Cost of living · UAE
Dubai: utilities, fees and commuting
Dubai: electricity and water for 1,000 kWh and 20 m³ a month cost AED 466 before VAT (DEWA). Tenants pay a municipality fee of 5% of the annual rent. Driving from Jumeirah Village Circle to Dubai Internet City / Marina costs about AED 152 a month in fuel and tolls (11.6 km, 14 min without traffic). Registered rents by area are published by Dubai Land Department.
Electricity and water
DEWA: electricity AED 290.00 and water AED 176.00 a month for 1,000 kWh and 20 m³, before VAT (5% VAT is added on the bill). slab tariff + fuel surcharge, before VAT; 1000 kWh and 20 m³ a month (apartment, example).
Municipality / housing fee
Housing fee paid to Dubai Municipality: 5% of the annual rent, added to the monthly DEWA bill.
Rent in Dubai (reference)
Only Dubai publishes registered rents by area and bedrooms as open data (Dubai Land Department). Other emirates: no comparable official open data was found, so no rent is shown for them. For rents by Dubai area see rent and property prices and all areas.
| Home | Median annual rent, all of Dubai | Typical range (middle half) | Contracts |
|---|---|---|---|
| studio apartment | AED 40,000≈ AED 3,333 a month | AED 32,000 – AED 48,000 | 103,035 |
| 1-bedroom apartment | AED 58,000≈ AED 4,833 a month | AED 45,980 – AED 75,000 | 213,707 |
| 2-bedroom apartment | AED 75,900≈ AED 6,325 a month | AED 60,000 – AED 101,000 | 167,991 |
| 3-bedroom apartment | AED 118,000≈ AED 9,833 a month | AED 90,000 – AED 165,000 | 33,695 |
| 4-bedroom apartment | AED 180,000≈ AED 15,000 a month | AED 129,900 – AED 300,000 | 1,939 |
| 1-bedroom villa | AED 75,000≈ AED 6,250 a month | AED 66,000 – AED 107,500 | 721 |
| 2-bedroom villa | AED 130,000≈ AED 10,833 a month | AED 90,000 – AED 160,000 | 3,880 |
| 3-bedroom villa | AED 149,500≈ AED 12,458 a month | AED 110,000 – AED 185,000 | 25,811 |
| 4-bedroom villa | AED 205,000≈ AED 17,083 a month | AED 160,000 – AED 275,000 | 18,360 |
Source: Dubai Land Department (originator), open datasets «Rent Contracts» on Dubai Data. Original data © Dubai Land Department. Licensed under the Dubai Open Data Licence. The tables are derived by Brainy Prices (aggregates only: medians and ranges of at least 10 registered records); they are not produced, verified or endorsed by Dubai Land Department, Dubai Data or the Dubai Government. The derived tables are available under the same licence: /dubai-property.json.
Commuting by car
| From | To Downtown / DIFC | To Dubai Internet City / Marina | To JAFZA / Dubai South | To DXB / Deira |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jumeirah Village CircleDubai | AED 35323.6 km · 23 min without traffic | AED 15211.6 km · 14 min without traffic | AED 36525.9 km · 26 min without traffic | AED 81537.4 km · 45 min without traffic · tolls AED 12/day |
| International CityDubai | AED 29821.2 km · 23 min without traffic | AED 52836.6 km · 34 min without traffic | AED 73148.9 km · 43 min without traffic | AED 27118.9 km · 32 min without traffic |
Car: 5 days a week, there and back, leaving at 07:30 and 18:00; 8 L/100 km of Special 95 at the official 2026-10 price (AED 4.28 a litre); Salik and Darb gates on the route charged with the published tariff for the time the car passes them. Parking is not included. Peak-hour travel times are not published by an official source; the times shown are free-flow (no traffic) and real rush-hour trips take longer.
Routes, distances, areas and toll-gate locations: © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL); routing by OSRM. The route data in /uae-emirates-costs.json is offered under the same licence.
Airports
- Jumeirah Village Circle: Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), 17 km in a straight line
- International City: Dubai International Airport (DXB), 10 km in a straight line
Frequently asked questions
- How much is the electricity and water bill in Dubai?
- AED 466 a month before VAT for 1,000 kWh and 20 m³ (DEWA).
- Do tenants in Dubai pay a municipality fee?
- Housing fee paid to Dubai Municipality: 5% of the annual rent, added to the monthly DEWA bill.
- How much does it cost to commute from Dubai to Dubai by car?
- From Jumeirah Village Circle to Dubai Internet City / Marina: about AED 152 a month in fuel and tolls, 11.6 km and 14 minutes without traffic each way; parking not included and rush-hour times are longer.
Sources
- Dubai utilities: Government of Dubai, Dubai Legal Portal (read 2 October 2026)
- Dubai utilities: DEWA (read 1 October 2026)
- Dubai utilities: DEWA (read 1 October 2026)
- Dubai municipality fee: u.ae (read 2 October 2026)