Cost of Living in Dubai

[PhilD]

I am considering a holiday in Dubai. Does anyone know what the cost of living is like, eg cost of a three course meal, pint of beer, glass of wine etc. I expect it will be relatively high.

[tselwood]

Hi there,

Cost of alcohol are slightly higher than the UK and you only drink in hotels as they are the only places to have a license.

Expect to pay between AED 20-25 for a pint and the same for a glass of wine though there are lots of happy hours etc.

With regard to food this tends to be cheaper than in the UK.  Exclusing drinks you could expect to pay about AED 100 each (AED 7 = 1 pound) though this can go much higher.  If you are prepared to eat without alcohol (may go to a bar before or after) you will find loads of great restaurants outside the hotels that are significantly cheaper as they are not catering towards tourists. 

Be warned though, choose your hotel very carefully.  Dubai is pretty much a big building site at the moment so be sure to ask before you book.

In addition it has started to heat up in the last three weeks and is getting humid.  I would recommend anytime between October and March for future reference.

Hope this helps

[PhilD]

Thanks tselwood. Some useful tips and info.