Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Rostov-on-Don

For one person, living is cheaper in Rostov-on-Don: $1,137 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $21,100 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
55

Cost of Living Index in Rostov-on-Don
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Rostov-on-Don Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Rostov-on-Don

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,137

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Rostov-on-Don

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 Rostov-on-Don actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $1,137 in Rostov-on-Don.

Dubai $2,896
Rostov-on-Don $1,137

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $1,585 in Rostov-on-Don.

Dubai $4,384
Rostov-on-Don $1,585

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $2,032 in Rostov-on-Don.

Dubai $5,872
Rostov-on-Don $2,032

Living in Dubai is roughly 155% more expensive than in Rostov-on-Don, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 115% above, Rostov-on-Don is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$10.91 ₽911

16.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$24.73 ₽2,064

230.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$5.66 ₽472

65.02%

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$2.83 ₽236

108.13%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$1.10 ₽91.9

53.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$0.48 ₽39.90

62.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

$1.16 ₽97.0

1077.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

$2.90 ₽242

365.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$1.08 ₽90.1

70.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$0.72 ₽60.0

108.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$1.26 ₽105

103.97%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$1.41 ₽117

135.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$9.38 ₽783

34.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$5.08 ₽424

90.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$8.03 ₽670

59.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$1.41 ₽117

84.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$1.79 ₽149

6.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$1.42 ₽119

34.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$2.27 ₽190

-39.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$0.67 ₽56.0

68.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$0.59 ₽49.05

71.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$1.03 ₽86.2

39.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$0.65 ₽54.6

3.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$2.70 ₽226

117.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

$6.10 ₽509

164.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

$0.87 ₽72.7

212.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$1.97 ₽165

56.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$0.53 ₽44.36

201.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

$14.26 ₽1,190

432.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$3.59 ₽300

-9.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$0.14 ₽11.52

407.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$3.91 ₽327

103.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$0.82 ₽68.4

19.51%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$28.8K ₽2.4M

-4.75%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$31.3K ₽2.6M

-29.65%

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

$249 AED 913

$124 ₽10.3K

100.81%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$7.20 ₽601

655.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$8.59 ₽717

964.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

$33.15 ₽2,767

211.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

$20.83 ₽1,739

103.17%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$5.38 ₽449

202.79%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$363 ₽30.3K

132.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$55.2 ₽4,605

21.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$44.18 ₽3,687

31.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$107 ₽8,917

-4.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$104 ₽8,685

-5.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$624 ₽52.1K

283.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$460 ₽38.4K

232.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

$895 ₽74.7K

413.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$568 ₽47.4K

417.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

$2,317 ₽193.3K

204.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

$1,465 ₽122.3K

188.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

$822 ₽68.6K

320.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

19.83

-77.11%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Rostov-on-Don: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Rostov-on-Don

$460 40.5% 70% $1.1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Rostov-on-Don

$140 12.3% 64.6% $255

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Rostov-on-Don

$156 13.7% 48.8% $149

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Rostov-on-Don

$177 15.5% 39.4% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Rostov-on-Don

$140 12.3% 4.7% $7

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Rostov-on-Don

$44 3.9% 67.7% $92

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Rostov-on-Don

$21 1.8% 76.8% $68

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,393 in Dubai and $624 in Rostov-on-Don. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 321% 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 $25.00 in Rostov-on-Don for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $177 per month, with Rostov-on-Don cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇷🇺 Rostov-on-Don

🕒 Local time

12:48 12:48 PM

11:48 11:48 AM

1 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

1,114,806

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, 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).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dubai Rostov-on-Don 2,820 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Rostov-on-Don

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 Rostov-on-Don: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rostov-on-Don is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 155% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 321% 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 $624 in Rostov-on-Don. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Rostov-on-Don runs roughly 433% 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 $363 in Rostov-on-Don. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,137 in Rostov-on-Don versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Rostov-on-Don but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Rostov-on-Don the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Rostov-on-Don 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 Rostov-on-Don 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 Rostov-on-Don gentler on the wallet – expenses run 155% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.