Is a holiday in Dubai expensive? - [TravelRepublic Blog ] (2024)

Dubai is known as a playground for the rich and famous with luxury hotels, spas, and restaurants sprawling across the city. Whether you want to treat yourself to a slice of that 5-star lifestyle or just want to experience something new, you’re probably wondering: is Dubai really that expensive and is it possible to have a cheap holiday in this millionaire’s playground? Of course, everyone’s idea of expensive is different, so here’s the lowdown.

Navigation
How much does a holiday in Dubai cost?
How much does a taxi cost in Dubai?
Is it expensive to eat out in Dubai?
How much is a day out in Dubai?
How expensive is Dubai really?

What does a holiday in Dubai cost?

First things first, let’s price up your holiday. We’ve broken it down into the price of booking your hotel and flights separately, but a lot of the time you can save more booking a package holiday.

Prices can also fluctuate depending on when you book your holiday. Booking days, weeks, and months before you fly could impact the price of your holiday massively! Find out more about when the cheapest time to book your holiday is here.

Hotels in Dubai

The most popular places to stay in Dubai are Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Marina, and Downtown Dubai. You’ll find a mix of budget, mid-range, and some of the world’s most expensive hotels throughout the neighbourhoods and they’re all in prime locations for the top attractions and sights in Dubai.

3-star

If you’re looking for somewhere comfy to lay your head at the end of the day, or just a holiday to Dubai on a budget, you’re probably looking into 3-star hotels. They tend to mostly attract businesspeople and guests staying for just 1-2 nights. These hotels generally offer fairly spacious rooms with your basic needs covered, along with a few extras such as a TV, desk, pool, fitness centre, and a restaurant/bar.

You can easily find a 2-person room for around £75 per night.

4-star

For something a little more upscale but still at a great price, a 4-star hotel is a great choice. You’ll normally find these in popular tourist destinations, offering a more affordable yet comfortable option. They’re geared towards your average holidaymaker so they tend to also include on-site activities, different dining board types (eg half- and full-board), spas, multiple pools, staff services such as concierges and valets, and premium bedding and toiletries.

The average 4-star hotel in Dubai goes for around £100-150 per night.

5-Star

You’re in Dubai, so why not go all out? There are 5-star hotels all across the city pampering their guests and offering a slice of luxury. 5-star hotels are geared toward the rich and famous, while four-star hotels target vacationers. These hotels offer everything you could ask for and more, from steam rooms and saunas to butler services, on-site gourmet restaurants to designer amenities. Your every need is catered for but, of course, this comes with a higher price.

You’ll tend to find 5-star hotels for £200+ per night.

7-star

Okay, so a 7-star hotel might not technically exist, but the Burj Al Arab is so luxurious, classy, and iconic that it’s unofficially been given 7 stars. Even though it’s officially 5-star, it’s still the most famous in Dubai, absolutely dominating the skyline as one of the tallest hotels in the world.

Of course, all this luxury comes with a hefty price tag. A night at Burj Al Arab will set you back around £1,000-£2,000 for your average room. If you’re really looking to splash the cash, the most expensive room, the Royal Suite, comes in at £20,000 per night with its own private elevator, cinema, library, walk-in wardrobe, and arguably the best views in Dubai.

✨ Infinity pool terrace
✨ Butler service
✨ Top-of-the-range spa
✨ Free water park access
✨ Floor-to-ceiling aquarium in the Michelin-starred restaurant
✨ Professional wardrobe packing
✨ Turtle sanctuary
✨ Decorated with real gold and crystals

Flights to Dubai

The average cost of a round-trip from London to Dubai costs around £500-£700 depending on when you fly. Most flights are a stopping service and perfect for a multi-destination holiday, but you can find non-stop flights from Emirates, British Airways, and Royal Brunei.

How much spending money should you take with you?

Overall, you should aim to take at least £150-£200 (approx. 450AED-650AED) per person, per day. However, this depends on what you’re planning on doing while you’re away. Are you planning on hitting the malls? Eating in the top restaurants? Spending a lot of time in the bars? Your spending will quickly add up.

You can cut down on costs while you’re away by:
✨ Booking attraction tickets in advance
✨ Eating at less expensive restaurants
✨ Staying at an All Inclusive hotel
✨ Hiring a car in advance
✨ Buying an all-day ticket for public transport (Metro, tram and bus)
✨ Drinking soft drinks rather than alcohol at bars

How much are taxis in Dubai?

Dubai isn’t a very walkable city, and all the main tourist attractions are scattered around the city. So, you’re probably going to want to take a taxi at some point on your holiday.

Is it cheaper to get a taxi or public transport?

While taxis aren’t too expensive, it’s definitely cheaper to get public transport. There are 3 main options when it comes to public transport: the Metro, the tram, or the bus. All are very affordable – the Metro costs 1.5-17 AED (33p-£3.70) depending on where you’re going and which ‘Nol Card’ you’re using.

You’ll need a Nol Card to use public transport as they don’t accept cash or card. It’s a bit like an Oyster card where you can top it up or store tickets on it. You can also use it to pay for parking in some places.

Is there Uber in Dubai?

You can book an Uber to driver you around Dubai, but it generally costs more than a taxi. There’s also a local firm called Careem, which still costs a bit more than a taxi, but it can be cheaper than Uber over short distances.

Is it expensive to eat out?

The price of eating out all depends on where you go and what you order. Of course, it’s going to be more expensive than going to the supermarket and cooking your own food, but that’s not what holidays are about! The price of eating out is fairly similar to what you’d pay in the UK, with the exception of alcohol, which has a huge mark-up due to the Arab culture.

How much does an average meal cost?

How much do drinks cost in Dubai?

Should you tip at restaurants in Dubai?

Tipping is not expected in Dubai, but it is appreciated. Some restaurants include the service charge in your bill but, if you do want to tip, most people opt for 10-15% or simply ask to round up their bill.

How much is a day out in Dubai?

There are so many different things to do in Dubai to fill your time with. Almost all of them need paid tickets, so you’ll have to add them to your holiday budget. However, you can often save money by booking your tickets in advance or by buying a Go City pass, which offers discounts on top attractions throughout the city.

Skydiving

Skydiving is a popular experience Dubai thanks to the city’s incredible views from above. You’ll find Skydive Dubai at the top end of The Palm Jumeirah which offers skydives over The Palm and the desert for 2,100 AED (£460). For something more affordable, a lot of Dubai’s malls offer indoor skydiving, which you can do for around half the price.

Burj Khalifa

Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world, and arguably the best place to watch the sun rise in Dubai. There are 3 different observation decks offering 360-degree views of Dubai and beyond. The most popular are levels 124 and 125, coming in at around 170 AED (£37) per person. Level 125 serves as a tribute to Arab arts and culture and level 124 offers access to an exhilarating outdoor terrace.

But if you’re feeling brave, you can head up and up and up to level 148. At 555m high, it’s an experience like no other, but it’s not for the faint-hearted. From this floor, you can enjoy (or not) an outdoor terrace and private lounge before heading back down to Earth! Tickets to At the Top SKY cost around 500 AED (£100) per person.

Theme Parks

Dubai is a top contender when it comes to theme parks and could easily rival Orlando. There are around 20 theme parks dotted around Dubai, but we don’t reckon you can fit them all into one holiday. So, we’ve rounded up some of the top parks for you to try out.

Dubai Parks and Resorts

Dubai Parks and Resorts is the biggest theme park in the Middle East. Get ready for excitement, jaw-dropping shows, adrenaline-pumping rides and endless movie-themed fun for the entire family.

It’s home to Motiongate™ Dubai, Bollywood Parks™ Dubai, Legoland ® Dubai, and Legoland ® Water Park, all bursting with fun activities from meeting your favourite film characters to zipping around the rollercoasters. Each park costs around 300 AED (£65), or you can buy a 2-park ticket for 360 AED (£80).

Aquaventure Water Park

At the tip of The Palm, you’ll find the biggest water park in the world – it’s won a Guinness World Record for the most waterslides in a water park. But it’s more than just slides – you can try your hand at watersports, chill out on the private beach, explore a shark-filled lagoon, and the little ones can splash around in the kids’ zone.

If you’re staying at Atlantis, The Palm or Atlantis, The Royal, you can benefit from free daily access to Aquaventure with your booking. Otherwise, it’ll set you back around 315 AED (£65) per person for the day.

Wild Wadi Water Park

Wild Wadi Water Park is another famous park, located near the luxurious Burj Al Arab. With over 30 slides and rides to choose from, it’s themed around the tale of Juha, a known character from the Arabian folklore. Or if you’re more into relaxing than riding the waves, you can book yourself a cabana, chill on the sunbeds, or make your way round the lazy river.

If you’re staying at Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Madinat Jumeirah, or Burj Al Arab, you can visit Wild Wadi Water Park for free. If not, you’ll have to fork out 189 AED (£40) each.

IMG Worlds of Adventure

In the heart of Dubai, you’ll find IMG Worlds of Adventure, a temperature-controlled indoor theme park based on popular Cartoon Network characters, iconic Marvel Superheroes and almost realistic dinosaurs. You can meet your favourite film and TV characters, ride incredible rollercoasters, and even catch an IMAX movie or two.

For unlimited rides and unlimited fun with a day pass, IMG Worlds of Adventure tickets cost 345 AED (£75) per person.

Shopping

Shopping is a HUGE deal in Dubai. There are supermalls dotted all over the city hosting both high-street and high-end fashions, top tech, and more. In fact, shopping is such a popular pastime that there are 2 shopping festivals through the year where prices are SLASHED. You’ll find all kinds of things doing on, from fun fashion flash mobs to live raffle drawings with some incredible cash and car prizes. It’s a shopaholic’s dream!

Of course, how much it costs for a day shopping is completely up to you – it all depends on whether you buy anything or not! Don’t just stick to the malls though, there are tonnes of traditional Arab markets out there joining in the fun too.

Desert safaris

We all think of Dubai as a thriving, rich, cosmopolitan city, but it’s surrounded by desert! There are plenty of different ways to see the city’s natural side, from 4×4 dune buggies to camel rides across the sand. If you’re up for it, you’ll even find luxury safaris where you can sleep under the stars and watch the sun set and rise over the horizon.

The price of a desert safari varies depending on how you’re exploring, but you can expect to pay anything from 300 AED and above (£65+).

So, is Dubai really that expensive?

Dubai isn’t actually much more expensive than London, New York, and other big cities.

However, Dubai’s not a very walkable city. Jaywalking is illegal, and crossings are few and far between. Taxi prices aren’t too expensive but taking them often can add up. Or you can take the metro, buses, tram, monorail, and even water taxis. They’ll save you some dough, but it’ll take longer to get around.

But really, holidays to Dubai are as cheap or expensive as you make them. If you stay in a 5-star hotel, eat at all the Michelin-starred restaurants you can find, and visit all the top attractions, it’s obviously going to cost more than if you’re looking for more affordable options.