How much does an apartment cost in Dubai? 2026 prices by area and size
How much apartment does your money buy in Dubai, and why can the same size cost €150,000 in one place and €800,000 in another? Here you will find current prices per square metre for the main districts, worked examples for studios, 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom apartments, and everything that comes on top of the purchase price.
Updated: October 2026 · Reading time approx. 8 minutes
In short: In the first half of 2026, a square metre of living space in Dubai cost around €4,900 on average (AED 1,916 per square foot). You can get a studio in areas like JVC or Arjan from around €145,000, a 1-bedroom apartment in Dubai Marina costs around €365,000, and considerably more in Downtown and on Palm Jumeirah. When buying a ready property, add around 6.5% in buying costs.
Prices per square foot and square metre
In Dubai, apartment sizes are given in square feet (sq ft) and prices in dirhams (AED). One square metre equals around 10.76 square feet. So if an apartment costs AED 2,000 per square foot, that is just over AED 21,500 per square metre.
To convert to euros, this guide uses €1 ≈ AED 4.20 (October 2026). The dirham is pegged to the US dollar: if your currency rises or falls against the dollar, the price of the same apartment in your currency changes with it.
What an apartment costs in each area
The average for Dubai as a whole says little, because the districts are worlds apart. The overview below shows the average prices paid for apartments in the first half of 2026, based on the sales registered with the Dubai Land Department.
| Area | AED per sq ft | ≈ € per m² | Segment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Jumeirah | 4,240 | 10,900 | luxury |
| Downtown Dubai | 3,011 | 7,700 | upscale |
| Dubai Creek Harbour | 2,600 | 6,700 | upscale, many new builds |
| Business Bay | 2,547 | 6,500 | mid-range to upscale |
| Dubai Hills Estate | 2,432 | 6,200 | upscale |
| Dubai Marina | 2,058 | 5,300 | mid-range to upscale |
| JLT | 1,831 | 4,700 | mid-range |
| Arjan | 1,568 | 4,000 | budget to mid-range |
| JVC | 1,510 | 3,900 | budget to mid-range |
| Dubai Sports City | 1,332 | 3,400 | budget |
| International City | approx. 960 | approx. 2,500 | very affordable |
| Dubai overall | 1,916 | 4,900 | average |
These figures are averages. Within a district, prices often vary by 30% or more depending on the building, floor and view. We explain why further below. You will find more on each area in our overview of Dubai districts.
Studio, 1 or 2 bedrooms: worked examples
In Dubai, apartments are described by the number of bedrooms. A studio is a single room with a kitchenette.
For the examples we have assumed typical sizes: studio around 37 m² (400 sq ft), 1-bedroom around 70 m² (750 sq ft), 2-bedroom around 107 m² (1,150 sq ft), each at the average price of the district.
| Area | Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|
| JVC | AED 0.60m ≈ €145,000 | AED 1.13m ≈ €270,000 | AED 1.74m ≈ €415,000 |
| Dubai Marina | AED 0.82m ≈ €195,000 | AED 1.54m ≈ €365,000 | AED 2.37m ≈ €565,000 |
| Business Bay | AED 1.02m ≈ €245,000 | AED 1.91m ≈ €455,000 | AED 2.93m ≈ €700,000 |
| Downtown Dubai | AED 1.20m ≈ €285,000 | AED 2.26m ≈ €540,000 | AED 3.46m ≈ €825,000 |
| Palm Jumeirah | AED 1.70m ≈ €405,000 | AED 3.18m ≈ €755,000 | AED 4.88m ≈ €1.16m |
These are guide values, not asking prices. New builds and apartments with water or Burj Khalifa views are usually higher, older buildings without a view lower. For comparison: across all areas, the median sale price of an apartment in Dubai recently stood at around AED 1.1 million, or roughly €260,000.
Are there cheap apartments in Dubai?
Yes, but in Dubai “cheap” does not mean €50,000. Even in the most affordable areas such as International City or Dubai South, small studios start at around AED 350,000 to 400,000, roughly €85,000 to €95,000. For €50,000 you will not find a freehold apartment in Dubai that we would recommend as an investment.
As a rough guide, worthwhile entry-level investments with a sensible standard of location and quality start at around €150,000, plus buying costs. With new-build projects you do not have to pay this amount in one go: the developer’s payment plan spreads it over the construction period, often with 10 to 20% up front. How this works and how your money is protected is explained in our guide Buying off-plan in Dubai.
What comes on top of the price
When buying a ready property, expect around 6.5% in buying costs: mainly the 4% registration fee to the Dubai Land Department and 2% agency commission plus VAT. With off-plan, it is mainly the 4% registration fee. After that you pay annual service charges for the upkeep of the building; there is no property tax.
The full breakdown with a worked example is in our guide Buying costs for property in Dubai. How you can finance the total is covered in our FAQ on financing.
What drives the price within an area
- View: Water, Burj Khalifa or skyline views are the strongest price drivers. The same apartment with an open view often costs a quarter more than one facing the street or the next tower.
- Floor: Higher floors cost more because view and quiet improve.
- Age and condition of the building: New towers with modern fittings achieve higher prices than buildings from the 2000s.
- Developer: Well-known developers such as Emaar or Sobha charge a premium but often hold their value better.
- New build or resale: Off-plan apartments are often more expensive per square foot than comparable ready apartments, but you pay in instalments.
- Service charges: High running costs reduce the value because they eat into the yield.
Want to know what an apartment is really worth?
Send us the property or your budget. We will check the actual sale prices in the building and tell you honestly whether the price is right.
FAQ
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Dubai?
A 1-bedroom apartment in Dubai usually has 65 to 75 m² (700 to 800 sq ft). Depending on the area, it costs around €270,000 in JVC, around €365,000 in Dubai Marina and around €540,000 in Downtown Dubai. On Palm Jumeirah, prices are considerably higher.
Is property in Dubai expensive?
On average, a square metre costs around €4,900, which is in the range of many large European cities and well below London. Prices get high in prime locations such as Downtown or Palm Jumeirah and stay low in areas such as International City, Sports City or JVC.
How much does a house cost in Dubai?
Townhouses and villas in family communities such as Damac Hills, The Springs or Arabian Ranches sold for around AED 1,900 to 2,900 per square foot in 2026, roughly €4,900 to €7,400 per m². Because houses are larger, total prices are usually several million dirhams. Villas on Palm Jumeirah cost many times more.
Where can I find the real sale price of an apartment?
On the “Real Estate Data” page of the Dubai Land Department. All registered sales are listed there with date, price and size and can be filtered by area. We analyse this data for every property we recommend to you.
Sources
- Property Monitor: analysis of DLD transactions, average prices per square foot (1 January to 6 June 2026)
- Bayut: Average price per square foot in Dubai (September 2026)
- Data Habibi: International City, median price per square foot
- Arabian Business: Dubai real estate Q3 2026 (median transaction value)
- Dubai Land Department: Real Estate Data (all registered sales)
Updated: October 2026. All prices are averages and guide values from registered sales and change constantly; euro amounts are calculated at €1 ≈ AED 4.20 and rounded. For a specific property, we check the current sale prices in the building concerned.
