Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Trondheim

For one person, living costs are similar in Dubai and in Trondheim: $2,854 and $2,836 a month, rent and utilities included.

139

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Trondheim
Learn more

Trondheim Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,854

/mo nomad

Trondheim

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,836

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Trondheim

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,854 in Dubai versus $2,836 in Trondheim.

Dubai $2,854
Trondheim $2,836

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,321 in Dubai versus $4,192 in Trondheim.

Dubai $4,321
Trondheim $4,192

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,788 in Dubai versus $5,548 in Trondheim.

Dubai $5,788
Trondheim $5,548

Living in Dubai is roughly 1% more expensive than in Trondheim, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dubai 113% above, Trondheim 112% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.04 AED 47.89

$20.83 NOK 199

-37.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 AED 299

$105 NOK 1,001

-22.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.32 AED 34.25

$15.41 NOK 147

-39.52%

Cappuccino

$5.97 AED 21.93

$5.40 NOK 51.6

10.56%

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

$1.63 AED 5.98

$5.72 NOK 54.7

-71.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 AED 2.99

$4.19 NOK 40.05

-80.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.65 AED 50.1

$13.00 NOK 124

5.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.38 AED 49.15

$12.71 NOK 121

5.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 AED 6.64

$2.48 NOK 23.68

-27.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 AED 5.78

$3.51 NOK 33.54

-55.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 AED 9.16

$3.66 NOK 34.94

-31.97%

Eggs

$3.28 AED 12.04

$4.85 NOK 46.34

-32.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.67 AED 46.53

$12.86 NOK 123

-1.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.75 AED 35.80

$16.04 NOK 153

-39.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.18 AED 48.40

$31.35 NOK 299

-57.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 AED 9.57

$3.95 NOK 37.71

-33.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 AED 7.09

$2.81 NOK 26.81

-31.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 AED 7.05

$3.75 NOK 35.79

-48.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 AED 5.00

$5.69 NOK 54.3

-76.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 AED 4.29

$2.88 NOK 27.46

-59.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$3.05 NOK 29.16

-66.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 AED 5.56

$2.92 NOK 27.91

-48.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 AED 2.29

$2.23 NOK 21.27

-72.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.85 AED 21.50

$17.05 NOK 163

-65.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.14 AED 59.3

$18.35 NOK 175

-12.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 AED 9.74

$3.61 NOK 34.49

-26.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 AED 10.82

$4.49 NOK 42.89

-34.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 AED 6.03

$4.67 NOK 44.57

-64.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.6 AED 270

$99.7 NOK 952

-26.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 AED 11.66

$9.12 NOK 87.1

-65.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.63

$1.55 NOK 14.82

-54.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.23

$59.6 NOK 569

-86.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 AED 3.64

$2.44 NOK 23.28

-59.43%

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

$27.4K AED 100.5K

$45.7K NOK 436.7K

-40.14%

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

$22.5K AED 82.8K

$44.1K NOK 420.7K

-48.84%

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

$250 AED 920

$274 NOK 2,618

-8.66%

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

$54.2 AED 199

$34.85 NOK 333

55.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.8 AED 337

$81.9 NOK 782

12.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 AED 362

$43.04 NOK 411

129.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.61 AED 156

$39.57 NOK 378

7.68%

Cinema Ticket

$16.03 AED 58.9

$20.68 NOK 198

-22.49%

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

$843 AED 3,098

$291 NOK 2,776

190.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$4,315 NOK 41.2K

323.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 AED 250

$107 NOK 1,021

-36.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$50.6 NOK 483

14.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 AED 370

$117 NOK 1,122

-14.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 AED 371

$156 NOK 1,493

-35.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,380 AED 8,741

$1,432 NOK 13.7K

66.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 AED 5,531

$1,121 NOK 10.7K

34.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,437 AED 16.3K

$2,196 NOK 21.0K

102.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,010 AED 11.1K

$1,647 NOK 15.7K

82.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,121 AED 26.2K

$6,325 NOK 60.4K

12.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,135 AED 15.2K

$5,083 NOK 48.5K

-18.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,391 AED 12.5K

$4,213 NOK 40.2K

-19.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

5.32

-14.66%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 5, 2026

Last update for Trondheim: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.5%

Trondheim

$1.1K 39.5% 25.6% $385

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$396 13.8%

Trondheim

$391 13.8% 1.4% $5.6

Eating Out

Dubai

$309 10.8%

Trondheim

$408 14.4% 32.1% $99

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$293 10.2%

Trondheim

$504 17.8% 72.1% $211

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Trondheim

$194 6.8% 31.7% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$131 4.6%

Trondheim

$84 3% 35.4% $46

Getting Around

Dubai

$87 3%

Trondheim

$135 4.8% 55.6% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,380 in Dubai and $1,432 in Trondheim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Trondheim pays 24% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $81.0 in Dubai vs $105 in Trondheim for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $504 per month, with Dubai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇳🇴 Trondheim

🕒 Local time

11:29 11:29 AM

09:29 9:29 AM

2 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

215,121

💱 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 Trondheim 5,360 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Trondheim

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 Trondheim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Trondheim is cheaper overall, especially in utilities and leisure. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Trondheim. 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 $1,432 in Trondheim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Trondheim runs roughly 35% less than in Dubai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $843 in Dubai versus $291 in Trondheim. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Trondheim is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Trondheim 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 Trondheim 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 Trondheim gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.