The cost of living in the UAE for a family from Russia: real figures for 2026
Real figures: how much money a family with children needs to live in the UAE in 2026. Rent, schools, healthcare, food — a detailed budget breakdown.
Dubai is not the cheapest city in the world, but it is not London or Zurich either. With sensible planning, a family with two children can live here comfortably on 5,000–8,000 USD a month. Let us look at what makes up that figure.
Housing: the biggest item
Rent is the most noticeable expense. One peculiarity of Dubai: rent is traditionally paid by cheque in one to four instalments a year rather than monthly. Keep that in mind when planning your budget.
| Type of home | Cost per year |
| One-bedroom apartment (residential district) | 70,000–99,000 AED |
| Two-bedroom apartment (central) | 130,000–180,000 AED |
| Villa with 3–4 bedrooms | 200,000–380,000 AED |
| Studio (budget) | 45,000–65,000 AED |
An average two-bedroom apartment for a family with one child costs roughly 130,000–150,000 AED a year (~35,000–41,000 USD).
Education: work it out in advance
State schools in the UAE are open to citizens only. For expat children there are private international schools and nothing else.
The cost:
- Nursery: 3,000–8,000 AED a month.
- School: primary — 35,000–70,000 AED a year, secondary — 45,000–90,000 AED, sixth form (IB / A-levels) — 55,000–120,000 AED a year. The Russian international school in Dubai is cheaper — from 25,000 AED a year.
A family with two children at a mid-range school spends 60,000–120,000 AED a year on education. This is the least predictable item on the list — choose the school before you move.
Health insurance: required by law
Health insurance in the UAE is not optional, it is a requirement. An employer must insure its staff; business owners and freelancers arrange insurance themselves.
Basic cover for one adult: from 320 AED a year.
Extended family cover: 5,000–15,000 AED a year for a family of four.
Food and everyday spending
Eating out: a business lunch at an ordinary café is 30–50 AED, dinner for two at a mid-range restaurant 200–400 AED. Groceries at Carrefour and Lulu are comparable to Moscow prices. Imported goods cost more.
The grocery basket for a family of four: 3,000–5,000 AED a month.
Transport
The metro and buses are convenient, but they do not cover every district. Most families prefer their own car. By world standards petrol in the UAE is cheap: about 2.3–3.6 AED per litre depending on the grade.
Running your own car (fuel, insurance, parking): 1,500–2,500 AED a month.
| Expense | Per month (AED) | Per month (USD) |
| Rent of a three-bedroom apartment | 12,000–16,000 | 3,300–4,400 |
| School (2 children) | 5,000–10,000 | 1,400–2,700 |
| Groceries and restaurants | 4,000–6,000 | 1,100–1,600 |
| Transport | 1,500–2,500 | 400–680 |
| Insurance | 700–1,200 | 190–330 |
| Utilities | 600–1,200 | 160–330 |
| Leisure, clothes, sundries | 2,000–5,000 | 550–1,360 |
| Total | 25,800–41,900 | 7,100–11,400 |
The minimum comfortable budget for a family with two children is around 27,000–30,000 AED (~7,500–8,200 USD) a month. Even so, Dubai remains cheaper than London, Zurich and most Western European capitals.
What is not included?
The one-off costs of moving: flights, the initial housing deposit (5–10% of the annual rent), the Emirates ID and visas, buying a car. Set aside an extra 15,000–25,000 USD for the start.
The Wesupport team helps with any question related to relocation and legalisation in the UAE. Tell us what you need and we will suggest the best solution as quickly as possible.