How Much I Spend in a Week Living in Dubai

Here's how much I spend in a typical week in Dubai, UAE as an Entrepreneur and Youtuber.

**When people hear I live in Dubai, their first reaction is always something like “omg, but isn’t Dubai so expensive, how can you afford it??”**

But what might surprise you is that that isn’t actually true…kind of.

To show you that, I have broken down every single expense I have spent money on in a very typical week here in Dubai to give you a very realistic idea of what it actually costs to live a very comfortable, but by no means a super luxurious lifestyle here in Dubai, UAE.

And I’m pretty sure you will be surprised by the results.

Tags: dubai,spend in a week,living in dubai,dubai entrepreneur,dubai cost of living,dubai apartment,how much i spend,is dubai expensive

[hfoodbyanitafreimann]

Great and very informative video, thank you for your effort Tuomas. :) I like your energy.

[julioc.]

Thanks Man, great down to earth, simple enough video.

[ProfitBoss]

New subscriber here. Thanks for the great videos. I'm considering moving out there from the UK now my tax bills here have started to get crazy!!

[felipeabyazar]

I'm currently in a process to move to Dubai and that content is really helpful. So thank you for that ;)

[guruprasad]

Hey, great video! I just subscribed to your channel as well!

I have been living in Dubai since 2002, and never in my life have I spent anywhere close to $190/week eating out. Veggies are fruits are relatively cheap (and of very good quality too!) if you can visit some supermarkets/hypermarkets like Lulu, Talal, Madina etc. This way, you can cook at home, and save 100s of AED every week. Also, in "old Dubai", there are so many restaurants that offer amazing meals and services than anywhere west of the Oud Metha area (which is fairly obvious to any Dubai resident who has watched this video). I would even say it's much better than any restaurants that side(*). I myself live east of the Creek (since I cannot share my exact area name here, I will tell you that my house is quite close to one of the first 5 green line stations of the Metro).

When it comes to gym, there are many buildings that provide the amernity as a part of your tenancy (and it may be a very small fee in your tenant contract). Obviously, it'll not be as good as an actual gym. But, if you can tailor your workout such that you can do the workouts in the building's gym itself, you can save at least 300-400 AED/mo.

When it comes to cars, I do not know why you aren't looking to buy one. You can get the latest Toyota Camry/Carolla for as cheap as ~AED 70, 000 (which should do the job for you, as it is 5-seater and has decent mileage). If you take a car loan, the banks here in Dubai are very friendly and generous, in the sense that they offer very good interests that will not break your wallet.

When it comes to entertainment, I will not comment on your preferences as it is everyone's own choice and preferences. I usually just find myself hanging out with friends in Karama or Bur Dubai and some of the malls there. For cinema, I prefer to go to VOX cinemas (they're the best in Dubai, imo). It costs just over 55 AED and can be cheaper if you have ceredit card offers. If you want to enjoy some time at malls, I would suggest Mirdif City Centre (for chilling/hanging out) or Outlet Malls (for shopping, cuz almost everything is sold at factory prices (so a bit cheaper)).

(*) keep in mind that I am Indian, so I naturally prefer Indian food as well.

PS: No hate or anything, I infact found your video to be very informative and insighful :) It gave me a better POV of a person that likes a little bit of the "Dubai Lifestyle". Subscribed!

(I don't know if you'll ever read this, but I really hope that you enjoy your time at Dubai).

[kbboy]

You spend a lot. I live in a 1BHK, not downtown but in a decent gated community (Mirdif) as a single person. My average monthly expenses are around AED 6K - 6.5K, which averages to approx. $450 per week (everything included). The thing about Dubai is if you're technically skilled and have good presentation, you can negotiate a good salary. And as you said, you might get a similar salary in the West (usually less), but you pay 40% in taxes whereas it is tax-free here.
Dubai is expensive if you choose to live expensive. I work for a British Organization and my colleagues in the UK (on a similar level) cannot even dream of earning and saving what I do in Dubai.

[lastofthemohicans]

Do you have a tip where to find apartments for monthly renting?

[sasban]

Transport $637 $147
Entertain $100 $25
Food $1209 $279
Rent $3500 $807
Other $400 $100

[RushmoorFizzbomb]

I guess it depends on where you live. As a couple we only spend a third of your living costs per person and that includes health insurance and running a Touareg. Plus we live in a 3 bed townhouse. But we are here to make money and not spend it.

[wajidjawaid]

What do you think about using serviced apartments or aparthotels in Dubai or Sharjah? Especially during the transition period of 3-4 months when you are settling into UAE and finding things out.

[akanshakapoor]

Hey! Anything on wooden houses in the west vs stone/marble houses in ME?

[T]

Great video. Can you create a video on how to get a drivers license? Can someone use their existing drivers license from their country and just apply for an UAE drivers license? Thank you for your help.

[vsevolodpetrolhead]

Rent prices to me is hard to found out. Where do you found your apartment btw? I know a guy that changed a lot of apts from airbnb because they all was malfunctioning in one or other way, which kinda influenced on his overall impression about Dubai.
On the other side - if you rent yearly, you need *a lot* of cash upfront. And there's a decent(close to 100%) chance that you will not live in Dubai full year, because it's just too hot(non-walkable even in September when I visited). So it's not cheaper in the end.
Could you also cover topic about where to go for a summer from there? And how to properly do that(e.g. when I return with family, is it hard to find monthly apartment or it would be simpler and more proper to rent yearly despite I wouldn't live there for a full year)

[kashchicago]

What site or place do you use to rent a car?

[ธนลีดาศรีประทุม]

Any suggestions to find nice apartments? Thank you 🙏

[saraheliza]

If I get paid 2200 AED/month excluding benefits, is it doable?

[jederagency]

Would love to know the business expenses.

[franciscoribeiro]

Why don't you just a buy an used car / lease one?

[mo-a-p]

what would you say is the minimum & ideal salary someone should be earning to live comfortably in Dubai and also save money (i.e similar to your lifestyle) ?

[mrrscta]

I would stop renting the car and move the funds to experiences and food.