Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Ulsteinvik

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulsteinvik: $2,608 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Dubai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

140

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Ulsteinvik
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Ulsteinvik Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Ulsteinvik

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Ulsteinvik

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $2,608 in Ulsteinvik.

Dubai $2,896
Ulsteinvik $2,608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $3,954 in Ulsteinvik.

Dubai $4,384
Ulsteinvik $3,954

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $5,301 in Ulsteinvik.

Dubai $5,872
Ulsteinvik $5,301

Living in Dubai is roughly 11% more expensive than in Ulsteinvik, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dubai 115% above, Ulsteinvik 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$20.24 NOK 191

-37.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$106 NOK 996

-22.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$13.39 NOK 126

-30.25%

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$4.68 NOK 44.06

25.85%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$4.17 NOK 39.26

-59.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$2.84 NOK 26.77

-72.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

$13.40 NOK 126

1.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

$9.98 NOK 93.9

35.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$2.50 NOK 23.54

-26.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$3.59 NOK 33.75

-58.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$3.81 NOK 35.86

-32.55%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$4.92 NOK 46.35

-32.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$13.40 NOK 126

-5.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$15.42 NOK 145

-37.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$31.06 NOK 292

-58.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$3.29 NOK 30.93

-20.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$2.70 NOK 25.44

-29.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$3.44 NOK 32.39

-44.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$4.77 NOK 44.87

-71.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$2.52 NOK 23.72

-55.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$2.93 NOK 27.55

-65.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$2.90 NOK 27.27

-50.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$2.55 NOK 23.97

-73.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$17.56 NOK 165

-66.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

$16.52 NOK 156

-2.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

$3.81 NOK 35.82

-28.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$3.90 NOK 36.72

-21.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$4.86 NOK 45.79

-67.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

$85.7 NOK 806

-11.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$13.46 NOK 127

-75.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$1.73 NOK 16.25

-58.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$69.0 NOK 649

-88.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$2.13 NOK 20.01

-53.99%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$41.7K NOK 393.0K

-34.40%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$42.9K NOK 404.3K

-48.71%

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

$249 AED 913

$266 NOK 2,505

-6.61%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$29.25 NOK 275

86.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$53.4 NOK 503

71.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

$48.70 NOK 458

112.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

$34.49 NOK 325

22.70%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$17.01 NOK 160

-4.23%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$214 NOK 2,017

293.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$14.6K NOK 137.2K

25.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$98.4 NOK 927

-31.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$49.95 NOK 470

16.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$121 NOK 1,136

-15.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$135 NOK 1,271

-26.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$1,096 NOK 10.3K

118.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$1,002 NOK 9,434

52.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

$1,785 NOK 16.8K

157.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$1,659 NOK 15.6K

77.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

$7,015 NOK 66.0K

0.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

$4,138 NOK 39.0K

2.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

4.94

-8.10%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ulsteinvik: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Ulsteinvik

$1K 38.4% 34.6% $531

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Ulsteinvik

$349 13.4% 11.6% $46

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Ulsteinvik

$373 14.3% 22.3% $68

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Ulsteinvik

$492 18.9% 68.7% $200

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Ulsteinvik

$182 7% 24% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Ulsteinvik

$83 3.2% 39.2% $53

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Ulsteinvik

$127 4.9% 42.7% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,393 in Dubai and $1,096 in Ulsteinvik. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $82.0 in Dubai vs $106 in Ulsteinvik for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $492 per month, with Dubai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇳🇴 Ulsteinvik

🕒 Local time

19:33 7:33 PM

17:33 5:33 PM

2 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

5,600

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dubai Ulsteinvik 5,510 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Ulsteinvik

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 Ulsteinvik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ulsteinvik is cheaper overall, especially in utilities and leisure. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,344 in Dubai and $3,912 in Ulsteinvik 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,393 in Dubai versus $1,096 in Ulsteinvik. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ulsteinvik runs roughly 13% 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 $214 in Ulsteinvik. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,608 in Ulsteinvik versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Ulsteinvik but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Ulsteinvik the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ulsteinvik 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 Ulsteinvik 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 Ulsteinvik gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.