Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Tula

For one person, living is cheaper in Tula: $896 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $24,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Dubai
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates
$2,896
/mo nomad
Tula
🇷🇺 Russia
$896
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Tula

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

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

  • Dubai $2,896
  • Tula $896

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $1,470 in Tula.

  • Dubai $4,384
  • Tula $1,470

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $2,044 in Tula.

  • Dubai $5,872
  • Tula $2,044

Living in Dubai is roughly 223% more expensive than in Tula, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 115% above, Tula is 34% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dubai
Tula
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.67 AED 46.55
$11.84 ₽988
7.01%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$81.7 AED 300
$58.9 ₽4,914
38.79%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.34 AED 34.30
$7.02 ₽585
33.05%
Cappuccino
$5.89 AED 21.62
$3.71 ₽309
58.76%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.69 AED 6.20
$1.67 ₽139
1.20%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 AED 2.86
$0.88 ₽73.4
-11.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$13.66 AED 50.2
$4.65 ₽388
193.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$13.49 AED 49.54
$5.45 ₽455
147.52%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dubai
Tula
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.84 AED 6.78
$1.21 ₽101
52.07%
White Bread (500g)
$1.50 AED 5.50
$1.00 ₽83.9
50.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.57 AED 9.45
$1.65 ₽138
55.76%
Eggs
$3.32 AED 12.18
$1.89 ₽158
75.66%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.60 AED 46.28
$14.50 ₽1,210
-13.10%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.66 AED 35.46
$6.84 ₽571
41.23%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.78 AED 46.93
$12.09 ₽1,009
5.71%
Apples (1kg)
$2.60 AED 9.54
$2.06 ₽172
26.21%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 AED 6.99
$1.86 ₽155
2.15%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.91 AED 7.02
$1.99 ₽166
-4.02%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.37 AED 5.02
$4.03 ₽336
-66.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.13 AED 4.14
$0.89 ₽74.1
26.97%
Onion (1kg)
$1.01 AED 3.71
$0.71 ₽59.6
42.25%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 AED 5.30
$1.58 ₽132
-8.86%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67 AED 2.48
$0.93 ₽77.9
-27.96%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.88 AED 21.59
$3.56 ₽297
65.17%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.15 AED 59.3
$12.09 ₽1,009
33.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.72 AED 10.00
$1.18 ₽98.4
130.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.08 AED 11.32
$2.55 ₽213
20.78%
🚌 Getting Around
Dubai
Tula
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.60 AED 5.87
$0.51 ₽42.88
213.73%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.0 AED 279
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.24 AED 11.91
$1.84 ₽153
76.09%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.71 AED 2.61
$0.80 ₽66.6
-11.25%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.96 AED 29.22
$12.00 ₽1,002
-33.67%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.98 AED 3.62
$0.78 ₽65.2
25.64%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.4K AED 100.6K
$40.4K ₽3.4M
-32.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.0K AED 80.9K
$38.7K ₽3.2M
-43.01%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dubai
Tula
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$249 AED 913
$160 ₽13.4K
55.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$54.4 AED 200
$8.74 ₽729
522.77%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$91.5 AED 336
$10.08 ₽841
807.44%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dubai
Tula
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$103 AED 380
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$42.32 AED 155
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$16.29 AED 59.8
$9.68 ₽808
68.29%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dubai
Tula
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$844 AED 3,098
$823 ₽68.7K
2.45%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.3K AED 67.1K
$26.4K ₽2.2M
-30.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dubai
Tula
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.0 AED 246
$112 ₽9,307
-39.93%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.9 AED 213
$67.5 ₽5,633
-14.15%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 AED 375
$145 ₽12.1K
-29.62%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.7 AED 363
$183 ₽15.3K
-46.14%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dubai
Tula
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,393 AED 8,788
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,533 AED 5,630
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,594 AED 16.9K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,939 AED 10.8K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,046 AED 25.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,222 AED 15.5K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dubai
Tula
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,461 AED 12.7K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.54
19.56
-76.79%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Tula: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Dubai
$1.5K
Tula
- * 100%
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dubai
$394
Tula
$179 54.6% $215
Eating Out
Dubai
$305
Tula
$205 33% $101
Groceries & Markets
Dubai
$292
Tula
$257 12% $35
Clothing & Footwear
Dubai
$147
Tula
$228 55.8% $82
Sport & Entertainment
Dubai
$136
Tula
$19 * 85.8% $117
Getting Around
Dubai
$89
Tula
$7.9 * 91.2% $81

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $82.0 in Dubai vs $59.0 in Tula for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $257 per month, with Tula cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇦🇪 Dubai
🇷🇺 Tula
🕒 Local time
11:40 11:40 AM
10:40 10:40 AM
1 h behind Dubai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,790,000
475,161
💱 Currency
UAE Dirham AED د.إ
Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Dubai Tula 3,550 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Dubai
  • Tula

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 Tula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tula cheaper than Dubai?
Tula is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. The 223% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $4,344 in Dubai and $1,344 in Tula to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do food prices compare in Dubai and in Tula?
Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Dubai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Dubai and in Tula?
All in, you'll spend $2,896 per month in Dubai versus $896 in Tula – a 223% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Dubai or in Tula?
At $896 in Tula versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tula but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Tula the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Dubai or Tula more family-friendly?
For families, Tula 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.
Which city is safer, Dubai or Tula?
Safety-wise, Dubai and Tula are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Tula gentler on the wallet – expenses run 223% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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