Living in Dubai: cost of living, rent and salary
Updated 3 October 2026
In Dubai, a one-bedroom home costs about AED 4,830 (≈ €1,160) a month. To keep the lifestyle of someone living in London, you need about AED 8,500 (≈ €2,040) net a month. Here is the rent by type of home, the month’s budget line by line, and the sources.
Example: the same life, elsewhere
A single person living in London in a one-bedroom home, with the average spending of a similar household, spends about £3,350 a month. To keep the same life in Dubai, they would need about AED 8,500 (≈ €2,040) net a month locally (−48%).
For a couple with two children in a two-bedroom home (private or international school), it would take about AED 21,200 (≈ €5,080) net a month in Dubai.
Calculated on 3 October 2026 with the official averages of London and the destination’s prices. Yours depends on your city, home and habits: the calculator works it out in a few minutes, no sign-up.
Rent in Dubai
| Type of home | Outside sought-after areas | Sought-after areas | Outside sought-after areas, in euros |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | AED 3,330 | AED 4,580 | €800 |
| 1 bedroom | AED 4,830 | AED 9,080 | €1,160 |
| 2 bedrooms | AED 6,420 | AED 13,800 | €1,540 |
| 3-bedroom house | AED 11,000 | AED 13,000 | €2,630 |
Monthly rent in AED, outside the most sought-after areas. Studio 28 m², 1 bedroom 45 m², 2 bedrooms 65 m², house 95 m² where rent is known per m². Dubai Land Department — Ejari rent contracts over the last 12 months, aggregated by Dubai Data (CC BY 4.0 licence) (17 September 2026).
A month’s budget in Dubai, line by line
For a single person renting a one-bedroom home and keeping the average habits of a household in London, here is what each line would cost in Dubai.
| Item | London | Dubai | Dubai (AED) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | £2,550 | £990 | AED 4,830 |
| Housing tax | £50 | £50 | AED 240 |
| Electricity, water, gas | £100 | £20 | AED 120 |
| Groceries | £200 | £230 | AED 1,110 |
| Restaurants and outings | £110 | £80 | AED 400 |
| Transport | £100 | £70 | AED 350 |
| Health | £40 | £0 | AED 0 |
| Phone and internet | £50 | £80 | AED 400 |
| Sport | £60 | £50 | AED 230 |
| Clothes | £60 | £60 | AED 280 |
| Hairdresser and beauty | £40 | £30 | AED 150 |
| Trips back to London | £0 | £80 | AED 380 |
| Total per month | £3,350 | £1,740 | AED 8,500 |
Estimate: lines without an answer take the official average of the departure city, then the destination’s prices. The calculator starts from your real amounts.
Visa, healthcare, school, electricity
These rules are the same across the country: find them on the page Living in the United Arab Emirates.
Frequently asked questions
What salary do you need to live in Dubai?
For a single person keeping the same life as in London: about AED 8,500 (≈ €2,040) net a month.
How much is rent in Dubai?
About AED 4,830 (≈ €1,160) a month for a one-bedroom home and AED 6,420 for a two-bedroom home, according to Dubai Land Department — Ejari rent contracts over the last 12 months, aggregated by Dubai Data (CC BY 4.0 licence).
Is it expensive to live in Dubai?
In London, a single person spends about £3,350 a month; with the same life in Dubai, it would be about £1,740 (−48%).