Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Yens

For one person, living is cheaper in Dubai: $2,896 a month against $3,329 in Yens, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. The total is higher in Yens despite lower rent and utilities.

140

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index
162

Cost of Living Index in Yens
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Yens Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Yens

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,329

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Yens

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $3,329 in Yens.

Dubai $2,896
Yens $3,329

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $5,100 in Yens.

Dubai $4,384
Yens $5,100

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $6,872 in Yens.

Dubai $5,872
Yens $6,872

Living in Dubai costs roughly 13% less than in Yens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dubai 115% above, Yens 147% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$29.34 CHF 24.16

-56.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$119 CHF 98.0

-31.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$15.95 CHF 13.14

-41.44%

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$6.00 CHF 4.94

-1.83%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$4.95 CHF 4.08

-65.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$4.27 CHF 3.51

-81.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

$9.07 CHF 7.47

50.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

$7.69 CHF 6.34

75.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$2.13 CHF 1.76

-13.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$2.99 CHF 2.46

-49.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$3.18 CHF 2.62

-19.18%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$7.17 CHF 5.91

-53.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$23.95 CHF 19.73

-47.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$28.06 CHF 23.11

-65.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$39.38 CHF 32.44

-67.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$3.63 CHF 2.99

-28.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$1.95 CHF 1.61

-2.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$2.52 CHF 2.08

-24.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$4.43 CHF 3.65

-69.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$1.62 CHF 1.34

-30.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$1.94 CHF 1.60

-47.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$1.98 CHF 1.63

-27.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$1.27 CHF 1.05

-47.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$10.70 CHF 8.81

-45.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

$11.98 CHF 9.87

34.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

$2.24 CHF 1.85

21.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$2.86 CHF 2.36

7.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$4.58 CHF 3.77

-65.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

$98.4 CHF 81.0

-22.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$7.70 CHF 6.34

-57.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$4.56 CHF 3.75

-84.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$84.2 CHF 69.3

-90.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$2.36 CHF 1.94

-58.47%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$41.9K CHF 34.5K

-34.62%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$39.7K CHF 32.7K

-44.51%

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

$249 AED 913

$274 CHF 225

-9.19%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$27.35 CHF 22.52

99.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$51.4 CHF 42.31

78.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

$89.6 CHF 73.8

15.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

$45.51 CHF 37.48

-7.01%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$24.00 CHF 19.76

-32.13%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$2,954 CHF 2,433

-71.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$30.3K CHF 25.0K

-39.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$141 CHF 116

-52.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$61.4 CHF 50.6

-5.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$138 CHF 114

-25.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$197 CHF 162

-49.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$1,679 CHF 1,383

42.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$1,440 CHF 1,186

6.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

$2,839 CHF 2,338

61.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$2,494 CHF 2,054

17.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

$16.2K CHF 13.3K

-56.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

$12.0K CHF 9,900

-64.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

1.95

132.82%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Yens: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Yens

$1.4K 43.3% 6.1% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Yens

$352 10.6% 10.7% $42

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Yens

$452 13.6% 48.2% $147

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Yens

$558 16.8% 91.3% $266

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Yens

$242 7.3% 65% $95

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Yens

$138 4.1% 1.2% $1.6

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Yens

$147 4.4% 65.2% $58

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,393 in Dubai and $1,679 in Yens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $82.0 in Dubai vs $119 in Yens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $558 per month, with Dubai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇨🇭 Yens

🕒 Local time

11:04 11:04 AM

09:04 9:04 AM

2 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

2,200

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dubai Yens 4,900 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Yens

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 Yens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dubai is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,344 in Dubai and $4,993 in Yens 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 $1,679 in Yens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Dubai runs roughly 30% less than in Yens. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $844 in Dubai versus $2,954 in Yens. 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 Yens, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Dubai and Yens 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 15% less than in Yens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.