Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Veles

For one person, living is cheaper in Veles: $768 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $25,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
Learn more

Dubai Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Veles
Learn more

Veles Living Index

Jump to prices

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Veles

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$768

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Veles

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $768 in Veles.

Dubai $2,896
Veles $768

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $1,139 in Veles.

Dubai $4,384
Veles $1,139

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $1,510 in Veles.

Dubai $5,872
Veles $1,510

Living in Dubai is roughly 277% more expensive than in Veles, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 115% above, Veles is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$8.65 MKD 472

46.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$18.00 MKD 982

354.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$5.43 MKD 296

72.01%

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$1.50 MKD 82.0

292.67%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$1.32 MKD 72.0

28.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$0.80 MKD 43.42

-2.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

$1.48 MKD 80.7

822.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

$3.03 MKD 165

345.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$1.06 MKD 57.9

73.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$0.51 MKD 27.74

194.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$1.45 MKD 79.2

77.24%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$2.48 MKD 135

33.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$2.96 MKD 162

325.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$4.07 MKD 222

137.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$15.11 MKD 824

-15.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$1.41 MKD 77.0

84.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$1.43 MKD 77.9

32.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$1.38 MKD 75.2

38.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$1.88 MKD 103

-27.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$0.85 MKD 46.16

32.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$0.83 MKD 45.33

21.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$0.59 MKD 31.96

144.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$0.59 MKD 32.06

13.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$3.33 MKD 182

76.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

$6.44 MKD 351

150.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

$1.06 MKD 57.8

156.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$1.49 MKD 81.0

106.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$0.79 MKD 43.05

102.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

$23.23 MKD 1,267

226.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$1.11 MKD 60.3

191.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$0.61 MKD 33.44

16.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$7.43 MKD 405

7.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$1.46 MKD 79.8

-32.88%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$26.8K MKD 1.5M

2.19%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$24.9K MKD 1.4M

-11.39%

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

$249 AED 913

$108 MKD 5,901

129.71%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$17.34 MKD 946

213.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$12.02 MKD 655

660.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

$25.47 MKD 1,389

305.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

$17.82 MKD 972

137.49%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$3.38 MKD 184

381.95%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$221 MKD 12.1K

281.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$5,716 MKD 311.8K

219.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$21.99 MKD 1,199

204.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$18.42 MKD 1,005

214.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$72.2 MKD 3,940

41.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$110 MKD 5,987

-10.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$218 MKD 11.9K

1000.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$170 MKD 9,300

799.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

$290 MKD 15.8K

1485.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$236 MKD 12.9K

1145.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

$1,174 MKD 64.0K

500.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

$933 MKD 50.9K

352.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

$594 MKD 32.4K

482.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

4.23

7.33%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Veles: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Veles

$170 22.2% 88.9% $1.4K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Veles

$138 17.9% 65.1% $257

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Veles

$125 16.4% 58.9% $180

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Veles

$171 22.3% 41.3% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Veles

$100 13% 31.7% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Veles

$32 4.2% 76.3% $104

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Veles

$31 4% 65.7% $59

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,393 in Dubai and $218 in Veles. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 482% 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 $18.00 in Veles for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $171 per month, with Veles cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇲🇰 Veles

🕒 Local time

09:49 9:49 AM

07:49 7:49 AM

2 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

43,716

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

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).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dubai Veles 3,580 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Veles

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 Veles: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Veles is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 277% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 482% 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 $218 in Veles. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Veles runs roughly 227% 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 $221 in Veles. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $768 in Veles versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Veles but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Veles the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Veles 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 Veles 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 Veles gentler on the wallet – expenses run 277% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.