Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Yogyakarta

For one person, living is cheaper in Yogyakarta: $644 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $27,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Dubai
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates
$2,896
/mo nomad
Yogyakarta
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$644
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Yogyakarta

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $644 in Yogyakarta.

  • Dubai $2,896
  • Yogyakarta $644

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $892 in Yogyakarta.

  • Dubai $4,384
  • Yogyakarta $892

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $1,140 in Yogyakarta.

  • Dubai $5,872
  • Yogyakarta $1,140

Living in Dubai is roughly 349% more expensive than in Yogyakarta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 115% above, Yogyakarta is 52% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dubai
Yogyakarta
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.67 AED 46.55
$1.09 Rp 19.6K
1062.39%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$81.7 AED 300
$13.62 Rp 244.4K
500.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.34 AED 34.30
$3.32 Rp 59.6K
181.33%
Cappuccino
$5.89 AED 21.62
$1.27 Rp 22.8K
363.78%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.69 AED 6.20
$0.38 Rp 6,773
344.74%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 AED 2.86
$0.23 Rp 4,126
239.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$13.66 AED 50.2
$2.57 Rp 46.1K
431.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$13.49 AED 49.54
$3.71 Rp 66.5K
263.61%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dubai
Yogyakarta
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.84 AED 6.78
$1.18 Rp 21.2K
55.93%
White Bread (500g)
$1.50 AED 5.50
$1.09 Rp 19.6K
37.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.57 AED 9.45
$0.77 Rp 13.9K
233.77%
Eggs
$3.32 AED 12.18
$1.35 Rp 24.3K
145.93%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.60 AED 46.28
$5.42 Rp 97.3K
132.47%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.66 AED 35.46
$2.90 Rp 52.1K
233.10%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.78 AED 46.93
$5.45 Rp 97.7K
134.50%
Apples (1kg)
$2.60 AED 9.54
$2.61 Rp 46.9K
-0.38%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 AED 6.99
$1.22 Rp 21.8K
55.74%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.91 AED 7.02
$1.16 Rp 20.8K
64.66%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.37 AED 5.02
$0.88 Rp 15.9K
55.68%
Potato (1kg)
$1.13 AED 4.14
$1.02 Rp 18.2K
10.78%
Onion (1kg)
$1.01 AED 3.71
$2.00 Rp 35.8K
-49.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 AED 5.30
$0.43 Rp 7,737
234.88%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67 AED 2.48
$0.46 Rp 8,295
45.65%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.88 AED 21.59
$2.81 Rp 50.5K
109.25%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.15 AED 59.3
$20.61 Rp 369.8K
-21.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.72 AED 10.00
$2.17 Rp 38.9K
25.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.08 AED 11.32
$3.71 Rp 66.6K
-16.98%
🚌 Getting Around
Dubai
Yogyakarta
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.60 AED 5.87
$0.20 Rp 3,677
700.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.0 AED 279
$8.65 Rp 155.3K
778.03%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.24 AED 11.91
$1.44 Rp 25.9K
125.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.71 AED 2.61
$0.41 Rp 7,286
73.17%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.96 AED 29.22
$4.41 Rp 79.1K
80.50%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.98 AED 3.62
$0.84 Rp 15.1K
16.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.4K AED 100.6K
$15.9K Rp 285.2M
72.32%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.0K AED 80.9K
$27.1K Rp 486.7M
-18.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dubai
Yogyakarta
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$249 AED 913
$67.0 Rp 1.2M
271.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$54.4 AED 200
$4.71 Rp 84.6K
1055.63%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$91.5 AED 336
$20.54 Rp 368.5K
345.33%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dubai
Yogyakarta
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$103 AED 380
$20.06 Rp 359.9K
415.45%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$42.32 AED 155
$8.41 Rp 150.9K
403.21%
Cinema Ticket
$16.29 AED 59.8
$2.54 Rp 45.6K
541.34%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dubai
Yogyakarta
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$844 AED 3,098
$84.8 Rp 1.5M
894.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.3K AED 67.1K
$4,076 Rp 73.1M
348.03%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dubai
Yogyakarta
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.0 AED 246
$52.9 Rp 949.9K
26.54%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.9 AED 213
$32.60 Rp 585.0K
77.73%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 AED 375
$82.0 Rp 1.5M
24.44%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.7 AED 363
$92.4 Rp 1.7M
6.79%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dubai
Yogyakarta
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,393 AED 8,788
$210 Rp 3.8M
1039.94%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,533 AED 5,630
$159 Rp 2.8M
865.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,594 AED 16.9K
$590 Rp 10.6M
678.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,939 AED 10.8K
$133 Rp 2.4M
2109.91%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,046 AED 25.9K
$1,691 Rp 30.3M
316.74%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,222 AED 15.5K
$219 Rp 3.9M
1829.25%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dubai
Yogyakarta
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,461 AED 12.7K
$220 Rp 3.9M
1475.04%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.54
8.45
-46.27%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Yogyakarta: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Dubai
$1.5K
Yogyakarta
$159 89.6% $1.4K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dubai
$394
Yogyakarta
$92 76.6% $302
Eating Out
Dubai
$305
Yogyakarta
$57 81.4% $249
Groceries & Markets
Dubai
$292
Yogyakarta
$182 37.7% $110
Clothing & Footwear
Dubai
$147
Yogyakarta
$117 20.2% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Dubai
$136
Yogyakarta
$25 81.5% $111
Getting Around
Dubai
$89
Yogyakarta
$13 85.5% $76

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,393 in Dubai and $210 in Yogyakarta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 1475% 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 $14.00 in Yogyakarta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $182 per month, with Yogyakarta cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇦🇪 Dubai
🇮🇩 Yogyakarta
🕒 Local time
08:36 8:36 AM
11:36 11:36 AM
3 h ahead of Dubai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,790,000
636,660
💱 Currency
UAE Dirham AED د.إ
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.14 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 17,943 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.57 USD). 1 EUR = 20,204 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.95 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Dubai Yogyakarta 7,000 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Dubai
  • Yogyakarta

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 Yogyakarta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Yogyakarta cheaper than Dubai?
Yogyakarta is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 349% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Dubai or Yogyakarta?
Average pay runs 1475% higher in Dubai, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Dubai and Yogyakarta?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,393 in Dubai versus $210 in Yogyakarta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Yogyakarta runs roughly 778% less than in Dubai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $844 in Dubai versus $84.8 in Yogyakarta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Dubai or in Yogyakarta?
At $644 in Yogyakarta versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Yogyakarta but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Yogyakarta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Dubai or Yogyakarta more family-friendly?
For families, Yogyakarta 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 Yogyakarta?
Safety-wise, Dubai and Yogyakarta 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 Yogyakarta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 349% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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