Is Dubai Actually Budget-Friendly? The Real Daily Costs Behind This Glamorous Desert Destination

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Daydreamers often hear conflicting reports about what it costs to visit Dubai, a jet-setting hot spot with colossal shopping malls, a cosmopolitan dining scene, and peerless hotels. Is there a basis for the rumors that this money-obsessed metropolis in the United Arab Emirates can actually be a bargain for Western travelers? Or is it expensive, as one would expect from a city that built more than 200 skyscrapers in only two decades, including the tallest building in the world? In a place where luxury cars are everywhere, and a glamorous hotel offers Insta-worthy ocean-front views, lavish suites, and decadent restaurants, you'd expect some pricey options, but does Dubai only cater to Arab royalty and wealthy celebrities?

As is often the case, the answer is complicated. In a post for Exiap, a money-transfer company, writer Claire Millard estimates that a budget traveler can get by on $115 USD per day, or $806 a week. This doesn't include getting to the UAE, which could mean flying long distances, depending on where you're located. But Millard's figure is the low end of the spectrum. The website Budget Your Trip reports that a single traveler in Dubai spends an average of $289 per day, or around $2,020 in a week. So, is Dubai expensive or budget travel worthy? 

Dubai may confuse travel-planning tourists because you certainly can spend a lot of money there. After all, Telegram founder Pavel Durov lives here, along with about 30 other billionaires, and the city is home to more than 80,000 millionaire residents, meaning that you'll spot symbols of wealth everywhere you go. Meanwhile, tourist attractions can be pricey. The Museum of the Future costs nearly $50 USD per adult, and the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo costs nearly $60 USD. Taking an elevator to the top of the Burj Khalifa skyscraper will set you back almost $60, and if you want to dine with penguins in a winter playground inside a Dubai shopping mall, a reservation for one will cost nearly $100.

But you don't have to shell out huge amounts of money for a trip to Dubai, which explains the mixed reputation. The "City of Gold" has plenty of hostels, where you can claim a dorm room bed for $30 or less per night. You can find downtown hotels near the water for less than $100 per night — an unlikely find in major U.S. cities, and you can rent a perfectly nice car for a base price of $30 or so per day. A single ride on Dubai's acclaimed driverless metro system costs a little more than a dollar, and you can find a wide range of dune or yacht tours for well under $100 per person. The prices for run-of-the-mill restaurants can be comparable to those in U.S. cities, and wandering all those air-conditioned shopping malls is free — until you decide to buy something. In short, travel to this lively Middle Eastern hub with world-class museums, desert dunes, and thrilling theme parks can cost the same or less than travel in Western countries.