Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Vaduz

For one person, living is cheaper in Dubai: $2,854 a month against $3,157 in Vaduz, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. The total is higher in Vaduz despite lower rent and utilities.

139

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index
155

Cost of Living Index in Vaduz
Learn more

Vaduz Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,854

/mo nomad

Vaduz

🇱🇮 Liechtenstein

$3,157

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Vaduz

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,854 in Dubai versus $3,157 in Vaduz.

Dubai $2,854
Vaduz $3,157

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,321 in Dubai versus $5,283 in Vaduz.

Dubai $4,321
Vaduz $5,283

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,788 in Dubai versus $7,410 in Vaduz.

Dubai $5,788
Vaduz $7,410

Living in Dubai costs roughly 10% less than in Vaduz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dubai 113% above, Vaduz 136% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.04 AED 47.89

$36.66 CHF 30.43

-64.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 AED 299

$145 CHF 120

-43.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.32 AED 34.25

$18.01 CHF 14.95

-48.25%

Cappuccino

$5.97 AED 21.93

$6.41 CHF 5.32

-6.86%

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

$1.63 AED 5.98

$4.25 CHF 3.53

-61.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 AED 2.99

$4.30 CHF 3.57

-81.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.65 AED 50.1

$7.36 CHF 6.10

85.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.38 AED 49.15

$5.99 CHF 4.97

123.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 AED 6.64

$2.92 CHF 2.42

-38.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 AED 5.78

$3.42 CHF 2.84

-54.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 AED 9.16

$2.95 CHF 2.45

-15.59%

Eggs

$3.28 AED 12.04

$10.34 CHF 8.58

-68.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.67 AED 46.53

$27.36 CHF 22.71

-53.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.75 AED 35.80

$23.85 CHF 19.79

-59.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.18 AED 48.40

$54.9 CHF 45.54

-75.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 AED 9.57

$3.68 CHF 3.05

-29.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 AED 7.09

$3.94 CHF 3.27

-51.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 AED 7.05

$4.14 CHF 3.43

-53.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 AED 5.00

$2.66 CHF 2.21

-48.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 AED 4.29

$2.68 CHF 2.22

-56.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$2.06 CHF 1.71

-50.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 AED 5.56

$2.09 CHF 1.73

-27.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 AED 2.29

$1.94 CHF 1.61

-68.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.85 AED 21.50

$12.58 CHF 10.44

-53.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.14 AED 59.3

$18.10 CHF 15.02

-10.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 AED 9.74

$2.85 CHF 2.37

-7.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 AED 10.82

$2.99 CHF 2.48

-1.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 AED 6.03

$2.70 CHF 2.24

-39.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.6 AED 270

$120 CHF 99.9

-38.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 AED 11.66

$1.96 CHF 1.63

61.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.63

$6.02 CHF 5.00

-88.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.23

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 AED 3.64

$2.46 CHF 2.04

-59.76%

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

$27.4K AED 100.5K

$36.5K CHF 30.3K

-25.03%

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

$22.5K AED 82.8K

$39.5K CHF 32.8K

-42.95%

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

$250 AED 920

$243 CHF 202

3.05%

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

$54.2 AED 199

$38.90 CHF 32.29

39.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.8 AED 337

$66.8 CHF 55.4

37.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 AED 362

$80.0 CHF 66.4

23.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.61 AED 156

$17.83 CHF 14.80

138.98%

Cinema Ticket

$16.03 AED 58.9

$23.57 CHF 19.56

-31.99%

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

$843 AED 3,098

$365 CHF 303

131.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$16.5K CHF 13.7K

10.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 AED 250

$138 CHF 115

-50.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$48.70 CHF 40.42

18.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 AED 370

$169 CHF 140

-40.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 AED 371

$222 CHF 185

-54.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,380 AED 8,741

$1,352 CHF 1,122

76.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 AED 5,531

$1,153 CHF 957

30.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,437 AED 16.3K

$2,896 CHF 2,404

53.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,010 AED 11.1K

$2,378 CHF 1,974

26.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,121 AED 26.2K

$16.5K CHF 13.7K

-56.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,135 AED 15.2K

$6,875 CHF 5,706

-39.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,391 AED 12.5K

$9,106 CHF 7,558

-62.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

7.25

-37.38%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 5, 2026

Last update for Vaduz: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.5%

Vaduz

$1.2K 35.9% 23.4% $352

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$396 13.8%

Vaduz

$349 10.9% 12.1% $48

Eating Out

Dubai

$309 10.8%

Vaduz

$507 15.8% 64.3% $199

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$293 10.2%

Vaduz

$655 20.4% 124% $362

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Vaduz

$260 8.1% 76.5% $113

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$131 4.6%

Vaduz

$127 4% 2.7% $3.5

Getting Around

Dubai

$87 3%

Vaduz

$163 5.1% 87.7% $76

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,380 in Dubai and $1,352 in Vaduz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vaduz pays 169% 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: $81.0 in Dubai vs $145 in Vaduz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $655 per month, with Dubai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇱🇮 Vaduz

🕒 Local time

11:30 11:30 AM

09:30 9:30 AM

2 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

5,800 Capital

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

1 CHF = 1.2 USD

1 CHF = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, 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).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.83 CHF (1 CHF = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 0.931 CHF (1 CHF = 1.07 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Dubai Vaduz 4,690 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Vaduz

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 Vaduz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dubai is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 169% lower in Vaduz. 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 $1,352 in Vaduz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Dubai runs roughly 64% less than in Vaduz. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $843 in Dubai versus $365 in Vaduz. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Dubai is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Dubai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Vaduz, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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