Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pekanbaru and Dubai

For one person, living is cheaper in Pekanbaru: $628 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $27,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Pekanbaru
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Pekanbaru Living Index
140

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
Learn more

Dubai Living Index

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Pekanbaru

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$628

/mo nomad

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $628 in Pekanbaru versus $2,896 in Dubai.

Pekanbaru $628
Dubai $2,896

Estimated couple costs with rent: $983 in Pekanbaru versus $4,384 in Dubai.

Pekanbaru $983
Dubai $4,384

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,339 in Pekanbaru versus $5,872 in Dubai.

Pekanbaru $1,339
Dubai $5,872

Living in Pekanbaru costs roughly 78% less than in Dubai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pekanbaru is 53% below, Dubai is 115% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.43 Rp 25.8K

$12.67 AED 46.55

-88.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.20 Rp 147.6K

$81.7 AED 300

-89.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.41 Rp 43.4K

$9.34 AED 34.30

-74.20%

Cappuccino

$1.30 Rp 23.3K

$5.89 AED 21.62

-77.93%

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

$0.58 Rp 10.4K

$1.69 AED 6.20

-65.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 Rp 5,954

$0.78 AED 2.86

-57.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.07 Rp 37.3K

$13.66 AED 50.2

-84.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$13.49 AED 49.54

-74.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 Rp 23.3K

$1.84 AED 6.78

-29.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 Rp 20.6K

$1.50 AED 5.50

-23.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 Rp 16.1K

$2.57 AED 9.45

-65.37%

Eggs

$1.68 Rp 30.3K

$3.32 AED 12.18

-49.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 Rp 131.3K

$12.60 AED 46.28

-42.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.37 Rp 42.7K

$9.66 AED 35.46

-75.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.49 Rp 116.9K

$12.78 AED 46.93

-49.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 Rp 48.5K

$2.60 AED 9.54

3.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 Rp 30.6K

$1.90 AED 6.99

-10.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 Rp 43.4K

$1.91 AED 7.02

26.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 Rp 22.8K

$1.37 AED 5.02

-7.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 Rp 22.3K

$1.13 AED 4.14

9.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$1.01 AED 3.71

89.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$1.44 AED 5.30

-47.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 Rp 6,350

$0.67 AED 2.48

-47.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.16 Rp 38.9K

$5.88 AED 21.59

-63.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.45 Rp 386.0K

$16.15 AED 59.3

32.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$2.72 AED 10.00

-29.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 Rp 54.2K

$3.08 AED 11.32

-2.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,230

$1.60 AED 5.87

-81.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.44 Rp 152.0K

$76.0 AED 279

-88.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 Rp 16.6K

$3.24 AED 11.91

-71.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 Rp 7,154

$0.71 AED 2.61

-43.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 Rp 48.2K

$7.96 AED 29.22

-66.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.6K

$0.98 AED 3.62

-22.45%

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

$23.3K Rp 418.9M

$27.4K AED 100.6K

-15.02%

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

$26.0K Rp 468.5M

$22.0K AED 80.9K

18.15%

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

$62.1 Rp 1.1M

$249 AED 913

-75.02%

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

$5.99 Rp 107.9K

$54.4 AED 200

-89.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.78 Rp 428.1K

$91.5 AED 336

-74.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.34 Rp 510.2K

$103 AED 380

-72.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.31 Rp 149.7K

$42.32 AED 155

-80.36%

Cinema Ticket

$3.03 Rp 54.6K

$16.29 AED 59.8

-81.40%

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

$96.0 Rp 1.7M

$844 AED 3,098

-88.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,773 Rp 139.9M

$18.3K AED 67.1K

-57.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.96 Rp 575.3K

$67.0 AED 246

-52.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.42 Rp 511.6K

$57.9 AED 213

-50.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.8 Rp 985.5K

$102 AED 375

-46.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.8 Rp 1.5M

$98.7 AED 363

-18.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$262 Rp 4.7M

$2,393 AED 8,788

-89.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$145 Rp 2.6M

$1,533 AED 5,630

-90.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$540 Rp 9.7M

$4,594 AED 16.9K

-88.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$356 Rp 6.4M

$2,939 AED 10.8K

-87.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,070 Rp 19.3M

$7,046 AED 25.9K

-84.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$807 Rp 14.5M

$4,222 AED 15.5K

-80.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$176 Rp 3.2M

$3,461 AED 12.7K

-94.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.46

4.54

108.37%

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

Last update for Pekanbaru: October 12, 2026

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Pekanbaru

$201 32%

Dubai

$292 10.1% 45.2% $91

Accommodation & Living

Pekanbaru

$145 23.1%

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9% 959% $1.4K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pekanbaru

$92 14.6%

Dubai

$394 13.6% 329% $303

Clothing & Footwear

Pekanbaru

$88 14%

Dubai

$147 5.1% 66.2% $58

Eating Out

Pekanbaru

$55 8.8%

Dubai

$305 10.5% 453% $250

Sport & Entertainment

Pekanbaru

$34 5.5%

Dubai

$136 4.7% 295% $102

Getting Around

Pekanbaru

$13 2%

Dubai

$89 3.1% 612% $77

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $262 in Pekanbaru and $2,393 in Dubai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 1866% 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: $8.00 in Pekanbaru vs $82.0 in Dubai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $292 per month, with Pekanbaru cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Pekanbaru

🇦🇪 Dubai

🕒 Local time

10:17 10:17 AM

07:17 7:17 AM

3 h behind Pekanbaru

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,020,308

3,790,000

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Pekanbaru Dubai 5,660 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Pekanbaru
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

Pekanbaru vs Dubai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pekanbaru is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 361% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1866% 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: $262 in Pekanbaru versus $2,393 in Dubai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Pekanbaru runs roughly 800% less than in Dubai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $96.0 in Pekanbaru versus $844 in Dubai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $628 in Pekanbaru versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Pekanbaru but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Pekanbaru the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Pekanbaru 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, Pekanbaru 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 Pekanbaru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 361% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.