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Dubai vs Singapore cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฆ๐ช Dubai
๐ธ๐ฌ Singapore
At a glance
- Where Singapore is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (62%โ), SIM card (50%โ), Half-day tour (42%โ)
- Where Dubai is clearly cheaper: Bottled water (67%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (49%โ), Taxi (41%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Singapore is easier to travel (1.0 vs 2.2). Biggest gap: safety โ Dubai 4 vs Singapore 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Dubai | Singapore | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | AED 35$9.54 | S$ 8$6.15 | Singapore โ35% |
| Street food1 item | AED 16$4.36 | S$ 5$3.85 | Singapore โ12% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | AED 120$32.7 | S$ 45$34.6 | Dubai โ6% |
| Coffeeone cup | AED 22$5.99 | S$ 6.5$5 | Singapore โ17% |
| Beerone bottle | AED 45$12.3 | S$ 13$10 | Singapore โ18% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | AED 70$19.1 | S$ 25$19.2 | similar |
| Bottled water | AED 2$0.41 | S$ 1.6$1.23 | Dubai โ67% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | AED 4$1.09 | S$ 2.2$1.69 | Dubai โ36% |
| Taxi5 km in town | AED 20$5.45 | S$ 12$9.23 | Dubai โ41% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | AED 13$3.54 | S$ 9$6.92 | Dubai โ49% |
| Transitone ride | AED 5$1.36 | S$ 1.5$1.15 | Singapore โ15% |
| Scooter rentalper day | AED 150$40.9 | S$ 20$15.4 | Singapore โ62% |
| Hotel night3-star | AED 500$136 | S$ 200$154 | Dubai โ11% |
| Studio rent (month) | AED 6,500$1,771 | S$ 3,300$2,538 | Dubai โ30% |
| Laundry | AED 12$3.27 | S$ 5$3.85 | Dubai โ15% |
| SIM card1 week data | AED 84$22.9 | S$ 15$11.5 | Singapore โ50% |
| Haircutcut | AED 50$13.6 | S$ 20$15.4 | Dubai โ11% |
| Massage1 hour | AED 200$54.5 | S$ 60$46.2 | Singapore โ15% |
| Half-day tourper person | AED 340$92.6 | S$ 70$53.8 | Singapore โ42% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | AED 170$46.3 | S$ 40$30.8 | Singapore โ34% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Dubai or Singapore?
Dubai is 10% cheaper than Singapore. Daily budget $229 vs $249; a month $6,280 vs $7,084.
Which is easier to travel, Dubai or Singapore?
Singapore is easier: Singapore 1.0/5 vs Dubai 2.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Dubai and Singapore?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Dubai is about $6,280 and Singapore about $7,084 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.