Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Khartoum and Dubai

For one person, living is cheaper in Khartoum: $505 a month against $2,854 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $28,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Khartoum
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Khartoum Living Index
139

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index

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Khartoum

🇸🇩 Sudan

$505

/mo nomad

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,854

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $505 in Khartoum versus $2,854 in Dubai.

Khartoum $505
Dubai $2,854

Estimated couple costs with rent: $681 in Khartoum versus $4,321 in Dubai.

Khartoum $681
Dubai $4,321

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $856 in Khartoum versus $5,788 in Dubai.

Khartoum $856
Dubai $5,788

Living in Khartoum 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: Khartoum is 62% below, Dubai is 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.34 SDG 1,401

$13.04 AED 47.89

-82.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.08 SDG 8,425

$81.4 AED 299

-82.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.64 SDG 1,579

$9.32 AED 34.25

-71.67%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 SDG 1,434

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 SDG 1,289

Cappuccino

$2.73 SDG 1,633

$5.97 AED 21.93

-54.27%

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

$0.52 SDG 314

$1.63 AED 5.98

-68.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 SDG 212

$0.81 AED 2.99

-56.79%

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)

$1.38 SDG 826

$1.81 AED 6.64

-23.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 SDG 829

$1.57 AED 5.78

-11.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 SDG 853

$2.49 AED 9.16

-42.97%

Eggs

$3.64 SDG 2,179

$3.28 AED 12.04

10.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.67 AED 46.53

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 SDG 2,584

$9.75 AED 35.80

-55.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.18 AED 48.40

Apples (1kg)

$4.27 SDG 2,555

$2.61 AED 9.57

63.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 SDG 611

$1.93 AED 7.09

-47.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 SDG 941

$1.92 AED 7.05

-18.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 SDG 964

$1.36 AED 5.00

18.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 SDG 625

$1.17 AED 4.29

-11.11%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 SDG 444

$1.01 AED 3.71

-26.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 SDG 340

$1.51 AED 5.56

-62.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 SDG 336

$0.62 AED 2.29

-9.68%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.97 SDG 2,374

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 SDG 463

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 SDG 1,010

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.86 SDG 1,114

$5.85 AED 21.50

-68.21%

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)

$0.67 SDG 404

$1.64 AED 6.03

-59.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.6 AED 270

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.80 SDG 2,274

$3.17 AED 11.66

19.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.63

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.88 SDG 2,923

$7.96 AED 29.23

-38.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 SDG 693

$0.99 AED 3.64

17.17%

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

$4,970 SDG 3.0M

$27.4K AED 100.5K

-81.84%

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

$10.1K SDG 6.0M

$22.5K AED 82.8K

-55.20%

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

$71.1 SDG 42.6K

$250 AED 920

-71.59%

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

$9.87 SDG 5,906

$54.2 AED 199

-81.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.81 SDG 19.6K

$91.8 AED 337

-64.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$8.18 SDG 4,897

$98.6 AED 362

-91.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.61 AED 156

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 SDG 2,329

$16.03 AED 58.9

-75.73%

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

$111 SDG 66.7K

$843 AED 3,098

-86.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,732 SDG 1.6M

$18.3K AED 67.1K

-85.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 AED 250

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$8.72 SDG 5,218

$57.9 AED 213

-84.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 AED 370

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 AED 371

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$538 SDG 322.2K

$2,380 AED 8,741

-77.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$170 SDG 101.9K

$1,506 AED 5,531

-88.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 SDG 743.7K

$4,437 AED 16.3K

-71.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$164 SDG 98.4K

$3,010 AED 11.1K

-94.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,029 SDG 615.8K

$7,121 AED 26.2K

-85.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,019 SDG 609.7K

$4,135 AED 15.2K

-75.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$241 SDG 144.2K

$3,391 AED 12.5K

-92.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

560.79%

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

Last update for Khartoum: October 4, 2026

Last update for Dubai: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Khartoum

$170 34.2%

Dubai

$1.5K 52.5% 785% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Khartoum

$125 * 25.1%

Dubai

$293 10.2% 134% $168

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Khartoum

$114 22.8%

Dubai

$396 13.8% 248% $283

Eating Out

Khartoum

$63 12.6%

Dubai

$309 10.8% 391% $246

Sport & Entertainment

Khartoum

$16 3.2%

Dubai

$131 4.6% 718% $115

Getting Around

Khartoum

$6.5 * 1.3%

Dubai

$87 3% 1237% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Khartoum

$3.9 * 0.8%

Dubai

$147 5.1% 3660% $143

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 $538 in Khartoum and $2,380 in Dubai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 1307% 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: $14.00 in Khartoum vs $81.0 in Dubai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $125 vs $293 per month, with Khartoum cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇩 Khartoum

🇦🇪 Dubai

🕒 Local time

12:11 12:11 PM

14:11 2:11 PM

2 h ahead of Khartoum

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,682,431 Capital

3,790,000

💱 Currency

Sudanese Pound SDG £

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 SDG = 1.67 USD

1,000 SDG = 1.49 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, USD, EUR to SDG – Sudanese Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇩 Sudanese Pound (£)

Sudanese Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 599 SDG (1,000 SDG = 1.67 USD). 1 EUR = 671 SDG (1,000 SDG = 1.49 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 SDG in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Khartoum Dubai 2,580 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Khartoum
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

Khartoum vs Dubai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Khartoum is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 465% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1307% 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: $538 in Khartoum versus $2,380 in Dubai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 134% higher in Dubai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $505 per month in Khartoum versus $2,854 in Dubai – a 465% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $505 in Khartoum versus $2,854 in Dubai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Khartoum but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Khartoum the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Khartoum 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, Khartoum 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 Khartoum gentler on the wallet – expenses run 465% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.