✦ Compare
Dubai vs
London
Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.
Dubai, UAE vs London, UK at a glance — London, UK is 16% more expensive than Dubai, UAE overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $2,600/mo versus $2,000/mo. Top income tax: 45% vs 0%.
To keep the same standard of living in London, UK, you'd need
$86,769 / year
London, UK is 16% more expensive overall
Category breakdown (London, UK vs Dubai, UAE)
- Housing+17%
- Food & groceries+12%
- Transport+44%
- Utilities+18%
- Healthcare-12%
- Goods & services+11%
◎ How Dubai, UAE and London, UK compare
Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.
▤ Full comparison
| Dubai, UAE | London, UK | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 119 | 138 |
| Housing | 152 | 178 |
| Food | 105 | 118 |
| Transport | 90 | 130 |
| Utilities | 110 | 130 |
| Healthcare | 100 | 88 |
| Goods & services | 110 | 122 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $2,000/mo | $2,600/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $1,300/mo | $1,850/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $4,500/mo | $5,200/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $4,500 | $16,000 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $841 | $727 |
| Inexpensive meal | $12 | $20 |
| Monthly transit pass | $90 | $200 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 0% | 45% |
| VAT / sales tax | 5% | 20% |
| Social security (employee) | — | 8% |
| Corporate tax | 9% | 25% |
| Capital gains | 0% | 24% |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $3,500/mo | $2,900/mo |
| Minimum wage | — | $2,050/mo |
| GDP per capita | $50,000 | $57,602✓ |
| Inflation (annual) | 1.3%✓ | 3.9%✓ |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | Yes | No |
| English proficiency | High | Native |
| Coworking spaces | 60 | 250 |
| Time zone | UTC+4 | UTC+0 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Quality of life (overall) | 65 | 68 |
| Safety index | 84 | 55 |
| Healthcare index | 80 | 74 |
| Pollution index | 55 | 60 |
| Internet speed | 250 Mbps | 90 Mbps |
| Walkability | 45 | 88 |
| Public transport | 60 | 92 |
| Family-friendly | 70 | 62 |
| Tap water | Use caution | Safe to drink |
| Health insurance | $150/mo | — |
| Life expectancy | 83 yr✓ | 81 yr✓ |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | Restricted | High |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | +19 °C | +5 °C |
| July avg | +36 °C | +19 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 340 | 106 |
| Rainfall / year | 100 mm | 690 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 1 h | 1 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: United Arab Emirates vs United Kingdom. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
✓ = official statistics (World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →
Cost of living: Dubai vs London — in your currency
Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).
Good to know before you move to Dubai
Zero income tax and a big expat scene draw remote workers and founders — offset by pricey rent, car-dependence and brutal summers.
- Currency
- UAE dirham (د.إ AED)
- Languages
- Arabic, English
- Time zone
- UTC+4
- Internet
- 250 Mbps
- English
- Widely spoken
- Safety
- 84/100
- Climate
- ❄ 19°C · ☀ 36°C · 340 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Bottled recommended
- Power
- G · 230V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- Marina · Downtown · JLT
Good to know before you move to London
Europe's financial capital — unmatched jobs, culture and connections, paid for with some of the highest rents on the continent.
- Currency
- Pound sterling (£ GBP)
- Languages
- English
- Time zone
- UTC+0
- Internet
- 90 Mbps
- English
- Native language
- Safety
- 55/100
- Climate
- ❄ 5°C · ☀ 19°C · 106 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- G · 230V
- Driving
- Left-hand side
- Popular areas
- Shoreditch · Camden · Clapham
Plan your move to Dubai
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsPlanetofhotels
- Car rentalLocalrent
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- Tours & ticketsPlatinumlist
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
Sponsored
Plan your move to London
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsPlanetofhotels
- Car rentalEconomybookings
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- Tours & ticketsTiqets
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
- Flight compensationAirHelp
Sponsored
? Frequently asked questions
Moving from Dubai to London: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Dubai to London, your cost of living will be roughly 16% more expensive. London’s cost-of-living index is 138 versus 119 for Dubai (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is Dubai cheaper than London?
London is about 16% more expensive than Dubai overall — its cost-of-living index is 138 versus 119 for Dubai.
Which is more expensive, Dubai or London?
London is more expensive than Dubai. Its cost-of-living index is 138 vs 119 (US = 100) — about 16% higher.
Is rent cheaper in Dubai or London?
Rent is cheaper in Dubai — about $2,000/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $2,600 in London.
How much do you need to earn in London to live like in Dubai?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Dubai is worth about $86,769 in London. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Dubai or London?
United Arab Emirates has the lower top income-tax rate — 0% versus 45% in United Kingdom.
◷ More comparisons from Dubai
How we calculate these figures →
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.