Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Stavanger

For one person, living is cheaper in Dubai: $2,854 a month against $3,140 in Stavanger, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. The total is higher in Stavanger despite lower rent and utilities.

139

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index
153

Cost of Living Index in Stavanger
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Stavanger Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,854

/mo nomad

Stavanger

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,140

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Stavanger

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,854 in Dubai versus $3,140 in Stavanger.

Dubai $2,854
Stavanger $3,140

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,321 in Dubai versus $4,513 in Stavanger.

Dubai $4,321
Stavanger $4,513

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,788 in Dubai versus $5,886 in Stavanger.

Dubai $5,788
Stavanger $5,886

Living in Dubai costs roughly 9% less than in Stavanger, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dubai 113% above, Stavanger 134% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.04 AED 47.89

$24.58 NOK 235

-46.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 AED 299

$97.3 NOK 929

-16.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.32 AED 34.25

$15.95 NOK 152

-41.57%

Cappuccino

$5.97 AED 21.93

$6.25 NOK 59.7

-4.48%

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

$1.63 AED 5.98

$5.41 NOK 51.7

-69.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 AED 2.99

$4.25 NOK 40.57

-80.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.65 AED 50.1

$13.66 NOK 130

-0.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.38 AED 49.15

$11.78 NOK 112

13.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 AED 6.64

$2.37 NOK 22.61

-23.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 AED 5.78

$3.47 NOK 33.14

-54.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 AED 9.16

$3.83 NOK 36.59

-34.99%

Eggs

$3.28 AED 12.04

$4.70 NOK 44.87

-30.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.67 AED 46.53

$14.36 NOK 137

-11.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.75 AED 35.80

$16.81 NOK 161

-42.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.18 AED 48.40

$34.43 NOK 329

-61.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 AED 9.57

$3.42 NOK 32.68

-23.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 AED 7.09

$2.72 NOK 26.00

-29.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 AED 7.05

$3.54 NOK 33.78

-45.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 AED 5.00

$4.91 NOK 46.90

-72.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 AED 4.29

$2.55 NOK 24.35

-54.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$3.12 NOK 29.79

-67.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 AED 5.56

$2.81 NOK 26.81

-46.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 AED 2.29

$2.34 NOK 22.33

-73.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.85 AED 21.50

$17.13 NOK 164

-65.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.14 AED 59.3

$18.45 NOK 176

-12.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 AED 9.74

$3.72 NOK 35.54

-28.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 AED 10.82

$4.45 NOK 42.52

-33.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 AED 6.03

$4.76 NOK 45.49

-65.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.6 AED 270

$87.0 NOK 831

-15.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 AED 11.66

$6.09 NOK 58.2

-47.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.63

$1.75 NOK 16.69

-59.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.23

$103 NOK 981

-92.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 AED 3.64

$2.36 NOK 22.50

-58.05%

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

$27.4K AED 100.5K

$47.3K NOK 451.6K

-42.12%

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

$22.5K AED 82.8K

$40.4K NOK 386.0K

-44.23%

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

$250 AED 920

$245 NOK 2,337

2.33%

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

$54.2 AED 199

$35.29 NOK 337

53.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.8 AED 337

$81.6 NOK 779

12.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 AED 362

$50.3 NOK 480

96.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.61 AED 156

$36.81 NOK 352

15.76%

Cinema Ticket

$16.03 AED 58.9

$22.03 NOK 210

-27.24%

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

$843 AED 3,098

$322 NOK 3,080

161.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$14.1K NOK 134.4K

29.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 AED 250

$127 NOK 1,212

-46.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$60.1 NOK 574

-3.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 AED 370

$153 NOK 1,459

-34.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 AED 371

$204 NOK 1,948

-50.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,380 AED 8,741

$1,658 NOK 15.8K

43.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 AED 5,531

$1,380 NOK 13.2K

9.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,437 AED 16.3K

$2,766 NOK 26.4K

60.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,010 AED 11.1K

$2,016 NOK 19.3K

49.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,121 AED 26.2K

$6,196 NOK 59.2K

14.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,135 AED 15.2K

$5,307 NOK 50.7K

-22.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,391 AED 12.5K

$4,951 NOK 47.3K

-31.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

5.27

-13.85%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 5, 2026

Last update for Stavanger: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.5%

Stavanger

$1.4K 43.6% 8.4% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$396 13.8%

Stavanger

$362 11.4% 8.8% $35

Eating Out

Dubai

$309 10.8%

Stavanger

$450 14.2% 45.8% $141

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$293 10.2%

Stavanger

$513 16.2% 75.1% $220

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Stavanger

$245 7.7% 66% $97

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$131 4.6%

Stavanger

$94 3% 27.8% $36

Getting Around

Dubai

$87 3%

Stavanger

$121 3.8% 39.1% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,380 in Dubai and $1,658 in Stavanger. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 46% 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 $97.0 in Stavanger for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $513 per month, with Dubai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇳🇴 Stavanger

🕒 Local time

12:22 12:22 PM

10:22 10:22 AM

2 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

149,330

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

100 NOK = 10.47 USD

100 NOK = 9.34 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, 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).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.55 NOK (1 NOK = 0.105 USD). 1 EUR = 10.71 NOK (100 NOK = 9.34 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Dubai Stavanger 5,360 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Stavanger

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 Stavanger: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dubai is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 46% lower in Stavanger. 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 $1,658 in Stavanger. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Dubai runs roughly 18% less than in Stavanger. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $843 in Dubai versus $322 in Stavanger. 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 Stavanger, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Dubai and Stavanger 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 10% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.