Cost of living in Dubai and the UAE
Figures are national averages for the United Arab Emirates; Dubai costs more than the national figure, rent most of all.
Living the same way in the United Arab Emirates costs about 69% of what it costs in the US, 76% in Canada and 74% in the UK. These are national averages from the World Bank's 2025 price levels for household spending, rent included.
What your spending becomes in the United Arab Emirates
Each row takes a month's spending at home, all in, and shows what living the same way costs in the United Arab Emirates, in your money and in AED.
| At home, a month | Same life in the United Arab Emirates | In AED | Compared with home |
|---|---|---|---|
| $3,000 in the US | $2,060 | AED 7,580 | 31% less |
| CA$4,000 in Canada | CA$3,050 | AED 8,020 | 24% less |
| £2,500 in the UK | £1,860 | AED 9,010 | 26% less |
Visa income figures for the United Arab Emirates
The monthly income figures for the open remote-work, retirement and freelance routes to the United Arab Emirates, from our routes table.
- UAE remote work visa (Dubai Virtual Working Programme) Keep your job, work remotely $3,500 a month (about CA$4,890, £2,660)
- UAE retirement visa Retire or live on savings AED 20,000 a month (about $5,450, CA$7,610, £4,140)
- UAE freelancer Green Visa Freelance or your own business AED 30,000 a month (about $8,170, CA$11,400, £6,200)
Income is only one requirement, and many routes ask for more per family member. Job-offer and study routes are left out, because their figure is a salary or allowance in the United Arab Emirates, not what you earn now. Conversions use 2025 exchange rates, so check a figure close to your income at today's rate.
The United Arab Emirates and countries at a similar price level
What $3,000 a month in the US becomes in each country, cheapest first. The order is the same from Canada or the UK.
Read these figures with care
- National averages. Capital cities and towns popular with movers usually cost more than the national figure, rent most of all.
- 2025 figures. Prices and exchange rates move. Treat this as a first sort, then price a real flat and a real weekly shop where you'd live.
- The same life, not a cheaper one. The World Bank compares what the same basket of goods and services costs in each country at market exchange rates. Living differently there, for better or worse, changes the sum.
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (PPP conversion factor for private consumption, and the official exchange rate), licensed CC BY 4.0. Data updated 2026-10-08. Visa figures from our routes table, checked against official sources. General information, not financial or immigration advice.