Living costs, rent and school fees for four typical households, from a solo founder to a family of four, in Dubai and Sharjah. Every amount links to its source and date.
The amounts come from the Dubai Compass simulator and its default benchmarks. They are orders of magnitude for planning a budget, not guaranteed prices: your area, home and school change everything.
| Household | Living costs | Rent | School | Monthly total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solo founder | 4,250 AED | 5,376 AED | — | 9,626 AED |
| Couple without children | 7,333 AED | 5,376 AED | — | 12,709 AED |
| Family of four in Dubai | 13,500 AED | 7,804 AED | 5,683 AED | 26,987 AED |
| The same family in Sharjah | 10,250 AED | 4,082 AED | 5,822 AED | 20,154 AED |
1 adult, one-bedroom flat in Dubai, setting up a free zone company.
9,626 AED per month, before items still to price
2 adults, one-bedroom flat in Dubai.
12,709 AED per month, before items still to price
2 adults and 2 children (pre-school and primary) at Lycée Français International Georges Pompidou, two-bedroom flat.
26,987 AED per month, before items still to price
2 adults and 2 children (FS1 and Year 1) at Sharjah English School, two-bedroom flat in Al Nahda Sharjah.
20,154 AED per month, before items still to price
Living costs cover groceries, utilities, phone and internet, transport, healthcare and leisure. For two or three people, the benchmark is interpolated between the one-person and family-of-four figures. It is neither an official average nor an address-specific price.
Using Dubai Compass benchmarks, a family of four with two children at Lycée Français International Georges Pompidou should plan around 26,987 AED a month: 13,500 AED of living costs, 7,804 AED of rent for a two-bedroom flat and 5,683 AED of tuition. Deposit, moving, visas and health insurance come on top.
For the same household, the benchmarks give around 20,154 AED a month in Sharjah against 26,987 AED in Dubai, mostly because of rent (4,082 AED against 7,804 AED). Factor in the commute to Dubai and the choice of school.
Company, visa, health, housing and school: a two-year estimate based on your profile, in 5 minutes.
