Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Tabuk

For one person, living is cheaper in Tabuk: $1,234 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $19,900 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
60

Cost of Living Index in Tabuk
Learn more

Tabuk Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Tabuk

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,234

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Tabuk

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $1,234 in Tabuk.

Dubai $2,896
Tabuk $1,234

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $1,834 in Tabuk.

Dubai $4,384
Tabuk $1,834

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $2,434 in Tabuk.

Dubai $5,872
Tabuk $2,434

Living in Dubai is roughly 135% more expensive than in Tabuk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 115% above, Tabuk is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$7.64 SAR 28.66

65.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$31.43 SAR 118

160.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$7.79 SAR 29.22

19.90%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.35 SAR 5.07

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 SAR 5.87

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$3.21 SAR 12.05

83.49%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$0.78 SAR 2.93

116.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$0.26 SAR 0.97

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$2.01 SAR 7.55

-8.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$0.92 SAR 3.46

63.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$2.74 SAR 10.28

-6.20%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$2.87 SAR 10.77

15.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$12.52 SAR 46.97

0.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$6.78 SAR 25.45

42.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$12.65 SAR 47.46

1.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$1.99 SAR 7.48

30.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$1.67 SAR 6.25

13.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$1.76 SAR 6.60

8.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$2.21 SAR 8.31

-38.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$1.69 SAR 6.35

-33.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$2.10 SAR 7.88

-51.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$1.90 SAR 7.12

-24.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$0.61 SAR 2.28

9.84%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.86 SAR 10.71

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 SAR 6.76

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 SAR 7.76

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$6.57 SAR 24.65

-10.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$1.05 SAR 3.94

52.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

$36.33 SAR 136

109.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$2.60 SAR 9.76

24.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$1.82 SAR 6.81

-60.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$13.43 SAR 50.4

-40.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$0.66 SAR 2.46

48.48%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$43.9K SAR 164.7K

-37.61%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$20.8K SAR 78.1K

5.84%

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

$249 AED 913

$102 SAR 385

142.51%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$37.35 SAR 140

45.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$77.0 SAR 289

18.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

$82.2 SAR 308

25.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$13.53 SAR 50.8

20.40%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$424 SAR 1,592

98.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$8,651 SAR 32.5K

111.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$41.90 SAR 157

59.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$54.5 SAR 204

6.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$95.3 SAR 357

7.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$86.8 SAR 326

13.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$343 SAR 1,286

598.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$380 SAR 1,427

303.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

$638 SAR 2,396

619.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$615 SAR 2,308

377.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

$2,358 SAR 8,848

198.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

$1,359 SAR 5,100

210.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

$1,712 SAR 6,423

102.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

5.54

-18.05%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Tabuk: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Tabuk

$380 30.8% 75.2% $1.2K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Tabuk

$217 17.6% 45% $178

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Tabuk

$127 10.3% 58.3% $178

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Tabuk

$223 18.1% 23.4% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Tabuk

$125 10.2% 14.5% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Tabuk

$109 8.9% 19.7% $27

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Tabuk

$52 4.2% 41.4% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,393 in Dubai and $343 in Tabuk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 102% 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 $31.00 in Tabuk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $223 per month, with Tabuk cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇸🇦 Tabuk

🕒 Local time

06:06 6:06 AM

05:06 5:06 AM

1 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

512,629

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Dubai Tabuk 1,880 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Tabuk

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 Tabuk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tabuk is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 135% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 102% 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 $343 in Tabuk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tabuk runs roughly 109% 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 $424 in Tabuk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,234 in Tabuk versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tabuk but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Tabuk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tabuk 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 Tabuk 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 Tabuk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 135% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.