Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Ras al-Khaimah

For one person, living is cheaper in Ras al-Khaimah: $1,840 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 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
89

Cost of Living Index in Ras al-Khaimah
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Ras al-Khaimah Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Ras al-Khaimah

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$1,840

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Ras al-Khaimah

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 Ras al-Khaimah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $1,840 in Ras al-Khaimah.

Dubai $2,896
Ras al-Khaimah $1,840

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $2,803 in Ras al-Khaimah.

Dubai $4,384
Ras al-Khaimah $2,803

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $3,767 in Ras al-Khaimah.

Dubai $5,872
Ras al-Khaimah $3,767

Living in Dubai is roughly 57% more expensive than in Ras al-Khaimah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dubai 115% above, Ras al-Khaimah 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$13.76 AED 50.5

-7.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$40.26 AED 148

102.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$7.53 AED 27.64

24.04%

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$5.51 AED 20.22

6.90%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$1.11 AED 4.08

52.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$0.48 AED 1.76

62.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

$10.16 AED 37.32

34.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

$9.70 AED 35.63

39.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$1.63 AED 6.00

12.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$2.08 AED 7.65

-27.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$1.96 AED 7.20

31.12%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$2.35 AED 8.62

41.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$12.68 AED 46.57

-0.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$9.95 AED 36.56

-2.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$15.46 AED 56.8

-17.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$2.01 AED 7.39

29.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$1.67 AED 6.14

13.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$1.55 AED 5.69

23.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$1.36 AED 4.98

0.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$0.96 AED 3.54

17.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$0.87 AED 3.20

16.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$1.74 AED 6.39

-17.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$0.44 AED 1.61

52.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$6.97 AED 25.61

-15.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

$13.58 AED 49.89

18.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

$2.63 AED 9.66

3.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$2.88 AED 10.56

6.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$2.12 AED 7.80

-24.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

$114 AED 419

-33.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$1.69 AED 6.21

91.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$0.80 AED 2.93

-11.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$8.16 AED 29.96

-2.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$0.93 AED 3.41

5.38%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$45.8K AED 168.2K

-40.21%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$22.3K AED 82.0K

-1.35%

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

$249 AED 913

$121 AED 444

105.46%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$44.73 AED 164

21.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$79.4 AED 291

15.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

$57.9 AED 213

78.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

$40.22 AED 148

5.22%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$12.72 AED 46.70

28.07%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$299 AED 1,099

181.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$4,462 AED 16.4K

309.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$80.6 AED 296

-16.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$53.1 AED 195

9.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$119 AED 438

-14.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$117 AED 430

-15.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$767 AED 2,819

211.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$657 AED 2,413

133.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

$1,660 AED 6,095

176.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$1,243 AED 4,563

136.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

$5,007 AED 18.4K

40.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

$1,962 AED 7,207

115.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

$1,577 AED 5,791

119.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

4.92

-7.72%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ras al-Khaimah: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Ras al-Khaimah

$657 35.7% 57.1% $876

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Ras al-Khaimah

$245 13.3% 37.9% $149

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Ras al-Khaimah

$275 15% 9.8% $30

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Ras al-Khaimah

$285 15.5% 2.4% $7

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Ras al-Khaimah

$167 9.1% 13.7% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Ras al-Khaimah

$83 4.5% 38.7% $53

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Ras al-Khaimah

$128 7% 44% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,393 in Dubai and $767 in Ras al-Khaimah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 119% 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 $40.00 in Ras al-Khaimah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $285 per month, with Ras al-Khaimah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇦🇪 Ras al-Khaimah

🕒 Local time

09:01 9:01 AM

Same time as Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

241,000

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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 Ras al-Khaimah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ras al-Khaimah is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. The 57% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 119% 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 $767 in Ras al-Khaimah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ras al-Khaimah runs roughly 50% 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 $299 in Ras al-Khaimah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,840 in Ras al-Khaimah versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Ras al-Khaimah but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Ras al-Khaimah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ras al-Khaimah 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 Ras al-Khaimah 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 Ras al-Khaimah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.