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.54
21.33
-78.72%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Port Said: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Dubai
$1.5K
Port Said
$68 95.6% $1.5K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dubai
$394
Port Said
$28 92.8% $366
Eating Out
Dubai
$305
Port Said
$74 75.7% $231
Groceries & Markets
Dubai
$292
Port Said
$118 59.4% $173
Clothing & Footwear
Dubai
$147
Port Said
$119 18.8% $27
Sport & Entertainment
Dubai
$136
Port Said
$22 83.8% $114
Getting Around
Dubai
$89
Port Said
$4.3 95.2% $85

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,393 in Dubai and $135 in Port Said. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 1749% 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 $19.00 in Port Said for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $118 per month, with Port Said cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇦🇪 Dubai
🇪🇬 Port Said
🕒 Local time
23:58 11:58 PM
22:58 10:58 PM
1 h behind Dubai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,790,000
538,378
💱 Currency
UAE Dirham AED د.إ
Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.11 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 53.44 EGP (100 EGP = 1.87 USD). 1 EUR = 59.84 EGP (100 EGP = 1.67 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Dubai Port Said 2,340 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Dubai
  • Port Said

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 Port Said: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Port Said cheaper than Dubai?
Port Said is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 567% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Dubai or Port Said?
Average pay runs 1749% higher in Dubai, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Dubai and Port Said?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,393 in Dubai versus $135 in Port Said. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Port Said runs roughly 3188% less than in Dubai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $844 in Dubai versus $35.35 in Port Said. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Dubai or in Port Said?
At $434 in Port Said versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Port Said but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Port Said the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Dubai or Port Said more family-friendly?
For families, Port Said 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 Port Said?
Safety-wise, Dubai and Port Said 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 Port Said gentler on the wallet – expenses run 567% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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