Residence visa, Emirates ID and visa procedures, with specialists on the ground in Dubai and payment in stages.
Learn about our supportA move to the UAE starts with one question: how much money do you need each month. Below is a detailed breakdown of every expense item for a single person, a couple and a family with a child. All figures come from Russian-speaking residents' chats in the first half of 2026; the currency is the UAE dirham (AED).
Summary table: single person, couple, family
The minimum budget assumes a studio in a budget area, cooking at home, public transport and basic health insurance.
A comfortable life for one person starts at AED 15,000 a month: a one-bedroom flat in a decent area, taxis instead of the metro and the option of eating out. For a family with one child at a good school, plan for AED 28,000 a month or more.
A separate factor is the absence of personal income tax. The UAE has no income tax for individuals, so you keep your whole salary. With a salary of AED 15,000–20,000 a month, this partly offsets the high cost of living compared with countries with 13–40% income tax.
Rent: the main expense
Housing takes 40–55% of the budget, the largest line in your expenses. Prices depend on the area, the type of housing and the distance to the metro. A detailed look at areas, the cheque system and Ejari is in the guide to renting in the UAE.
Rent by Dubai area (according to Russian-speaking expat chats, January–July 2026)
Sharjah is much cheaper than Dubai, but there are serious limitations: daily traffic on the SHJ-DXB bridge (40 minutes to 1.5 hours in the morning), a complete ban on alcohol and limited nightlife. Savings on rent can be eaten up by transport costs and time.
Ajman is the cheapest emirate, but even further from Dubai. It suits those who work remotely.
Flats in the UAE are usually let unfurnished. A minimal set (bed, sofa, table, fridge, washing machine) costs about AED 2,000 if you buy budget items on Dubizzle or Facebook Marketplace.
DEWA utilities: air conditioning as the main cost
DEWA (Dubai Electricity and Water Authority) is the single supplier of electricity and water in Dubai.
DEWA bill: AED 600–1,000 a month depending on the size of the home and the season. The main factor is air conditioning, which runs around the clock for most of the year. In summer (June–September), bills rise by 30–50% because of peak load. In winter (November–March), costs are minimal.
A separate item in some buildings is the chiller fee (district cooling): AED 200–500 a month. It is paid not through DEWA but on a separate bill from the management company. When choosing a flat, check whether the chiller is included in the rent.
In Abu Dhabi the equivalent supplier is ADDC, in Sharjah SEWA. Tariffs are comparable.
DEWA deposit at connection: in residents' experience, about AED 2,000 for a flat (current amounts on dewa.gov.ae). It is refunded when you move out, minus any arrears.
Groceries and food: from AED 3,700 per person
Groceries for one person cooking at home cost about AED 3,700 a month (according to Russian-speaking expat chats, January–July 2026). If you regularly eat out and order delivery, the budget grows 1.5–2 times.
Supermarket chains by price segment
Fruit and vegetables are cheaper at markets (Waterfront Market in Deira). Meat and dairy are better value at Lulu and Carrefour. For basic household goods (crockery, towels, small items for the home), DayToDay.
Alcohol for home is sold in specialist shops, above all African+Eastern and MMI. Alcohol prices are roughly 2–3 times higher than in Europe. In Sharjah, alcohol is banned completely.
Transport: metro, taxis, car hire
Transport costs AED 1,000 to 3,500 a month depending on how you get around.
Metro and buses
According to residents, a NOL card (silver) costs AED 25 (AED 6 for the card, AED 19 on the balance), and a metro ride AED 3–7.5; current fares are on rta.ae. NOL works only in Dubai; in Abu Dhabi you need a separate Hafilat card.
Two metro lines cover the main areas: Deira, Business Bay, Downtown, Marina, JLT, Internet City. But many residential complexes are another 10–15 minutes from the station by bus or taxi.
Taxis
Careem is 15–25% cheaper than Yandex and works in all emirates. Yandex Go is only in Dubai. Metered city taxis are available everywhere. Crossing an emirate border adds AED 20.
Car hire
In residents' experience, a tourist hiring a car with a Russian licence needs an international driving permit; without a valid licence, insurance may not cover the damage in an accident. More on the rules and fines in the article on driving licences in the UAE.
"Dubai is not a city for pedestrians; you need a car. Hire costs 2.5–3 thousand a month."
— Dubai resident, February 2026
Phone and internet: more expensive than you are used to
Internet and mobile service in the UAE are noticeably more expensive than in Russia or most Eastern European countries.
The providers are Du and Etisalat (e&); the choice depends on the area. A home internet contract is usually for 12 months with a penalty for early termination. You need an Emirates ID to connect.
In residents' experience, VPNs work unreliably in the UAE, and voice calls via WhatsApp and FaceTime are often unavailable. YouTube and Microsoft Teams may work intermittently. If your work depends on video calls, this is a serious factor.
Health insurance: from basic to full
Healthcare in the UAE is paid, for residents too. Without insurance, a GP visit costs AED 200–500 and a specialist consultation AED 300–800.
In the monthly budget, this is AED 600–1,000 per person and AED 2,000–3,500 per family.
"Whoever arranges the health insurance (you or the company; if the company, it will most likely be the basic minimum that won't even cover a blood test)."
— Dubai resident, February 2026
For comparing insurance, policybazaar.ae is convenient: it aggregates offers from different companies and lets you filter by coverage and clinic list.
Schools: if you are moving with children
Education in the UAE is a major expense for families. There are no free schools for expats.
Choose where to live by the school, not the other way round: morning traffic in Dubai turns 10 kilometres into 40 minutes. Also allow for the registration fee (AED 500–3,000), uniform (AED 500–1,500) and textbooks.
For children whose English is not strong enough, the move to secondary school in the UAE can be hard: the level of English must allow them not just to answer in class but to write detailed essays.
Leisure and entertainment
Leisure in the UAE can be cheap or expensive, depending on your preferences.
In winter (November–March) there are more options: walks, beaches, outdoor sport. In summer, everything comes down to malls, indoor entertainment and pools.
Hidden costs: what blogs do not tell you
Some costs are not obvious when planning a budget but have a noticeable impact in the first months:
Total at the start: on top of the first month of living costs (~AED 11,000 for one person), you need an extra AED 10,000–20,000 for entry costs. That is rent (the first cheque, deposit and agent's commission), the DEWA deposit, furniture and small items.
Need help moving to the UAE?
Planning a budget is an important but not the only task when moving. Errors in the visa document package, the wrong free zone, problems opening a bank account: each of these costs money and time. Parallax supports the move end to end, from choosing the visa type to the Emirates ID. The company's specialists work on the ground in the UAE, and payment in stages is possible.
If you would like to discuss your situation, fill in a short questionnaire on the UAE residence page.
Choosing the visa route, documents, application and Emirates ID, end to end, with specialists on the ground and payment in stages.
Learn about our supportFrequently asked questions
On top of the first month of living costs (from AED 11,000 for one person), you need AED 10,000–20,000 for entry costs: the rental deposit, the first cheque, the agent's commission, DEWA connection and furniture. Minimum total: AED 21,000–31,000 for the first month from scratch.
Formally yes, with tight limits: a room instead of a studio (AED 2,000–2,500), cooking only at home, the metro instead of taxis and basic insurance. But this is below the comfort threshold for most people.
From AED 22,000 a month (budget option: a flat in JVC, an Indian school, one car). A comfortable life with a good school and housing closer to the centre starts at AED 33,000–40,000 a month.
There is no personal income tax: you keep your whole salary. But companies pay a 9% Corporate Tax on profit above AED 375,000 a year (for financial years starting on or after 1 June 2023, u.ae). 5% VAT is included in the prices of most goods and services.
It depends on the area. If you live near the metro (Marina, JLT, Business Bay, Downtown) and work remotely, you can manage with the metro and taxis. For a family with children, a car is practically a must. Hire costs from AED 2,250 a month (through TakeCars) or from AED 3,000 a month (Europcar, Sixt).