Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Janub-as-surrah and Dubai

For one person, living is cheaper in Janub-as-surrah: $1,266 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $19,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Janub-as-surrah
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Janub-as-surrah Living Index
140

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index

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Janub-as-surrah

🇰🇼 Kuwait

$1,266

/mo nomad

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Janub-as-surrah versus $2,896 in Dubai.

Janub-as-surrah $1,266
Dubai $2,896

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,141 in Janub-as-surrah versus $4,384 in Dubai.

Janub-as-surrah $2,141
Dubai $4,384

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,015 in Janub-as-surrah versus $5,872 in Dubai.

Janub-as-surrah $3,015
Dubai $5,872

Living in Janub-as-surrah costs roughly 56% less than in Dubai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Janub-as-surrah is 6% below, Dubai is 115% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 KWD 2.71

$12.67 AED 46.55

-30.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 KWD 20.39

$81.7 AED 300

-19.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.28 KWD 2.55

$9.34 AED 34.30

-11.35%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.22 KWD 0.99

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 KWD 0.94

Cappuccino

$5.56 KWD 1.71

$5.89 AED 21.62

-5.60%

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

$0.52 KWD 0.16

$1.69 AED 6.20

-69.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 KWD 0.09

$0.78 AED 2.86

-61.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 KWD 0.40

$1.84 AED 6.78

-29.89%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 KWD 0.28

$1.50 AED 5.50

-40.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 KWD 0.56

$2.57 AED 9.45

-29.18%

Eggs

$1.88 KWD 0.58

$3.32 AED 12.18

-43.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.86 KWD 1.50

$12.60 AED 46.28

-61.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.22 KWD 1.92

$9.66 AED 35.46

-35.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.68 KWD 2.98

$12.78 AED 46.93

-24.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 KWD 0.69

$2.60 AED 9.54

-13.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 KWD 0.59

$1.90 AED 6.99

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 KWD 0.42

$1.91 AED 7.02

-29.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 KWD 0.53

$1.37 AED 5.02

24.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 KWD 0.41

$1.13 AED 4.14

18.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 KWD 0.27

$1.01 AED 3.71

-14.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 KWD 0.44

$1.44 AED 5.30

-1.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 KWD 0.17

$0.67 AED 2.48

-19.40%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.08 KWD 0.95

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 KWD 0.28

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 KWD 0.40

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.39 KWD 0.74

$5.88 AED 21.59

-59.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 KWD 0.25

$1.60 AED 5.87

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 KWD 0.98

$3.24 AED 11.91

-2.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.34 KWD 1.03

$0.71 AED 2.61

370.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.85 KWD 4.88

$7.96 AED 29.22

99.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.34 KWD 0.10

$0.98 AED 3.62

-65.31%

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

$20.3K KWD 6,249

$27.4K AED 100.6K

-25.94%

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

$21.0K KWD 6,469

$22.0K AED 80.9K

-4.69%

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

$71.9 KWD 22.17

$249 AED 913

-71.05%

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

$21.29 KWD 6.56

$54.4 AED 200

-60.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.26 KWD 9.94

$91.5 AED 336

-64.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$92.8 KWD 28.58

$103 AED 380

-10.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

Cinema Ticket

$11.56 KWD 3.56

$16.29 AED 59.8

-29.04%

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

$306 KWD 94.2

$844 AED 3,098

-63.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,692 KWD 2,062

$18.3K AED 67.1K

-63.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.91 KWD 13.22

$67.0 AED 246

-35.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.90 KWD 12.91

$57.9 AED 213

-27.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.2 KWD 27.79

$102 AED 375

-11.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.8 KWD 25.21

$98.7 AED 363

-17.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$760 KWD 234

$2,393 AED 8,788

-68.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$555 KWD 171

$1,533 AED 5,630

-63.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 KWD 473

$4,594 AED 16.9K

-66.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,258 KWD 388

$2,939 AED 10.8K

-57.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

4.54

43.83%

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

Last update for Janub-as-surrah: October 12, 2026

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Janub-as-surrah

$555 43.9%

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9% 176% $978

Groceries & Markets

Janub-as-surrah

$166 13.1%

Dubai

$292 10.1% 75.8% $126

Eating Out

Janub-as-surrah

$165 13%

Dubai

$305 10.5% 84.7% $140

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Janub-as-surrah

$125 9.9%

Dubai

$394 13.6% 214% $269

Sport & Entertainment

Janub-as-surrah

$116 9.2%

Dubai

$136 4.7% 17.3% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Janub-as-surrah

$116 9.1%

Dubai

$147 5.1% 26.8% $31

Getting Around

Janub-as-surrah

$23 * 1.8%

Dubai

$89 3.1% 286% $66

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $760 in Janub-as-surrah and $2,393 in Dubai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $66.0 in Janub-as-surrah vs $82.0 in Dubai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $166 vs $292 per month, with Janub-as-surrah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇼 Janub-as-surrah

🇦🇪 Dubai

🕒 Local time

12:30 12:30 PM

13:30 1:30 PM

1 h ahead of Janub-as-surrah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

18,496

3,790,000

💱 Currency

Kuwaiti Dinar KWD د.ك

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

1 KWD = 3.25 USD

1 KWD = 2.89 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, USD, EUR to KWD – Kuwaiti Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇼 Kuwaiti Dinar (د.ك)

Kuwaiti Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.308 KWD (1 KWD = 3.25 USD). 1 EUR = 0.346 KWD (1 KWD = 2.89 EUR).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

USD to KWD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Janub-as-surrah Dubai 850 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Janub-as-surrah
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

Janub-as-surrah vs Dubai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Janub-as-surrah is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 129% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,900 in Janub-as-surrah and $4,344 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $760 in Janub-as-surrah versus $2,393 in Dubai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 76% higher in Dubai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Janub-as-surrah versus $2,896 in Dubai – a 129% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,266 in Janub-as-surrah versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Janub-as-surrah but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Janub-as-surrah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Janub-as-surrah 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.

Safety-wise, Janub-as-surrah 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 Janub-as-surrah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 129% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.