Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Juba and Dubai

For one person, living is cheaper in Juba: $236 a month against $2,854 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $31,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index

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Juba

🇸🇸 South Sudan

$236

/mo nomad

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,854

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $236 in Juba versus $2,854 in Dubai.

Juba $236
Dubai $2,854

Estimated couple costs with rent: $366 in Juba versus $4,321 in Dubai.

Juba $366
Dubai $4,321

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $496 in Juba versus $5,788 in Dubai.

Juba $496
Dubai $5,788

Living in Juba costs roughly 92% less than in Dubai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Juba is 82% below, Dubai is 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.91 SSP 112.9K

$13.04 AED 47.89

52.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 AED 299

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 SSP 54.2K

$9.32 AED 34.25

2.47%

Cappuccino

$3.44 SSP 19.5K

$5.97 AED 21.93

-42.38%

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

$1.52 SSP 8,639

$1.63 AED 5.98

-6.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 AED 2.99

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.65 AED 50.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.38 AED 49.15

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 AED 6.64

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 AED 5.78

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 AED 9.16

Eggs

$3.28 AED 12.04

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.67 AED 46.53

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.75 AED 35.80

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.18 AED 48.40

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 AED 9.57

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 AED 7.09

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 AED 7.05

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 AED 5.00

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 AED 4.29

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 AED 5.56

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 AED 2.29

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.85 AED 21.50

Wine (Bottle)

$16.14 AED 59.3

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 AED 9.74

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 AED 10.82

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 AED 6.03

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.6 AED 270

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 AED 11.66

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.63

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.23

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 AED 3.64

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

$27.4K AED 100.5K

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

$22.5K AED 82.8K

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

$250 AED 920

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

$54.2 AED 199

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.8 AED 337

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 AED 362

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.61 AED 156

Cinema Ticket

$16.03 AED 58.9

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

$843 AED 3,098

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 AED 250

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 AED 370

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 AED 371

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,380 AED 8,741

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 AED 5,531

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,437 AED 16.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,010 AED 11.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,121 AED 26.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,135 AED 15.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,796 SSP 10.2M

$3,391 AED 12.5K

-47.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

164.32%

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

Last update for Juba: October 3, 2026

Last update for Dubai: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Juba

–

Dubai

$1.5K 52.5%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Juba

–

Dubai

$396 13.8%

Eating Out

Juba

–

Dubai

$309 10.8%

Groceries & Markets

Juba

–

Dubai

$293 10.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Juba

–

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Sport & Entertainment

Juba

–

Dubai

$131 4.6%

Getting Around

Juba

–

Dubai

$87 3%

Cost Breakdown

Dubai pays 89% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇸🇸 Juba

🇦🇪 Dubai

🕒 Local time

10:19 10:19 AM

12:19 12:19 PM

2 h ahead of Juba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

372,410 Capital

3,790,000

💱 Currency

South Sudanese Pound SSP £

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 SSP = 1.76 USD

10,000 SSP = 1.57 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, USD, EUR to SSP – South Sudanese Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇸 South Sudanese Pound (£)

South Sudanese Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 5,670 SSP (10,000 SSP = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 6,360 SSP (10,000 SSP = 1.57 EUR).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.12 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

USD to SSP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Juba Dubai 3,380 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Juba
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

Juba vs Dubai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Juba is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. The 1110% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 89% 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.

At $236 in Juba versus $2,854 in Dubai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Juba but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Juba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Juba 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, Juba 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 Juba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1110% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.