Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hatton and Dubai

For one person, living is cheaper in Hatton: $511 a month against $2,889 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $28,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Hatton, Sri Lanka
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Hatton
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
$511
/mo nomad
Dubai
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates
$2,889
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hatton 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 Hatton and in Dubai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $511 in Hatton versus $2,889 in Dubai.

  • Hatton $511
  • Dubai $2,889

Estimated couple costs with rent: $829 in Hatton versus $4,444 in Dubai.

  • Hatton $829
  • Dubai $4,444

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,148 in Hatton versus $5,999 in Dubai.

  • Hatton $1,148
  • Dubai $5,999

Living in Hatton costs roughly 82% less than in Dubai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hatton is 62% below, Dubai is 114% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hatton
Dubai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.70 LKR 1,231
$12.94 AED 47.54
-71.41%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.88 LKR 8,271
$83.2 AED 306
-70.10%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.42 LKR 2,468
$9.35 AED 34.32
-20.64%
Cappuccino
$2.56 LKR 851
$5.88 AED 21.60
-56.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.73 LKR 244
$1.57 AED 5.77
-53.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.27 LKR 90.6
$0.94 AED 3.47
-71.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.16 LKR 717
$13.44 AED 49.38
-83.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 LKR 1,030
$13.57 AED 49.84
-77.16%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hatton
Dubai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 LKR 523
$1.86 AED 6.83
-15.59%
White Bread (500g)
$0.57 LKR 189
$1.56 AED 5.73
-63.46%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.80 LKR 264
$2.64 AED 9.68
-69.70%
Eggs
$1.63 LKR 541
$3.53 AED 12.96
-53.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.38 LKR 5,114
$12.97 AED 47.62
18.58%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.15 LKR 1,711
$9.94 AED 36.51
-48.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.42 LKR 2,467
$12.92 AED 47.45
-42.57%
Apples (1kg)
$6.77 LKR 2,252
$2.55 AED 9.36
165.49%
Banana (1kg)
$0.81 LKR 269
$2.05 AED 7.54
-60.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.28 LKR 1,424
$1.84 AED 6.77
132.61%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.27 LKR 423
$1.54 AED 5.64
-17.53%
Potato (1kg)
$1.03 LKR 344
$1.17 AED 4.31
-11.97%
Onion (1kg)
$0.77 LKR 255
$1.02 AED 3.76
-24.51%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.20 LKR 398
$1.57 AED 5.75
-23.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.45 LKR 151
$0.67 AED 2.46
-32.84%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.38 LKR 3,452
$6.31 AED 23.17
64.50%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.46 LKR 4,474
$16.16 AED 59.4
-16.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.89 LKR 628
$2.58 AED 9.48
-26.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.94 LKR 977
$2.89 AED 10.60
1.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Hatton
Dubai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.40 AED 5.15
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$82.4 AED 303
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.40 LKR 134
$3.29 AED 12.07
-87.84%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.31 LKR 102
$0.65 AED 2.40
-52.31%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$0.92 LKR 304
$8.13 AED 29.84
-88.68%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.33 LKR 443
$1.00 AED 3.68
33.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$44.1K LKR 14.7M
$26.3K AED 96.6K
67.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$45.1K LKR 15.0M
$22.0K AED 81.0K
104.79%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hatton
Dubai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$56.2 LKR 18.7K
$239 AED 877
-76.46%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.19 LKR 1,392
$56.9 AED 209
-92.63%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.99 LKR 6,978
$93.9 AED 345
-77.64%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hatton
Dubai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$90.8 AED 334
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$46.38 AED 170
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.53 LKR 1,506
$16.24 AED 59.6
-72.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hatton
Dubai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$40.87 LKR 13.6K
$934 AED 3,429
-95.62%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.4K LKR 5.8M
$20.9K AED 76.8K
-17.03%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hatton
Dubai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$17.81 LKR 5,921
$70.7 AED 260
-74.81%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$17.20 LKR 5,718
$61.3 AED 225
-71.96%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$78.9 LKR 26.2K
$103 AED 377
-23.22%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$42.09 LKR 14.0K
$116 AED 426
-63.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hatton
Dubai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$2,487 AED 9,134
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,520 AED 5,581
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$5,234 AED 19.2K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$3,028 AED 11.1K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$6,982 AED 25.6K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$4,433 AED 16.3K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hatton
Dubai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$3,553 AED 13.0K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.5
4.57
173.52%

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

Last update for Hatton: October 31, 2026

Last update for Dubai: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Hatton
$245
Dubai
$297 21.5% $53
Eating Out
Hatton
$104
Dubai
$307 196% $203
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hatton
$81
Dubai
$390 379% $308
Clothing & Footwear
Hatton
$70
Dubai
$158 125% $88
Sport & Entertainment
Hatton
$9.1 *
Dubai
$123 1261% $114
Getting Around
Hatton
$1.9 *
Dubai
$95 4801% $93
Accommodation & Living
Hatton
- *
Dubai
$1.5K

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $25 in Hatton vs $83 in Dubai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $245 vs $297 per month, with Hatton cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇱🇰 Hatton
🇦🇪 Dubai
🕒 Local time
00:40 12:40 AM
23:10 11:10 PM
1 h 30 min behind Hatton
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
16,200
3,790,000
💱 Currency
UAE Dirham AED د.إ
Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, USD, EUR to LKR – Sri Lankan Rupee Converter

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 374 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hatton Dubai 3,370 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Hatton
  • 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
Hatton vs Dubai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hatton cheaper than Dubai?
Hatton is about 82% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $766 in Hatton and $4,333 in Dubai 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 Hatton and in Dubai?
Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Dubai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Hatton and in Dubai?
All in, you’ll spend $511 per month in Hatton versus $2,889 in Dubai – Hatton is about 82% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Hatton or in Dubai?
At $511 in Hatton versus $2,889 in Dubai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hatton but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Hatton the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Hatton or in Dubai?
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.
Which city is safer, Hatton or Dubai?
Safety-wise, Hatton and Dubai are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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