Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Qatif

For one person, living is cheaper in Qatif: $1,102 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $21,500 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
54

Cost of Living Index in Qatif
Learn more

Qatif Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Qatif

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,102

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Qatif

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $1,102 in Qatif.

Dubai $2,896
Qatif $1,102

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $1,642 in Qatif.

Dubai $4,384
Qatif $1,642

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $2,183 in Qatif.

Dubai $5,872
Qatif $2,183

Living in Dubai is roughly 163% more expensive than in Qatif, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 115% above, Qatif is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$3.48 SAR 13.07

264.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$34.45 SAR 129

137.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$6.59 SAR 24.75

41.73%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 SAR 6.84

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 SAR 8.60

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$3.15 SAR 11.81

86.98%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$0.78 SAR 2.92

116.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$0.20 SAR 0.76

290.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$1.81 SAR 6.78

1.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$0.97 SAR 3.63

54.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$1.86 SAR 6.96

38.17%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$2.12 SAR 7.94

56.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$5.96 SAR 22.35

111.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$7.77 SAR 29.16

24.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$12.73 SAR 47.77

0.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$2.20 SAR 8.25

18.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$1.70 SAR 6.36

11.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$1.58 SAR 5.94

20.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$0.69 SAR 2.59

98.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$1.12 SAR 4.19

0.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$1.15 SAR 4.32

-12.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$0.97 SAR 3.66

48.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$0.55 SAR 2.06

21.82%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.71 SAR 10.18

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SAR 5.42

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 SAR 7.98

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$6.24 SAR 23.42

-5.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$1.10 SAR 4.13

45.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

$36.81 SAR 138

106.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$2.42 SAR 9.09

33.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$0.55 SAR 2.07

29.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$13.11 SAR 49.19

-39.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$0.62 SAR 2.34

58.06%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$35.9K SAR 134.6K

-23.66%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$20.7K SAR 77.8K

6.23%

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

$249 AED 913

$107 SAR 400

132.94%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$32.52 SAR 122

67.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$58.1 SAR 218

57.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

$81.9 SAR 307

26.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

$21.75 SAR 81.6

94.57%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$13.33 SAR 50.0

22.21%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$268 SAR 1,005

214.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$8,092 SAR 30.4K

125.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$31.99 SAR 120

109.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$21.32 SAR 80.0

171.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$96.9 SAR 364

5.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$90.0 SAR 338

9.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$575 SAR 2,159

315.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$367 SAR 1,375

318.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

$832 SAR 3,121

452.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$573 SAR 2,151

412.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

$976 SAR 3,663

621.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

$790 SAR 2,963

434.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

$2,275 SAR 8,537

52.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

5.5

-17.45%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Qatif: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Qatif

$367 33.3% 76.1% $1.2K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Qatif

$197 17.9% 50% $197

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Qatif

$89 8.1% 70.7% $216

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Qatif

$186 16.9% 36.3% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Qatif

$108 9.8% 26.2% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Qatif

$109 9.9% 20.2% $27

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Qatif

$46 4.2% 48% $43

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,393 in Dubai and $575 in Qatif. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 52% 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 $34.00 in Qatif for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $186 per month, with Qatif cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇸🇦 Qatif

🕒 Local time

20:04 8:04 PM

19:04 7:04 PM

1 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

87,332

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dubai Qatif 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Qatif

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 Qatif: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Qatif is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 163% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 52% 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 $575 in Qatif. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Qatif runs roughly 106% 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 $268 in Qatif. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,102 in Qatif versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Qatif but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Qatif the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Qatif 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 Qatif 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 Qatif gentler on the wallet – expenses run 163% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.