Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Raanana

For one person, living is cheaper in Raanana: $1,272 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $19,500 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
62

Cost of Living Index in Raanana
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Raanana Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Raanana

🇮🇱 Israel

$1,272

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Raanana

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $1,272 in Raanana.

Dubai $2,896
Raanana $1,272

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $3,023 in Raanana.

Dubai $4,384
Raanana $3,023

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $4,773 in Raanana.

Dubai $5,872
Raanana $4,773

Living in Dubai is roughly 128% more expensive than in Raanana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 115% above, Raanana is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$22.42 ₪69.7

-43.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$96.7 ₪301

-15.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$20.10 ₪62.5

-53.53%

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$3.93 ₪12.22

49.87%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$2.22 ₪6.90

-23.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$2.26 ₪7.03

-65.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

$4.77 ₪14.86

186.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

$5.87 ₪18.28

129.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$2.28 ₪7.09

-19.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$2.41 ₪7.50

-37.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$2.28 ₪7.08

12.72%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$4.03 ₪12.55

-17.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$22.30 ₪69.4

-43.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$13.32 ₪41.45

-27.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$28.78 ₪89.5

-55.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$4.31 ₪13.42

-39.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$3.95 ₪12.28

-51.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$2.43 ₪7.57

-21.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$2.97 ₪9.25

-53.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$1.70 ₪5.30

-33.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$1.37 ₪4.26

-26.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$3.40 ₪10.58

-57.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$0.99 ₪3.07

-32.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$14.10 ₪43.88

-58.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

$10.85 ₪33.76

48.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

$2.84 ₪8.83

-4.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$2.45 ₪7.64

25.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$2.55 ₪7.92

-37.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$2.55 ₪7.95

27.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$1.28 ₪3.97

-44.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$41.28 ₪128

-80.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$2.54 ₪7.90

-61.42%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$57.2K ₪178.0K

-52.13%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$58.0K ₪180.4K

-62.00%

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

$249 AED 913

$262 ₪815

-5.19%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$11.44 ₪35.58

375.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$44.34 ₪138

106.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$12.85 ₪39.97

26.77%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$1,144 ₪3,558

-26.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$24.6K ₪76.6K

-25.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$37.98 ₪118

76.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$41.29 ₪128

40.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$98.7 ₪307

3.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$118 ₪367

-16.34%

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

$2,190 ₪6,815

109.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$1,857 ₪5,776

58.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

$13.6K ₪42.3K

-48.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

$3,912 ₪12.2K

-11.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

-9.20%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Raanana: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Raanana

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Raanana

$318 25% 19.4% $77

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Raanana

$340 26.8% 11.5% $35

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Raanana

$436 34.3% 49.5% $144

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Raanana

$133 10.5% 9.1% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Raanana

$26 * 2% 81.1% $110

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Raanana

$19 * 1.5% 78.6% $70

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

Cost Breakdown

Raanana pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $82.0 in Dubai vs $97.0 in Raanana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $436 per month, with Dubai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇮🇱 Raanana

🕒 Local time

09:08 9:08 AM

08:08 8:08 AM

1 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

91,534

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

1 ILS = 0.321 USD

1 ILS = 0.286 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ILS, 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).

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.11 ILS (1 ILS = 0.321 USD). 1 EUR = 3.5 ILS (1 ILS = 0.286 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Dubai Raanana 2,130 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Raanana

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 Raanana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Raanana is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, utilities, and leisure. The 128% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 13% lower in Raanana. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Shoppers in Dubai pay roughly 49% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,896 per month in Dubai versus $1,272 in Raanana – a 128% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,272 in Raanana versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Raanana but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Raanana the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Raanana 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 Raanana 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 Raanana gentler on the wallet – expenses run 128% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.