Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Sudan and Dubai

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Sudan: $659 a month against $2,854 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $26,300 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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Port Sudan

🇸🇩 Sudan

$659

/mo nomad

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,854

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $659 in Port Sudan versus $2,854 in Dubai.

Port Sudan $659
Dubai $2,854

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,180 in Port Sudan versus $4,321 in Dubai.

Port Sudan $1,180
Dubai $4,321

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,702 in Port Sudan versus $5,788 in Dubai.

Port Sudan $1,702
Dubai $5,788

Living in Port Sudan costs roughly 77% less than in Dubai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Port Sudan is 51% 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)

$1.27 SDG 760

$1.81 AED 6.64

-29.83%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 SDG 507

$1.57 AED 5.78

-45.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.76 SDG 457

$2.49 AED 9.16

-69.48%

Eggs

$2.94 SDG 1,761

$3.28 AED 12.04

-10.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.53 SDG 3,910

$12.67 AED 46.53

-48.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.14 SDG 9,659

$9.75 AED 35.80

65.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.45 SDG 8,646

$13.18 AED 48.40

9.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.17 SDG 2,495

$2.61 AED 9.57

59.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 SDG 1,307

$1.93 AED 7.09

12.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 SDG 973

$1.92 AED 7.05

-15.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.68 SDG 4,000

$1.36 AED 5.00

391.18%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 SDG 1,965

$1.17 AED 4.29

180.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 SDG 973

$1.01 AED 3.71

61.39%

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)

$0.31 SDG 185

$1.64 AED 6.03

-81.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.6 AED 270

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 SDG 1,175

$3.17 AED 11.66

-38.17%

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)

$11.51 SDG 6,886

$54.2 AED 199

-78.78%

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)

$28.69 SDG 17.2K

$843 AED 3,098

-96.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$424 SDG 253.5K

$18.3K AED 67.1K

-97.68%

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)

$737 SDG 440.9K

$2,380 AED 8,741

-69.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 SDG 220.1K

$1,506 AED 5,531

-75.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,489 SDG 891.0K

$4,437 AED 16.3K

-66.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$988 SDG 591.6K

$3,010 AED 11.1K

-67.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,032 SDG 1.2M

$7,121 AED 26.2K

-71.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,186 SDG 709.7K

$4,135 AED 15.2K

-71.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$210 SDG 125.9K

$3,391 AED 12.5K

-93.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

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

Last update for Port Sudan: 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

Port Sudan

–

Dubai

$1.5K 52.5%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Sudan

–

Dubai

$396 13.8%

Eating Out

Port Sudan

–

Dubai

$309 10.8%

Groceries & Markets

Port Sudan

–

Dubai

$293 10.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Port Sudan

–

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Sport & Entertainment

Port Sudan

–

Dubai

$131 4.6%

Getting Around

Port Sudan

–

Dubai

$87 3%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Port Sudan and $2,380 in Dubai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 1511% 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

🇸🇩 Port Sudan

🇦🇪 Dubai

🕒 Local time

14:15 2:15 PM

16:15 4:15 PM

2 h ahead of Port Sudan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

489,000

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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Between locations

Port Sudan Dubai 1,940 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Sudan
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 Sudan vs Dubai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Sudan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and transport. The 333% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1511% 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: $737 in Port Sudan versus $2,380 in Dubai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Dubai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Childcare runs $28.69 in Port Sudan versus $843 in Dubai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $659 in Port Sudan versus $2,854 in Dubai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Port Sudan but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Port Sudan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Port Sudan 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, Port Sudan 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 Port Sudan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 333% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.