Cost of Living
The cost of living as a student in Dubai varies per person depending on your individual needs. Below is an example of the type of costs a student will need to prepare for:
| Item of expenditure | AED per month | |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | 1,500 - 2,000 (Not Partner Accommodation) | |
| Food | 2,000 - 3,000 | |
| Electricity and water | Generally included in rent | |
| Transportation | 120 (RTA) or 300 (Personal Car) | |
| Mobile phone | 100-120 | |
| Entertainment | 500-700 | |
| Shared room outside of centre | 1,018 |
| Shared room in city centre | 1,458 |
| 1 bedroom apartment outside of centre | 1,505 |
| 1 bedroom apartment In clty centre | 2,208 |
Dubai might be popular for a seemingly luxurious lifestyle, it is possible to live economically with a budget and sound choices. The average cost of some everyday items and services is provided below.
(source: Numbeo.com)
| Restaurants | Price (AED) |
|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 35.00 |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 200.00 |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 25.00 |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 17.82 |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33 liter bottle) | 2.76 |
| Water (0.33 liter bottle) | 1.45 |
| Markets | Price (AED) |
|---|---|
| Milk (regular), (1 liter) | 4.88 |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (500g) | 3.49 |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 25.00 |
| Rice (white), (1kg) | 5.50 |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | .32 |
| Local Cheese (1kg) | 36.81 |
| Chicken Breasts (Boneless, Skinless), (1kg) | 19.73 |
| Beef Round (1kg) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 28.42 |
| Apples (1kg) | 6.35 |
| Banana (1kg) | 5.43 |
| Oranges (1kg) | 5.17 |
| Tomato (1kg) | 4.33 |
| Potato (1kg) | 2.87 |
| Onion (1kg) | 1.78 |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 4.05 |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 1.49 |
| Transportation | Price (AED) |
|---|---|
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 6.00 |
|
Monthly Pass (Regular Price - Metro)* Student discounts are available |
262.00 |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 12.00 |
| Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff) | 1.58 |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 15.00 |
| Gasoline (1 liter) | 2.37 |
| Car Hire (per week) | 600.00 |
| Entertainment & Leisure | Price (AED) |
|---|---|
| Cinema Ticket | 35.00 |
| Desert Safari | 90.00 |
| Helicopter flight over | 740.00 |
| At the Top Burj Khalifa | 210.00 |
How Dubai compares with popular other academic cites
|
Paris, France |
Cost of living is about the same as in Dubai |
|
London, United Kingdom |
Cost of living is 21% more expensive than in Dubai |
|
Sydney, Australia |
Cost of living is 10% more expensive than in Dubai |
|
New York City, United States |
Cost of living is 25% more expensive than in Dubai |
|
Toronto, Canada |
Cost of living is 10% less expensive than in Dubai |