Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and St. Gallen

For one person, living is cheaper in Dubai: $2,854 a month against $3,632 in St. Gallen, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

139

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index
178

Cost of Living Index in St. Gallen
Learn more

St. Gallen Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,854

/mo nomad

St. Gallen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,632

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in St. Gallen

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,854 in Dubai versus $3,632 in St. Gallen.

Dubai $2,854
St. Gallen $3,632

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,321 in Dubai versus $5,284 in St. Gallen.

Dubai $4,321
St. Gallen $5,284

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,788 in Dubai versus $6,937 in St. Gallen.

Dubai $5,788
St. Gallen $6,937

Living in Dubai costs roughly 21% less than in St. Gallen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dubai 113% above, St. Gallen 171% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.04 AED 47.89

$29.41 CHF 24.41

-55.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 AED 299

$145 CHF 121

-44.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.32 AED 34.25

$17.82 CHF 14.79

-47.70%

Cappuccino

$5.97 AED 21.93

$5.99 CHF 4.97

-0.33%

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

$1.63 AED 5.98

$5.81 CHF 4.83

-71.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 AED 2.99

$5.33 CHF 4.42

-84.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.65 AED 50.1

$9.23 CHF 7.66

47.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.38 AED 49.15

$6.17 CHF 5.12

116.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 AED 6.64

$2.23 CHF 1.85

-18.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 AED 5.78

$3.18 CHF 2.64

-50.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 AED 9.16

$3.68 CHF 3.06

-32.34%

Eggs

$3.28 AED 12.04

$7.68 CHF 6.37

-57.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.67 AED 46.53

$25.41 CHF 21.09

-50.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.75 AED 35.80

$28.97 CHF 24.05

-66.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.18 AED 48.40

$38.85 CHF 32.25

-66.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 AED 9.57

$3.16 CHF 2.62

-17.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 AED 7.09

$1.61 CHF 1.33

19.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 AED 7.05

$2.31 CHF 1.92

-16.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 AED 5.00

$6.01 CHF 4.99

-77.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 AED 4.29

$1.70 CHF 1.41

-31.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$2.16 CHF 1.80

-53.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 AED 5.56

$2.16 CHF 1.79

-30.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 AED 2.29

$1.18 CHF 0.98

-47.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.85 AED 21.50

$10.65 CHF 8.84

-45.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.14 AED 59.3

$11.32 CHF 9.39

42.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 AED 9.74

$2.18 CHF 1.81

21.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 AED 10.82

$2.31 CHF 1.92

27.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 AED 6.03

$4.17 CHF 3.46

-60.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.6 AED 270

$128 CHF 106

-42.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 AED 11.66

$6.64 CHF 5.51

-52.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.63

$4.79 CHF 3.98

-85.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.23

$77.3 CHF 64.2

-89.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 AED 3.64

$2.22 CHF 1.84

-55.41%

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

$27.4K AED 100.5K

$35.3K CHF 29.3K

-22.50%

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

$22.5K AED 82.8K

$39.5K CHF 32.7K

-42.87%

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

$250 AED 920

$305 CHF 253

-17.92%

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

$54.2 AED 199

$38.46 CHF 31.92

41.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.8 AED 337

$54.2 CHF 44.95

69.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 AED 362

$80.7 CHF 67.0

22.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.61 AED 156

Cinema Ticket

$16.03 AED 58.9

$30.32 CHF 25.16

-47.13%

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

$843 AED 3,098

$2,308 CHF 1,915

-63.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$31.8K CHF 26.4K

-42.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 AED 250

$146 CHF 122

-53.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$64.6 CHF 53.7

-10.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 AED 370

$147 CHF 122

-31.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 AED 371

$179 CHF 148

-43.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,380 AED 8,741

$1,734 CHF 1,439

37.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 AED 5,531

$1,698 CHF 1,410

-11.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,437 AED 16.3K

$2,854 CHF 2,369

55.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,010 AED 11.1K

$2,153 CHF 1,787

39.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,121 AED 26.2K

$12.1K CHF 10.0K

-41.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,135 AED 15.2K

$9,070 CHF 7,528

-54.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,391 AED 12.5K

$6,528 CHF 5,418

-48.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

2.1

116.19%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 5, 2026

Last update for St. Gallen: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.5%

St. Gallen

$1.7K 46% 12.8% $193

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$396 13.8%

St. Gallen

$398 10.8% 0.3% $1.3

Eating Out

Dubai

$309 10.8%

St. Gallen

$464 12.6% 50.2% $155

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$293 10.2%

St. Gallen

$572 15.5% 95.5% $280

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

St. Gallen

$242 6.6% 63.9% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$131 4.6%

St. Gallen

$141 3.8% 8.1% $11

Getting Around

Dubai

$87 3%

St. Gallen

$176 4.8% 102% $89

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,380 in Dubai and $1,734 in St. Gallen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St. Gallen pays 93% 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: $81.0 in Dubai vs $145 in St. Gallen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $572 per month, with Dubai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇨🇭 St. Gallen

🕒 Local time

12:24 12:24 PM

10:24 10:24 AM

2 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

78,213

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

1 CHF = 1.2 USD

1 CHF = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.12 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.83 CHF (1 CHF = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 0.931 CHF (1 CHF = 1.07 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Dubai St. Gallen 4,710 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
St. Gallen

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 St. Gallen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dubai is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 93% lower in St. Gallen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,380 in Dubai versus $1,734 in St. Gallen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Dubai runs roughly 74% less than in St. Gallen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $843 in Dubai versus $2,308 in St. Gallen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Dubai is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Dubai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in St. Gallen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Dubai and St. Gallen 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 Dubai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in St. Gallen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.