Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Visakhapatnam

For one person, living is cheaper in Visakhapatnam: $382 a month against $2,889 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $30,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

139

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
Learn more

Dubai Living Index
18

Cost of Living Index in Visakhapatnam
Learn more

Visakhapatnam Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,889

/mo nomad

Visakhapatnam

🇮🇳 India

$382

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Visakhapatnam

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,889 in Dubai versus $382 in Visakhapatnam.

Dubai $2,889
Visakhapatnam $382

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,444 in Dubai versus $615 in Visakhapatnam.

Dubai $4,444
Visakhapatnam $615

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,999 in Dubai versus $848 in Visakhapatnam.

Dubai $5,999
Visakhapatnam $848

Living in Dubai is roughly 656% more expensive than in Visakhapatnam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 114% above, Visakhapatnam is 72% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.94 AED 47.54

$2.12 ₹201

510.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.2 AED 306

$8.30 ₹784

902.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.35 AED 34.32

$4.73 ₹447

97.67%

Cappuccino

$5.88 AED 21.59

$1.75 ₹166

236.00%

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

$1.57 AED 5.77

$0.33 ₹31.23

375.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 AED 3.47

$0.11 ₹10.71

754.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.44 AED 49.37

$2.16 ₹204

522.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.57 AED 49.84

$3.18 ₹300

326.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 AED 6.83

$0.75 ₹71.3

148.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 AED 5.73

$0.54 ₹50.8

188.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 AED 9.68

$0.64 ₹60.8

312.50%

Eggs

$3.53 AED 12.96

$0.86 ₹81.0

310.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.97 AED 47.62

$5.66 ₹535

129.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.94 AED 36.51

$3.25 ₹307

205.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 AED 47.45

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 AED 9.36

$2.50 ₹236

2.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 AED 7.54

$0.66 ₹62.6

210.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 AED 6.77

$1.05 ₹99.0

75.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 AED 5.64

$0.37 ₹35.24

316.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 AED 4.31

$0.40 ₹37.53

192.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 AED 3.76

$0.37 ₹34.73

175.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 AED 5.75

$0.55 ₹52.2

185.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.46

$0.32 ₹30.70

109.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 AED 23.17

$5.03 ₹475

25.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.16 AED 59.4

$8.82 ₹834

83.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 AED 9.48

$1.73 ₹164

49.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 AED 10.60

$3.08 ₹291

-6.17%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$4.33 ₹409

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 AED 5.15

$0.22 ₹20.80

536.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.4 AED 303

$13.65 ₹1,290

503.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 AED 12.07

$1.08 ₹102

204.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 AED 2.40

$0.17 ₹15.75

282.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 AED 29.84

$2.66 ₹251

205.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 AED 3.68

$1.14 ₹108

-12.28%

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

$26.3K AED 96.6K

$11.4K ₹1.1M

130.39%

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

$22.0K AED 81.0K

$22.1K ₹2.1M

-0.37%

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

$239 AED 877

$32.85 ₹3,103

627.12%

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

$56.9 AED 209

$3.64 ₹343

1462.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$93.9 AED 345

$5.32 ₹503

1664.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.8 AED 334

$18.46 ₹1,744

392.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.38 AED 170

$7.35 ₹695

531.02%

Cinema Ticket

$16.24 AED 59.6

$2.71 ₹256

499.26%

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

$934 AED 3,429

$50.6 ₹4,776

1746.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K AED 76.8K

$1,590 ₹150.2K

1215.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.7 AED 260

$23.29 ₹2,200

203.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.3 AED 225

$20.79 ₹1,964

195.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 AED 377

$30.19 ₹2,852

240.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 AED 426

$31.32 ₹2,959

270.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 AED 9,134

$139 ₹13.2K

1684.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,520 AED 5,581

$66.3 ₹6,262

2192.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,234 AED 19.2K

$355 ₹33.5K

1374.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,028 AED 11.1K

$183 ₹17.3K

1558.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,982 AED 25.6K

$943 ₹89.1K

640.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,433 AED 16.3K

$464 ₹43.8K

856.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,553 AED 13.0K

$399 ₹37.7K

790.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.57

8.58

-46.74%

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

Last update for Dubai: November 2, 2026

Last update for Visakhapatnam: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.6%

Visakhapatnam

$66 17.3% 95.6% $1.5K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$390 13.5%

Visakhapatnam

$42 10.9% 89.3% $348

Eating Out

Dubai

$307 10.6%

Visakhapatnam

$71 18.6% 76.8% $235

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$297 10.3%

Visakhapatnam

$115 30.1% 61.2% $182

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$158 5.5%

Visakhapatnam

$48 12.4% 69.9% $110

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$123 4.3%

Visakhapatnam

$24 6.2% 80.6% $99

Getting Around

Dubai

$95 3.3%

Visakhapatnam

$16 4.3% 82.6% $78

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,487 in Dubai and $139 in Visakhapatnam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays about 8.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $83 in Dubai vs $8 in Visakhapatnam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $115 per month, with Visakhapatnam cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇮🇳 Visakhapatnam

🕒 Local time

18:00 6:00 PM

19:30 7:30 PM

1 h 30 min ahead of Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

2,526,000

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.59 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.12 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 94.47 INR (100 INR = 1.06 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dubai Visakhapatnam 3,020 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Visakhapatnam

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 Visakhapatnam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Visakhapatnam is about 87% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Dubai is about 8.9 times higher, 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: $2,487 in Dubai versus $139 in Visakhapatnam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Visakhapatnam runs roughly 83% less than in Dubai. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $934 in Dubai versus $51 in Visakhapatnam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $382 in Visakhapatnam versus $2,889 in Dubai, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Visakhapatnam but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Visakhapatnam the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Dubai and Visakhapatnam are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Visakhapatnam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 87% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.