Originally posted 2017-10-04 18:47:04.
How Much Money Do I Need To Go to Dubai?
A few days ago I was chatting with a travel blogger based in the USA and during our conversation, he asked me How Much Money Do I Need To Go to Dubai?. I could reply to him in a just few lines, but I thought that way my answer would be incomplete. From a technical point of view, no one can answer this question as your trip cost depends on various things like time of visit, your location, airlines tickets cost, hotel stay and your activities in Dubai. So I’ve decided to write a complete guide to answer this question. So today in this guide I’m going to share some of the things that would play an important role in your Dubai trip cost.
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How Much Does Visa Cost?
Although this is not required if you belong to any Europen, Tier 1 English or GCC countries. However, tourists who belong to un-developed countries (India, Pakistan, Thailand, Philipines, African countries etc) must get a UAE pre-approval visa. Depending on your trip length and travel agency, visa cost could be AED 300 (14 days) to AED 1400 ( 90 days).
Check Dubai Tickets Price
Undoubtedly, this is the first thing that would require yours a lot of research. Check tickets with your favourites airlines and see how much does it cost to fly to Dubai with them. Typically, Dubai ticket is cheap from April to until August because of somewhat hot temperature noticeably fewer visitors visit Dubai during these months. On the other hand, tickets could be very expensive for December, January, and February because of the new year and the Dubai shopping festival.
How Much Does Accommodation Cost in Dubai?
Although hotels are a bit of expensive in Dubai, still, some hotels have good deals. Sharing accommodation is also very popular in Dubai. You could stay in a sharing room at AED 75/night. You can book a bed space in a sharing room by going here. However, if you want to stay at hotels only, check out below hotels which are Cheap Hotels in Dubai with Breakfast.
| Hotels | Star | Avg Cost | Address |
| Sun and Sands | 3 | $35 | 37th Street, Al Rigga Road, Clock Tower, Deira, |
| Golden Star Hotel- | 3 | $35 | 50 Al Khor St, near Gold Souk, Deira |
| Al Khoory Executive | 3 | $47 | Al Wasl Road, Al Badaa، Opp Irani Hospital |
| Citymax Bur Dubai | 3 | $50 | Mankhool & Kuwait Street, Bur Dubai |
| Majestic Hotel Tower | 4 | $70 | Mankhool Road, Bur Dubai |
| Atana Hotel | 4 | $65 | Barsha Heights, Hessa Street, Al Thanyah 1 |
| Grand Millennium Hotel Tecom | 5 | $100 | Barsha Heights – Dubai |
Do Research on Sightseeing
This is a time-consuming activity because Dubai is a kind of city which has countless things to see. If it’s your holiday trip, you would not have a lot of time. So make sure you do your homework and book every tour in advance from a reputable Dubai local tour operator. Some of the tours and places where you must go are following with expected prices.
Note: Every tour operator has different price and quality of service. I always use Discover Desert Safari Tourism and mentioned prices I got from them. Prices do not valid for special events (New year etc ). For updated prices list check operator websit by visiting here.
- Burj Khalifa (Official ticket Cost is AED 125 ($35) in non-prime hours. Get AED 10/person discount from Discover Desert Safari tourism.
- Dubai Mall (No ticket required)
- Dubai Miracle Garden ( $11 per ticket)
- Evening Desert Safari Dubai (AED 125 & $35 ) Read my trip experience here.
- Wild Wadi (Offical price is AED 260 but you can get AED 25 per head discount Discover Desert Safari tourism)
- Dubai City Tour (AED 110 & $31)
- Dhow Cruise Creek ( AED 85 $24)
- Dhow Cruise Marina ( AED 120 $33 )
- Dubai Dolphin Show ( AED 85 $24 )
- Big Bus Tours (Classic ticket $63
- Dubai creek water taxi (AED 1)
- Gold Souq (No ticket need)
- IMG world Park admission (Offical $67 get in $55 from tour operator )
- Helicopter Tour 12 minutes ( Official Aed 595/person but get Aed 55/person from the tour operator)
Tip: You should get quotes from other operators and compare prices and services. Don’t go for price only. Must read their reviews before booking.
Cost of Transportation in Dubai?
Transport in Dubai is defiantly cheap. Taxi charges starting from AED 4/KM (minimum fare is AED 12 ). Car cost for Six hours starting at AED 450 with a driver. However, the best & cheapest way is the Dubai metro. Dubai metro stations are available everywhere in the city. You are not allowed to use credit cards or cash in Dubai metro. You need to get an NOL card which you can easily get from Dubai airport by providing your passport.
| Ticket Type | 1 Zone or <3km 2 zones | 2 Zones | 3+ Zones |
| Standard Adult Ticket (Red) | 4 dirhams | 6 dirhams | 8.50 dirhams |
| Pre-paid Standard Adult Ticket (Silver Nol) | 3 dirhams | 5 dirhams | 7.50 dirhams |
| Concessionary (Blue Nol Card) | 1.50 dirhams | 2.50 dirhams | 3.75 dirhams |
| Gold Class (Red Ticket) | 8 dirhams | 12 dirhams | 17 dirhams |
| Gold Class Pre-Paid | 6 dirhams | 10 dirhams | 15 dirhams |
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- Pro tip: Get a daily pass in AED 25 which allows you to use Dubai metro and RTA buses for unlimited times till 12:00 of midnight.
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How Much Does Food Cost in Dubai?
Dubai is a multi-national and multi-culture city. You would be surprised only 15% of the total population is local. Remaining 85% include Pakistani, Indians, Filipino, African and other nationalities. Since it is a multi-culture tourism destination so you will get a bunch of food options here. Breakfast cost starting from AED 15 at a famous Pakistan restaurant ( Ravi Restaurant). You can get a cup of tea and soft drinks in AED 1. Depending on your taste, the launch cost could be AED 30 to 250 at a restaurant. Generally, Pakistani, Indians and Lebanese food are cheap here (Must try Pakistani Chicken Biryani at Ravi Restaurant). Restaurants in hotels are expensive so better you ignore them.
Things You Should Know Before Visit Dubai?
- The official language is Arabic, but almost everyone can speak English in Dubai.
- The official currency is AED (Known as Dihram) and as of the time of writing this guide $1 equal to 3.67 AED.
- Dubai airport has three different terminals ( terminal 1, terminal 1 and terminal 3).
- Kissing in public is strictly not allowed.
- Don’t visit Dubai during the holy month of Ramadan if you are non-muslim.
I have found a discussion about on TripAdvisor on this topic and for more ideas, you can read it by going here.
