Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Wadi As Sir

For one person, living is cheaper in Wadi As Sir: $839 a month against $2,883 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $24,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Dubai
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates
$2,883
/mo nomad
Wadi As Sir
🇯🇴 Jordan
$839
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Wadi As Sir

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 Wadi As Sir actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,883 in Dubai versus $839 in Wadi As Sir.

  • Dubai $2,883
  • Wadi As Sir $839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,403 in Dubai versus $1,388 in Wadi As Sir.

  • Dubai $4,403
  • Wadi As Sir $1,388

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,923 in Dubai versus $1,936 in Wadi As Sir.

  • Dubai $5,923
  • Wadi As Sir $1,936

Living in Dubai is roughly 243% more expensive than in Wadi As Sir, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 113% above, Wadi As Sir is 38% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dubai
Wadi As Sir
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.99 AED 47.72
$6.94 JOD 4.92
87.18%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$81.9 AED 301
$71.7 JOD 50.8
14.26%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.64 AED 35.40
$7.23 JOD 5.12
33.33%
Cappuccino
$6.09 AED 22.38
$4.55 JOD 3.22
33.85%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.61 AED 5.93
$0.64 JOD 0.45
151.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.75 AED 2.76
$0.58 JOD 0.41
29.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$13.79 AED 50.6
$8.61 JOD 6.09
60.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$13.41 AED 49.25
$10.89 JOD 7.71
23.14%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dubai
Wadi As Sir
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.86 AED 6.83
$1.66 JOD 1.17
12.05%
White Bread (500g)
$1.53 AED 5.62
$0.66 JOD 0.46
131.82%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.55 AED 9.38
$1.61 JOD 1.14
58.39%
Eggs
$3.28 AED 12.06
$2.33 JOD 1.65
40.77%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.14 AED 44.57
$9.02 JOD 6.39
34.59%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.15 AED 33.62
$6.21 JOD 4.40
47.34%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.80 AED 47.00
$12.81 JOD 9.07
-0.08%
Apples (1kg)
$2.56 AED 9.39
$2.48 JOD 1.76
3.23%
Banana (1kg)
$1.91 AED 7.03
$2.05 JOD 1.45
-6.83%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.82 AED 6.69
$1.81 JOD 1.28
0.55%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.43 AED 5.26
$0.84 JOD 0.59
70.24%
Potato (1kg)
$1.10 AED 4.04
$0.94 JOD 0.66
17.02%
Onion (1kg)
$0.92 AED 3.40
$0.85 JOD 0.60
8.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.52 AED 5.58
$0.63 JOD 0.45
141.27%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.69 AED 2.54
$0.65 JOD 0.46
6.15%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.41 AED 23.55
$3.91 JOD 2.77
63.94%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.52 AED 60.7
$21.29 JOD 15.07
-22.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.56 AED 9.41
$4.94 JOD 3.50
-48.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.08 AED 11.32
$5.09 JOD 3.60
-39.49%
🚌 Getting Around
Dubai
Wadi As Sir
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.58 AED 5.82
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$75.9 AED 279
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.19 AED 11.72
$0.64 JOD 0.45
398.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.71 AED 2.62
$1.40 JOD 0.99
-49.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.21 AED 30.13
$6.98 JOD 4.94
17.62%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.01 AED 3.73
$1.70 JOD 1.21
-40.59%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.1K AED 96.0K
$32.5K JOD 23.0K
-19.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.8K AED 80.2K
$33.7K JOD 23.9K
-35.19%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dubai
Wadi As Sir
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$245 AED 900
$137 JOD 97.2
78.50%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$57.5 AED 211
$15.54 JOD 11.00
270.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$91.3 AED 335
$32.22 JOD 22.81
183.21%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dubai
Wadi As Sir
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$105 AED 385
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$46.58 AED 171
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$16.04 AED 58.9
$11.30 JOD 8.00
41.95%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dubai
Wadi As Sir
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$873 AED 3,206
$493 JOD 349
77.22%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.0K AED 66.2K
$9,566 JOD 6,772
88.38%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dubai
Wadi As Sir
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$70.8 AED 260
$63.2 JOD 44.74
12.03%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$62.3 AED 229
$80.3 JOD 56.9
-22.40%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 AED 390
$128 JOD 90.4
-16.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$102 AED 376
$81.6 JOD 57.8
25.44%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dubai
Wadi As Sir
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,454 AED 9,014
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,510 AED 5,545
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,640 AED 17.0K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,961 AED 10.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,219 AED 26.5K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,232 AED 15.5K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dubai
Wadi As Sir
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,584 AED 13.2K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.54
6.94
-34.58%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 18, 2026

Last update for Wadi As Sir: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Dubai
$1.5K
Wadi As Sir
- * 100%
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dubai
$394
Wadi As Sir
$185 53% $209
Eating Out
Dubai
$311
Wadi As Sir
$202 35.2% $110
Groceries & Markets
Dubai
$288
Wadi As Sir
$264 8.4% $24
Clothing & Footwear
Dubai
$154
Wadi As Sir
$159 3.3% $5
Sport & Entertainment
Dubai
$137
Wadi As Sir
$23 * 83.5% $114
Getting Around
Dubai
$89
Wadi As Sir
$7.6 * 91.4% $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 $72.0 in Wadi As Sir for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $264 per month, with Wadi As Sir cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇦🇪 Dubai
🇯🇴 Wadi As Sir
🕒 Local time
01:13 1:13 AM
00:13 12:13 AM
1 h behind Dubai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,790,000
181,212
💱 Currency
UAE Dirham AED د.إ
Exchange rates and currency converter

JOD, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

Jordanian Dinar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.708 JOD (1 JOD = 1.41 USD). 1 EUR = 0.796 JOD (1 JOD = 1.26 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Dubai Wadi As Sir 2,040 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Dubai
  • Wadi As Sir

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 Wadi As Sir: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wadi As Sir cheaper than Dubai?
Wadi As Sir is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. The 243% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $4,324 in Dubai and $1,259 in Wadi As Sir 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 Wadi As Sir?
Supermarket bills run roughly 9% 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 Wadi As Sir?
All in, you'll spend $2,883 per month in Dubai versus $839 in Wadi As Sir – a 243% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Dubai or in Wadi As Sir?
At $839 in Wadi As Sir versus $2,883 in Dubai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Wadi As Sir but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Wadi As Sir the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Dubai or Wadi As Sir more family-friendly?
For families, Wadi As Sir 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 Wadi As Sir?
Safety-wise, Dubai and Wadi As Sir 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 Wadi As Sir gentler on the wallet – expenses run 243% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Dubai vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?