TryBeforeDubaiWhat will your first year in Dubai actually cost?
Rent is the headline. Cheques, deposits, agent fees, chiller, the 5% housing fee, mandatory health insurance, visa setup, transport, gym and furniture make the real number bigger. These estimates use typical Dubai norms and are clearly editable.
Pick an area to prefill realistic local defaults, or enter your own.
Used to estimate mandatory health insurance and visa / Emirates ID setup.
Rent is the obvious number. These are the ones that surprise new arrivals — all already in the totals above.
- • Car costs add materially; consider Metro-accessible areas.
- • Full-setup furniture costs are a one-off — but plan AED 35k+.
- • Chiller billed separately — verify with landlord before signing.
- • Health insurance is mandatory in Dubai — employers often cover the employee, but dependents are usually extra.
- • Residence visa, Emirates ID and medical are a real one-off unless your employer sponsors them.
- • A 5% housing fee (on your annual rent) is added to your monthly DEWA bill.
All numbers are illustrative estimates based on typical Dubai norms. Verify with your landlord, school, insurer and DEWA before signing.
Turn these numbers into a decision
This calculator gives you the shape of the cost. The Dubai Landing Plan runs this model across your shortlist — ranked to your life, with the building and commute risks that actually move the number.
Or line your whole shortlist up side by side in the True Cost deep-dive.