Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Trollhattan

For one person, living is cheaper in Trollhattan: $1,527 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $16,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
Learn more

Dubai Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Trollhattan
Learn more

Trollhattan Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Trollhattan

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,527

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Trollhattan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $1,527 in Trollhattan.

Dubai $2,896
Trollhattan $1,527

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $2,365 in Trollhattan.

Dubai $4,384
Trollhattan $2,365

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $3,203 in Trollhattan.

Dubai $5,872
Trollhattan $3,203

Living in Dubai is roughly 90% more expensive than in Trollhattan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dubai 115% above, Trollhattan 13% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$11.79 SEK 117

7.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$78.5 SEK 778

4.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$11.10 SEK 110

-15.86%

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$2.44 SEK 24.18

141.39%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$1.27 SEK 12.53

33.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$1.31 SEK 12.97

-40.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

$7.56 SEK 75.0

80.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

$7.43 SEK 73.6

81.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$1.38 SEK 13.67

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$2.17 SEK 21.51

-30.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$2.62 SEK 26.00

-1.91%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$3.73 SEK 36.99

-10.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$9.57 SEK 94.9

31.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$8.80 SEK 87.2

9.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$14.99 SEK 148

-14.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$1.27 SEK 12.59

104.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$2.44 SEK 24.15

-22.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$2.73 SEK 27.08

-30.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$2.35 SEK 23.29

-41.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$1.46 SEK 14.50

-22.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$1.18 SEK 11.66

-14.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$1.97 SEK 19.54

-26.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$1.09 SEK 10.78

-38.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$7.38 SEK 73.2

-20.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

$7.78 SEK 77.1

107.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

$1.41 SEK 13.95

92.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$1.94 SEK 19.23

58.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$3.55 SEK 35.22

-54.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

$80.2 SEK 794

-5.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$3.58 SEK 35.46

-9.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$1.74 SEK 17.28

-59.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$53.4 SEK 529

-85.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$1.79 SEK 17.76

-45.25%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$32.7K SEK 324.0K

-16.25%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$32.9K SEK 326.1K

-33.06%

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

$249 AED 913

$178 SEK 1,768

39.28%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$22.42 SEK 222

142.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$34.23 SEK 339

167.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

$33.45 SEK 331

209.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

$33.25 SEK 329

27.28%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$14.71 SEK 146

10.74%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$150 SEK 1,489

461.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$5,009 SEK 49.6K

264.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$97.1 SEK 962

-31.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$39.31 SEK 390

47.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$85.5 SEK 847

19.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$89.3 SEK 885

10.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$620 SEK 6,141

286.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$486 SEK 4,811

215.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

$1,016 SEK 10.1K

351.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$785 SEK 7,782

274.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

$2,911 SEK 28.8K

142.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

$2,524 SEK 25.0K

67.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

$3,116 SEK 30.9K

11.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

3.53

28.61%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Trollhattan: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Trollhattan

$486 31.8% 68.3% $1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Trollhattan

$235 15.4% 40.4% $159

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Trollhattan

$220 14.4% 27.9% $85

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Trollhattan

$276 18.1% 5.2% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Trollhattan

$140 9.2% 4.5% $6.6

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Trollhattan

$63 4.1% 53.8% $73

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Trollhattan

$107 7% 19.7% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,393 in Dubai and $620 in Trollhattan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 11% 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 $78.0 in Trollhattan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $276 per month, with Trollhattan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇸🇪 Trollhattan

🕒 Local time

12:29 12:29 PM

10:29 10:29 AM

2 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

44,498

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Dubai Trollhattan 4,980 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Trollhattan

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 Trollhattan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Trollhattan is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 90% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 11% 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 $620 in Trollhattan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Trollhattan runs roughly 6% 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 $150 in Trollhattan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,527 in Trollhattan versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Trollhattan but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Trollhattan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Trollhattan 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 Trollhattan 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 Trollhattan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.