Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fredrikstad and Dubai

For one person, living costs are similar in Fredrikstad and in Dubai: $2,983 and $2,896 a month, rent and utilities included.

144

Cost of Living Index in Fredrikstad
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Fredrikstad Living Index
140

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index

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Fredrikstad

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,983

/mo nomad

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Fredrikstad and in Dubai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Fredrikstad and in Dubai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,983 in Fredrikstad versus $2,896 in Dubai.

Fredrikstad $2,983
Dubai $2,896

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,345 in Fredrikstad versus $4,384 in Dubai.

Fredrikstad $4,345
Dubai $4,384

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,707 in Fredrikstad versus $5,872 in Dubai.

Fredrikstad $5,707
Dubai $5,872

Living in Fredrikstad is roughly 3% more expensive than in Dubai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fredrikstad 121% above, Dubai 115% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.28 NOK 247

$12.67 AED 46.55

107.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$124 NOK 1,170

$81.7 AED 300

52.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.65 NOK 119

$9.34 AED 34.30

35.44%

Cappuccino

$6.77 NOK 63.7

$5.89 AED 21.62

14.94%

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

$5.55 NOK 52.3

$1.69 AED 6.20

228.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 NOK 41.36

$0.78 AED 2.86

462.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.55 NOK 109

$13.66 AED 50.2

-15.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.57 NOK 90.1

$13.49 AED 49.54

-29.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.34 NOK 22.00

$1.84 AED 6.78

27.17%

White Bread (500g)

$4.31 NOK 40.56

$1.50 AED 5.50

187.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.43 NOK 32.31

$2.57 AED 9.45

33.46%

Eggs

$5.82 NOK 54.8

$3.32 AED 12.18

75.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.06 NOK 123

$12.60 AED 46.28

3.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.96 NOK 169

$9.66 AED 35.46

85.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$34.38 NOK 324

$12.78 AED 46.93

169.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 NOK 31.71

$2.60 AED 9.54

29.62%

Banana (1kg)

$3.64 NOK 34.24

$1.90 AED 6.99

91.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.30 NOK 40.49

$1.91 AED 7.02

125.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.00 NOK 47.06

$1.37 AED 5.02

264.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 NOK 24.74

$1.13 AED 4.14

132.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 25.53

$1.01 AED 3.71

168.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.82 NOK 26.50

$1.44 AED 5.30

95.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 NOK 21.95

$0.67 AED 2.48

247.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.51 NOK 146

$5.88 AED 21.59

163.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.16 NOK 209

$16.15 AED 59.3

37.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.49 NOK 32.81

$2.72 AED 10.00

28.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 NOK 41.34

$3.08 AED 11.32

42.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.11 NOK 38.71

$1.60 AED 5.87

156.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.5 NOK 607

$76.0 AED 279

-15.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.56 NOK 118

$3.24 AED 11.91

287.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 NOK 18.79

$0.71 AED 2.61

181.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$70.1 NOK 660

$7.96 AED 29.22

781.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 NOK 21.64

$0.98 AED 3.62

134.69%

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

$49.8K NOK 468.4K

$27.4K AED 100.6K

81.70%

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

$46.9K NOK 441.1K

$22.0K AED 80.9K

112.67%

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

$331 NOK 3,118

$249 AED 913

33.30%

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

$45.60 NOK 429

$54.4 AED 200

-16.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.9 NOK 630

$91.5 AED 336

-26.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.3 NOK 549

$103 AED 380

-43.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.86 NOK 385

$42.32 AED 155

-3.45%

Cinema Ticket

$20.19 NOK 190

$16.29 AED 59.8

23.94%

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

$168 NOK 1,579

$844 AED 3,098

-80.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K NOK 117.8K

$18.3K AED 67.1K

-31.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$155 NOK 1,459

$67.0 AED 246

131.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$78.7 NOK 741

$57.9 AED 213

35.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 NOK 1,358

$102 AED 375

41.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 NOK 1,051

$98.7 AED 363

13.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 NOK 12.5K

$2,393 AED 8,788

-44.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 NOK 10.6K

$1,533 AED 5,630

-26.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,822 NOK 17.1K

$4,594 AED 16.9K

-60.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 NOK 14.3K

$2,939 AED 10.8K

-48.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,022 NOK 56.7K

$7,046 AED 25.9K

-14.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,131 NOK 38.9K

$4,222 AED 15.5K

-2.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,372 NOK 31.7K

$3,461 AED 12.7K

-2.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.95

4.54

9.03%

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

Last update for Fredrikstad: October 11, 2026

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fredrikstad

$1.1K 37.9%

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9% 35.5% $402

Groceries & Markets

Fredrikstad

$540 18.1%

Dubai

$292 10.1% 46% $248

Eating Out

Fredrikstad

$446 15%

Dubai

$305 10.5% 31.6% $141

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fredrikstad

$444 14.9%

Dubai

$394 13.6% 11.1% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Fredrikstad

$220 7.4%

Dubai

$147 5.1% 33.5% $74

Getting Around

Fredrikstad

$103 3.5%

Dubai

$89 3.1% 13.8% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Fredrikstad

$99 3.3%

Dubai

$136 4.7% 37.8% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,329 in Fredrikstad and $2,393 in Dubai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $124 in Fredrikstad vs $82.0 in Dubai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $540 vs $292 per month, with Dubai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Fredrikstad

🇦🇪 Dubai

🕒 Local time

16:59 4:59 PM

18:59 6:59 PM

2 h ahead of Fredrikstad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,267

3,790,000

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇴 Norwegian Krone (kr)

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

USD to NOK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Fredrikstad Dubai 5,100 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Fredrikstad
Dubai

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

Fredrikstad vs Dubai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dubai is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Dubai. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,329 in Fredrikstad versus $2,393 in Dubai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Dubai runs roughly 18% less than in Fredrikstad. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $168 in Fredrikstad versus $844 in Dubai. 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 Fredrikstad, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Fredrikstad and Dubai 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 3% less than in Fredrikstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.