Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manzini and Dubai

For one person, living is cheaper in Manzini: $354 a month against $2,854 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $30,000 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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Manzini

🇸🇿 Eswatini

$354

/mo nomad

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,854

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $354 in Manzini versus $2,854 in Dubai.

Manzini $354
Dubai $2,854

Estimated couple costs with rent: $515 in Manzini versus $4,321 in Dubai.

Manzini $515
Dubai $4,321

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $677 in Manzini versus $5,788 in Dubai.

Manzini $677
Dubai $5,788

Living in Manzini costs roughly 88% less than in Dubai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Manzini is 74% below, Dubai is 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.04 AED 47.89

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 AED 299

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.32 AED 34.25

Cappuccino

$5.97 AED 21.93

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

$1.63 AED 5.98

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)

$1.29 SZL 21.19

$1.81 AED 6.64

-28.73%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 SZL 15.84

$1.57 AED 5.78

-38.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 SZL 29.52

$2.49 AED 9.16

-28.11%

Eggs

$1.18 SZL 19.51

$3.28 AED 12.04

-64.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.49 SZL 124

$12.67 AED 46.53

-40.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.96 SZL 48.83

$9.75 AED 35.80

-69.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$1.85 SZL 30.51

$13.18 AED 48.40

-85.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.33 SZL 21.91

$2.61 AED 9.57

-49.04%

Banana (1kg)

$0.59 SZL 9.73

$1.93 AED 7.09

-69.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 SZL 13.65

$1.92 AED 7.05

-56.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.51 SZL 8.48

$1.36 AED 5.00

-62.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 SZL 9.60

$1.17 AED 4.29

-50.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 SZL 7.73

$1.01 AED 3.71

-53.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 SZL 7.36

$1.51 AED 5.56

-70.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 SZL 11.47

$0.62 AED 2.29

12.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 SZL 51.7

$5.85 AED 21.50

-46.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.20 SZL 52.8

$16.14 AED 59.3

-80.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 SZL 10.39

$2.65 AED 9.74

-76.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 SZL 12.80

$2.95 AED 10.82

-73.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 SZL 9.89

$1.64 AED 6.03

-63.41%

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)

$1.32 SZL 21.79

$0.99 AED 3.64

33.33%

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

$17.1K SZL 282.0K

$27.4K AED 100.5K

-37.49%

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

$15.7K SZL 259.3K

$22.5K AED 82.8K

-30.21%

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

$72.4 SZL 1,193

$250 AED 920

-71.09%

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

$12.23 SZL 202

$54.2 AED 199

-77.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 SZL 494

$91.8 AED 337

-67.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 AED 362

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.61 AED 156

Cinema Ticket

$3.68 SZL 60.6

$16.03 AED 58.9

-77.04%

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)

$170 SZL 2,801

$2,380 AED 8,741

-92.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$105 SZL 1,734

$1,506 AED 5,531

-93.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$367 SZL 6,054

$4,437 AED 16.3K

-91.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 SZL 4,517

$3,010 AED 11.1K

-90.89%

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)

$404 SZL 6,657

$3,391 AED 12.5K

-88.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

120.26%

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

Last update for Manzini: October 6, 2026

Last update for Dubai: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manzini

–

Dubai

$1.5K 52.5%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manzini

–

Dubai

$396 13.8%

Eating Out

Manzini

–

Dubai

$309 10.8%

Groceries & Markets

Manzini

–

Dubai

$293 10.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Manzini

–

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Sport & Entertainment

Manzini

–

Dubai

$131 4.6%

Getting Around

Manzini

–

Dubai

$87 3%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $170 in Manzini and $2,380 in Dubai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 739% 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

🇸🇿 Manzini

🇦🇪 Dubai

🕒 Local time

07:10 7:10 AM

09:10 9:10 AM

2 h ahead of Manzini

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,508

3,790,000

💱 Currency

Eswatini Lilangeni SZL L

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

100 SZL = 6.07 USD

100 SZL = 5.41 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, USD, EUR to SZL – Eswatini Lilangeni Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇿 Eswatini Lilangeni (L)

Eswatini Lilangeni exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 SZL (100 SZL = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.49 SZL (100 SZL = 5.41 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 SZL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Manzini Dubai 6,280 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Manzini
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

Manzini vs Dubai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manzini is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and leisure. The 707% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 739% 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: $170 in Manzini versus $2,380 in Dubai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 150% higher in Dubai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $354 per month in Manzini versus $2,854 in Dubai – a 707% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $354 in Manzini versus $2,854 in Dubai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Manzini but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Manzini the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Manzini 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, Manzini 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 Manzini gentler on the wallet – expenses run 707% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.