Salary needed to live in Dubai
Based on baseline essentials and a simple tax-rate assumption. Housing is the biggest variable.
Levels
- Tight (no buffer): AED 120,632 / year
- Okay (+AED 500/mo): AED 126,947 / year
- Comfortable (+AED 1,200/mo): AED 135,789 / year
- Strong (+AED 2,000/mo): AED 145,895 / year
Essentials baseline used: AED 9,550 / month.
Tax-rate assumption: 5%.
Common cost-of-living traps
- Choosing rent based on vibe instead of numbers
- Underestimating commute costs and time
- Assuming salary growth will fix a tight baseline
- Forgetting council tax / local taxes
- Ignoring childcare costs if relevant
Use this city hub effectively
Start with salary scenarios, then compare how different incomes behave in the same city. This exposes pressure points faster than generic rankings.