Wondering if Dubai is expensive for tourists and how much money you should take for a week in Dubai? Below you’ll find my 7-day Dubai trip costs in AED, USD and GBP, and helpful tips to save money when visiting the city.
When I started planning my trip to Dubai, I wasn’t sure how much it would cost me.
Dubai is known for being an expensive destination, thanks to its abundant wealth, luxury shopping, upscale skyscrapers, and a staggering range of top-notch hotels.
As more and more people started vacationing in the so-called “City of Gold”, many of us started thinking about how affordable Dubai can be and also the possibility of making this dream come true.
I, finally, visited Dubai and had a fantastic time! I tracked all my Dubai travel expenses to write this post and give you a better idea of how much money you would spend on a trip to Dubai.
If you want to know the average cost of going to Dubai, I’ll tell you everything here. There is also a full breakdown of my Dubai trip costs.
Most popular tours in Dubai:
Table of Contents
Is Dubai expensive to visit?
Dubai is as expensive as other major cities in the world, such as New York, London, and Paris.
The difference is while in these three cities, there are several free things to do and you can simply walk around sightseeing, Dubai isn’t a walkable city and, basically, you have to pay to visit all the tourist attractions.
How Much Does it Cost to Go to Dubai?
As soon as I posted some pictures of Dubai on social media, my friends and followers got so excited.
They started sending me messages and in unison asking me: “Is Dubai expensive for tourists?”, and “How much does it cost to go to Dubai?”.
Your Dubai travel costs will vary according to your travel style. If you only stay in five-star hotels and resorts, go fine dining, and take taxis it will cost more than staying in three-star hotels, eating where the locals eat and using public transport.
If you’re concerned about how much money you will spend in Dubai, you should plan your Dubai travel budget carefully to be financially prepared for your trip.
Before showing my Dubai trip costs breakdown, let me give you a hint of your main expenses.
Flights
The first part of your budget to travel to Dubai will be spent on your round-trip flight tickets.
I bought the tickets with KLM, from London to Dubai, with a connection in Amsterdam less than one month in advance of my trip and paid a very good price, £290.
The average price of a direct round-trip ticket to Dubai, from London, is £499, with British Airways as well as Emirates. And from New York is US$950 with Emirates Airline.
Travel Insurance
It’s required by the United Arab Emirates government that all travellers must have travel insurance that includes COVID-19 coverage when visiting the country.
Don’t worry because it won’t cost you much, but can save you a couple of hundred bucks if you get sick, something unexpected happens, and your luggage gets lost or stolen.
World Nomads, one of the most popular travel insurance companies among independent travellers, is usually my personal choice.
I spent £64,80 on travel insurance on my one-week trip to Dubai.
Get a quote with World Nomads here.
SafetyWing, another company I sometimes use, also covers COVID-19 and quarantine outside of your home country (US$ 50/day for up to 10 days).
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Accommodation
A big part of your budget to travel to Dubai will be the cost of your hotel room.
In my case, almost 30% of my 7-day Dubai trip costs were spent on accommodation.
It’s because hotels in Dubai aren’t cheap. Particularly during the Expo, when I visited it, and in the peak season (from December to February).
The average cost of a good 3-star hotel room in Dubai, for two people, with breakfast included is 700 AED (£157 / US$190).
But if you’re on a budget you can find a wide range of affordable hotels in the old town, where you can pay an average of 300 AED (£67 / US$82) for a double bed single room with breakfast.
I stayed in three different hotels in Dubai and in three distinct neighbourhoods because I wanted to explore the city better. I spent approximately 3,644 AED (£817 / US$992) on accommodation in Dubai.
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Transportation
Your expenses with transportation in Dubai will not only depend on where you’ll be based in the city but also on the mode of transportation that you’ll use.
Dubai is a metropolis, and the most popular points of interest are spread out all over the city.
But Dubai has an excellent public transport network and it’s an easy city to navigate. You can take the metro, buses, tram, water buses and even the monorail.
If you hire a car or take taxis, they aren’t expensive, you can get to your destination much quicker. But it will add up to your Dubai trip costs.
I mainly used taxis to get around Dubai, but I also took the metro. I spent 833 AED (£187 / US$227).
Tours and Tourist Attractions
Of course, once you’re in Dubai you’ll want to take tours, visit some tourist attractions and have wonderful experiences.
Climbing to the top of Burj Khalifa (the tallest building in the world), admiring the stunning view of the palm islands from The View at The Palm, strolling around the picturesque Dubai Miracle Garden, riding the glass slide at Sky Views, and taking a desert safari tour, are some of the best things to do in Dubai.
To have a better idea of how much money these things cost in Dubai, here are some examples:
- The Top of the Burj Khalifa: 159 AED (£35/ US$43)
- Sky Views Dubai: 80 AED (£18 / US$22)
- Dubai Miracle Garden: 95 AED (£21 / US$26)
- The View at The Palm: 100 AED (£22 / US$27)
- Dubai Hop-On Hop-Off Bus: 255 AED (£58 / US$68)
- Private Dubai City Tour:382 AED (£87 / US$104)
- Day Trip to Abu Dhabi: 445 AED (£100 / US$120)
- Desert Safari with Camel Ride, Sand Surf & BBQ: 297 AED (£66 / US$81)
- Museum of the Future: 149 AED (£33 / US$41)
- Sunbed at JBR Beach: 120 AED (£27 / US$33)
I spent 3064 AED (£682 / US$834) on tours and attractions, about 29% of the total cost of my 1-week trip to Dubai.
Food and Drinks
With a wide range of restaurants in Dubai, you’ll be spoiled for choice when visiting the city.
There are cheap restaurants, popular restaurant chains (McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, Nando’s, etc) and high-end restaurants.
The amount of money you’ll spend on food and drinks in Dubai will depend on the restaurants you go to. It can be as little as 20 AED (£4.50 / US$5.50), if you go to a simple restaurant, or as much as 1225 AED (£274 / US$333) if you opt for a ‘7-course Tasting Menu’ at Atmosphere, the world’s tallest restaurant at Burj Khalifa.
The prices of drinks will depend on the restaurant. Alcoholic beverages are more expensive in Dubai than in other major cities though.
I only went fine dining once in Dubai. Some days I was so tired and hungry, that I didn’t make much effort to find a nice restaurant. I ended up eating, for example, at McDonald’s, something that I don’t do back home.
I spent 1072 AED (£240 / US$292) on food and drinks in Dubai.
Now that you have a general idea of how much it costs to travel to Dubai for a week, I’m going to break down my Dubai trip costs.
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My 7-Day Dubai Trip Costs Breakdown
Accommodation
- 5 nights at Leva Hotel and Suites, Opposite Downtown: 3,858.85 AED for three people (1286 per person)
- 2 nights at Rove Dubai Marina: 2,022.51 AED
- 1 night at Super 8 by Wyndham Dubai Deira: 335,46 AED
My total costs with hotels in Dubai for a week: 3644 AED (£817 / US$992)
Transportation
- Taxis: 724 AED
- Metro: 80 AED
- Water taxi: 4 AED
- Bus: 25 AED
Total: 833 AED (£187 / US$227)
Tours and Attractions
- Sky Views: 80 AED
- Burj Khalifa: 174 AED
- Dubai Miracle Garden: 75 AED
- The View at The Palm: 70 AED
- Desert Safari: 202 AED
- Louvre Abu Dhabi: 63 AED
- Discover Scuba Diving at Deep Dive Dubai: 1800 AED
- Yacht Party: 300 AED
- Day use at Beach by Five at Five Palm Jumeirah Hotel: 300 AED
Total: 3064 AED (£682 / US$834)
P.S.: More than half of my expenses on tours and attractions in Dubai were with Deep Dive Dubai. I know it can be a bit costly, but it was one of the most unique and coolest things that I did in the city.
- Suggested read: Doha Travel Tips – Things to Know Before Travelling to Qatar
Food and Drinks
- Lunch with soda at Iran Zamin Dubai Mall: 74 AED
- Dinner at Pizza Hut Dubai Mall: 61 AED (Pizza: 45 + Mojito: 16)
- Lunch at Señor Pico at Palm West Beach: 154 AED (Out to lunch 3-meal course: 79 + Mojito: 75)
- Dinner at Mc Donald’s Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque: 27 AED
- Lunch at Marina Pot: 29 AED
- Dinner at Glückspilz, The Pointe – The Palm Jumeirah: 100 AED
- Lunch at Joe’s Crab Shack: 109 AED
- Dinner with drinks at Ninive: 320 AED
I didn’t list all the restaurants that I went to during my 7 days in Dubai. The ones above are to give you an idea of the price differences.
The total amount spent on food and drinks was 1072 AED (£241 / US$292).
It’s an average of 153 AED (£34 / US$41) per day and I think it’s excellent.
Again, sometimes I didn’t put too much effort into looking for a nice restaurant.
I believe that you can put on your Dubai travel budget 200 AED (£45 / US$55) to spend per day on food and drinks, if you have breakfast included in your hotel reservation, like me.
Miscellaneous
- Sunscreen: 51.45 AED
- 10Gb internet with DU: 139 AED
- Tips: 75 AED
Total: 265 AED (£59 / US$72)
How Much is a 1-Week Trip To Dubai?
I’d say that the average cost of a trip to Dubai, for a week, per person, in 2023, ranges between £650 – 970 (US$795 – 1,186) for budget travellers. For a mid-range budget, expect to spend around £1,300 – 1,950 (US$1,590 – 2,385), and for a luxury holiday anything from £3,800 (US$4,650) upwards.
A couple can expect to spend an average of £3,300 (US$4,036) for a week in Dubai.
* Airline tickets not included.
The total cost of my 7-day Dubai trip was 10,575 AED (£2,354/ US$2,879), including the airline tickets and travel insurance.
Of course, I could’ve spent less money, if I had booked my hotels in advance (as I always do), taken the metro more, eaten where locals eat and not gone diving at Deep Dive Dubai.
But this is why I travel for. To have unique experiences and create memories that I will treasure forever. So should you!
Tips for Saving Money When Visiting Dubai
If you’re travelling to Dubai on a budget, let me give you some advice based on my recent trip and travel expertise.
The best time to visit Dubai is from December to February when is not too hot. But this is also when hotel rooms are more expensive, especially during the holiday season.
If you want to save money on your trip to Dubai, you should avoid the peak season and go in November, March or early April.
I was there from the 15th to the 22nd of March and the weather was good, although on two days the temperature reached 36C. In the evenings there was a pleasant breeze.
Below are some more specific tips for saving money when travelling to Dubai.
Flights
If you want to save some money on airline tickets, you should book a flight with a connection. You can find great deals with KLM, Air France, Lufthansa, Swiss and Qatar Airways.
And if you’re in Europe, you can even fly to Dubai for less than £200 with low-cost carriers. Just book a ticket with Ryanair, Easy Jet or Wizz to Budapest, Vienna, Sophia, Athens, or Bucharest, for example, and from there book another ticket to Dubai with Wizz Air / Pegasus.
To find the best deals on airline tickets, go to Skyscanner, the website that I use, trust, and recommend.
Accommodation
To save money on accommodation in Dubai, my recommendation is to stay in the old town.
There are many cheap hotels and restaurants in Deira, which makes the area perfect for budget travellers.
It’s a bit far from most of Dubai’s points of interest, but you can use public transport. It’s also close to the airport and you can pay only 3 AED (£0.67 / US$0.82) on the metro from Deira to Dubai International Airport.
Another option is to stay in a hostel. There are great hostels in Dubai. This one at the marina has even a fitness centre, and this one is good too.
Tours
If you don’t want to spend much on tourist attractions, my recommendation is to put on your Dubai travel budget the ones that you really want to see and buy the tickets online in advance to save you some time.
Another option is to buy combo tickets, like this one for Dubai Aquarium + Burj Khalifa, or this one that you can choose from three to seven attractions.
Internet
When you arrive at Dubai Airport, get a free 1Gb tourist sim card at the immigration. With this sim card, you can use the internet on the metro, bus and taxis for free for 60min daily.
There’s free Wi-Fi everywhere and you might not need to top up your card during your stay.
P.S.: The free tourist sim card is very easy to activate and top up (via the Du app). It’s cancelled once you leave the country.
Transportation
Undoubtedly the best way to save money in Dubai on transportation is to take public transport. Taxis only when you can’t easily reach the desired destination.
Go to the ticket booth at any metro station and buy the silver card instead of the red one as the rides are much cheaper and you can top up the card as much as you need.
These are my top tips to save money on a trip to Dubai. If you have some more, let me know in the comments below.
Safe travels and have fun in Dubai.
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