Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Said and Dubai

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Said: $434 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $29,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Port Said
🇪🇬 Egypt
$434
/mo nomad
Dubai
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates
$2,896
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $434 in Port Said versus $2,896 in Dubai.

  • Port Said $434
  • Dubai $2,896

Estimated couple costs with rent: $721 in Port Said versus $4,384 in Dubai.

  • Port Said $721
  • Dubai $4,384

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,008 in Port Said versus $5,872 in Dubai.

  • Port Said $1,008
  • Dubai $5,872

Living in Port Said costs roughly 85% less than in Dubai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Port Said is 68% below, Dubai is 115% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Port Said
Dubai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.89 E£206
$12.67 AED 46.55
-69.30%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.15 E£1,016
$81.7 AED 300
-76.57%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.72 E£250
$9.34 AED 34.30
-49.46%
Cappuccino
$1.25 E£66.5
$5.89 AED 21.62
-78.78%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.32 E£17.02
$1.69 AED 6.20
-81.07%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.11 E£5.84
$0.78 AED 2.86
-85.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.31 E£69.5
$13.66 AED 50.2
-90.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.79 E£148
$13.49 AED 49.54
-79.32%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Port Said
Dubai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.78 E£41.51
$1.84 AED 6.78
-57.61%
White Bread (500g)
$0.71 E£37.38
$1.50 AED 5.50
-52.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.60 E£31.85
$2.57 AED 9.45
-76.65%
Eggs
$1.18 E£62.5
$3.32 AED 12.18
-64.46%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$3.92 E£208
$12.60 AED 46.28
-68.89%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.73 E£198
$9.66 AED 35.47
-61.39%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.85 E£416
$12.78 AED 46.93
-38.58%
Apples (1kg)
$1.57 E£83.1
$2.60 AED 9.54
-39.62%
Banana (1kg)
$0.77 E£41.07
$1.90 AED 6.99
-59.47%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.54 E£28.87
$1.91 AED 7.02
-71.73%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.29 E£15.51
$1.37 AED 5.02
-78.83%
Potato (1kg)
$0.20 E£10.60
$1.13 AED 4.14
-82.30%
Onion (1kg)
$0.32 E£17.01
$1.01 AED 3.71
-68.32%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.27 E£14.47
$1.44 AED 5.30
-81.25%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.19 E£9.90
$0.67 AED 2.48
-71.64%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.85 E£98.1
$5.88 AED 21.59
-68.54%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.57 E£295
$16.15 AED 59.3
-65.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23 E£65.3
$2.72 AED 10.00
-54.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.24 E£119
$3.08 AED 11.32
-27.27%
🚌 Getting Around
Port Said
Dubai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.19 E£10.01
$1.60 AED 5.87
-88.13%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$2.31 E£123
$76.0 AED 279
-96.96%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.27 E£14.29
$3.24 AED 11.91
-91.67%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.20 E£10.43
$0.71 AED 2.61
-71.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.20 E£63.7
$7.96 AED 29.22
-84.92%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.29 E£15.44
$0.98 AED 3.62
-70.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.5K E£1.7M
$27.4K AED 100.6K
18.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.3K E£1.4M
$22.0K AED 80.9K
24.01%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Port Said
Dubai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$14.32 E£759
$249 AED 913
-94.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.94 E£368
$54.4 AED 200
-87.25%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$7.04 E£373
$91.5 AED 336
-92.30%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Port Said
Dubai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$16.43 E£871
$103 AED 380
-84.11%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$42.32 AED 155
-
Cinema Ticket
$2.81 E£149
$16.29 AED 59.8
-82.75%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Port Said
Dubai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$35.35 E£1,874
$844 AED 3,098
-95.81%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$565 E£30.0K
$18.3K AED 67.1K
-96.91%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Port Said
Dubai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$33.03 E£1,751
$67.0 AED 246
-50.69%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.42 E£2,408
$57.9 AED 213
-21.61%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$131 E£6,927
$102 AED 375
27.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$55.5 E£2,944
$98.7 AED 363
-43.76%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Port Said
Dubai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$135 E£7,141
$2,393 AED 8,789
-94.37%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$67.9 E£3,601
$1,533 AED 5,630
-95.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$227 E£12.0K
$4,594 AED 16.9K
-95.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$139 E£7,346
$2,939 AED 10.8K
-95.29%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$770 E£40.8K
$7,046 AED 25.9K
-89.07%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$357 E£18.9K
$4,222 AED 15.5K
-91.54%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Port Said
Dubai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$187 E£9,923
$3,461 AED 12.7K
-94.59%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
21.33
4.54
369.82%

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

Last update for Port Said: October 12, 2026

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Clothing & Footwear
Port Said
$119
Dubai
$147 23.1% $27
Groceries & Markets
Port Said
$118
Dubai
$292 146% $173
Eating Out
Port Said
$74
Dubai
$305 312% $231
Accommodation & Living
Port Said
$68
Dubai
$1.5K 2157% $1.5K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Port Said
$28
Dubai
$394 1294% $366
Sport & Entertainment
Port Said
$22
Dubai
$136 516% $114
Getting Around
Port Said
$4.3
Dubai
$89 1963% $85

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $135 in Port Said and $2,393 in Dubai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 1749% 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: $19.00 in Port Said vs $82.0 in Dubai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $118 vs $292 per month, with Port Said cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇬 Port Said
🇦🇪 Dubai
🕒 Local time
22:19 10:19 PM
23:19 11:19 PM
1 h ahead of Port Said
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
538,378
3,790,000
💱 Currency
UAE Dirham AED د.إ
Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, USD, EUR to EGP – Egyptian Pound Converter

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 53.02 EGP (100 EGP = 1.89 USD). 1 EUR = 59.37 EGP (100 EGP = 1.68 EUR).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.11 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Port Said Dubai 2,340 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Port Said
  • 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
Port Said vs Dubai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dubai cheaper than Port Said?
Port Said is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, groceries, and eating out. The 567% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Port Said or Dubai?
On paper, salaries run 1749% 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.
What is the rent difference between Port Said and Dubai?
Rent for a central apartment: $135 in Port Said versus $2,393 in Dubai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Port Said runs roughly 3188% less than in Dubai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $35.35 in Port Said versus $844 in Dubai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Port Said or in Dubai?
At $434 in Port Said versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Port Said but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Port Said the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Port Said or Dubai more family-friendly?
For families, Port Said 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.
Which city is safer, Port Said or Dubai?
Safety-wise, Port Said 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Port Said gentler on the wallet – expenses run 567% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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