Cost Of Living In Dubai
Dubai is a city that attracts many individuals from all over the world and is famous for its luxurious and contemporary lifestyle. But if you are thinking about residing in Dubai, you need to consider many factors including living cost in Dubai per month.
This blog will take an overview of how much living can cost in Dubai per month and consider different factors including rental fees, electricity bills, accommodation, transportation costs, groceries, education, healthcare services, dining and entertainment.
Explore the cost of living in Dubai for a single person with rent and also how much it can be when a family consists of four people moving into such a vibrant city.
- Rental Fees
- Utility Bills
- Transportation Costs
- Groceries and Dining
- Healthcare Services
- Education Fees
- Entertainment and Leisure
- Personal Expenses
- Tax Policies
Rental Fees

The price for renting a house plays an important part when considering living costs in Dubai per month. The cost of living in Dubai for a single person with rent can depend on choosing a one-bedroom flat either inside or outside the inner city areas at prices ranging between 5000 and 8000 AED monthly and 3500 and 5500 AED monthly respectively.
The cost of living in Dubai for a family of four with monthly charges ranges from 12000 to 20000 AED depending on whether they live near or away from central and downtown areas in three or four-bedroom flats.
But you need to keep in mind that these price ranges may change from time to time due to the expanding real estate market, variance in location, facilities available as well as mode of housing ownership.
Families with many members in the household can also look into various housing and apartments depending on the total budget. Living in a villa with a garden in places such as Arabian Ranches or Jumeirah Golf
Estates may give you more room and amenities but these areas also come with increased cost compared to living in an apartment in less expensive areas like Jumeirah Village Circle or Al Barsha. It is upon families to judge different districts based on their requirements, preferences and financial capabilities.
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Utility Bills
The cost of living in Dubai for a family of 4 or an individual sorely includes the additional utility bills. Typical utility bills ( including electricity and heating/cooling water garbage) could cost up to 500-1000 AED per month for an average one-bedroom apartment. Internet packages are sold at around 300-500 AED every month with high-speed connections.
Therefore, approximately 1500 AED should be enough with utilities & internet bills adding up to the total cost of living in Dubai for a single person.
Transportation Costs

Transportation can be considered an important factor in overlooking the living cost in Dubai per month. To reduce fuel, insurance and maintenance costs, some families may find it unnecessary to own more than one car while others may even prefer public transport or ride-sharing services. In scenarios like this, Dubai Metro, buses and taxis are reliable and cheaper alternatives than a car to families that live in well-connected areas.
On top, having good public transport systems like public vehicles, cabs and private cars among others contributes greatly to the cost of living in Dubai per month.
Monthly tickets to travel using Dubai Metro are equally affordable costing around 300 AED depending on the route taken while those who prefer driving need to think of issues like fueling, insurance and car maintenance.
Gasoline prices in Dubai are fairly low compared to global standards, at approximately around 2.80 AED per liter. For the vehicle and policy involved, monthly car insurance may be between 300 and 800 AED. Although they vary, average monthly motor repairs can cost from 200 to 400 AED.
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Groceries and Dining
Moreover groceries and dining out form an inseparable part of calculating the cost of living in Dubai for a single person with rent as well as for a family of four. Spending approximately 1000-1500 AED each month is common among single individuals while families could spend around 3000-5000 AED each month depending on their eating habits and shopping needs.
Eating out in Dubai can be either very cheap or very expensive depending on your preferences. For example, eating out at fast food restaurants such as McDonald’s would require only about 30-50 AED while other restaurants that fall within the middle-class category would charge about 250 –500 AED for two persons having a three-course meal together.
Consequently, individuals who sometimes eat outside can spend around 1000-2000 AED but families consisting of four persons may spend around 6000 AED every month for their dinner bills.
Healthcare Services

Healthcare expenses can vary significantly depending on the healthcare services chosen and the insurance coverage opted for. Although employer-provided health insurance can take care of many expenses incurred in medical care, some families might want additional coverage to ensure comprehensive treatment. It is important to compare different policies and services to determine which ones are suitable for your family.
Dubai has good medical facilities but they’re not cheap. Most employers provide health insurance as part of the employment package.
However, for those without employer coverage, individual health insurance plans can range from 500 to 1500 AED a month depending on the extent of coverage and personal health status. For a family of four people, comprehensive health insurance may require you to pay between 2000 and 5000 AED per month.
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Education Fees

Education costs are one of the biggest factors in overseeing the cost of living in Dubai for a family of 4 including children. The city offers various international schools that follow different curricula such as British, American, IB, and Indian among others.
Some schools charge premiums due to their top-notch facilities and reputation but others give relatively affordable choices without compromising quality education. Parents should visit schools personally to understand their fee structure, teaching process and curriculum choices as well as the extracurricular educational activities offered.
In Dubai, there is also a gathering of many expensive private international schools for families with children in the household and in primary school alone with one year’s time tuition ranging from 30,000 to 60,000
AED per child while secondary school fees are usually set between 50,000 to 100,000 AED annually. Extra costs such as uniforms, books and extracurricular activities amount to another 5000-10,000 AED per child.
Entertainment and Leisure

The living cost in Dubai per month is also determined by entertainment and leisure activities. The city has many leisure options starting from luxury malls and fine-dining restaurants to beautiful beaches alongside landmarks and cultural attractions.
One would spend approximately 200-500 AED for gym membership per month depending on the quality of the gym itself and climatic conditions among other factors like location.
Also, some families might decide to go for recreational clubs or activities such as swimming sports and dance classes for children which may consume up to 500-1500 AED per month while at home other weekends will be spent watching movies thereby costing around 2000-2500 AED monthly.
Read More: Property Types In Dubai For Rent
Personal Expenses
Other personal expenses like clothing, personal care items or household supplies are also crucial when considering the cost of living in Dubai for a single person with rent.
Dubai offers many luxury shopping outlets and merchandise areas that convince young individuals to spend a whole lot of money and with all the finest accessories in the house, one person alone could even spend from 1000 to 1500 AED per month while on average it could be about 2000-4000 AED per month for a family of four.
This includes occasions where shopping is necessary for once or twice a month alongside other grooming services and leisure activities.
Tax Policies
Despite the living cost in Dubai per month being expensive compared to many cities worldwide, most expatriates find its tax-free income policy worthwhile due to the high-quality life standards and vibrant cultural settings provided in the city.
A diverse job market with excellent infrastructure has created Dubai as an attractive destination for both singles and families since it is strategically located within the Middle East.
However, anyone intending to move to Dubai should make sure that they have carried out enough research to come up with a comfortable financial plan that will cater to all their specific needs otherwise they will not be able to sustain themselves properly there.
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Conclusion
In summary, the overall amount of living cost in Dubai per month is around 15,000 AED considering many factors such as lifestyle choices, utility bills, transportation fees, family size, shopping needs and personal preferences. The monthly cost of living in Dubai for a single person with rent may range from 7000 to 12000 AED based on one’s standard of living and the location alongside rent, utility bills and transportation charges.
The cost of living in Dubai for a family of four may vary from 20,000 to 35,000 AED per month depending on several factors like renting fees, utilities, dining out, healthcare services, education fees and many personal expenses.
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