How Much Spending Money to Take to Dubai for a Week-long Vacation?

The age-old question of how much spending money to take on holiday has always bothered each and every holiday-maker particularly when the destination is Dubai!

Dubai is an extravagant and luxurious tourist destination, however it doesn’t need to be as expensive of a holiday as you would first imagine. Today we are going to give you a fair idea of how much spending money to take for a week-long vacation in Dubai.

For the average couple visiting Dubai, we recommend taking about 8,000AED spending money for 7 days. That is approximately £1,850, €2,190 or $2,178 depending on which country you are visiting from.

Below we take a look at how we have worked out to decide how much spending money to take to Dubai. The costs are based on an average couple visiting for 7 days including some paid excursions, transport and eating out.

Is Dubai Expensive for Tourists?

Dubai isn’t expensive for tourists. There are lots of luxurious hotels here and tonnes to do, but that doesn’t mean you need to indulge in everything and overspend your pocket!

Like many holiday destinations, Dubai is no different. You can visit Dubai on a budget or you can visit and enjoy the many luxurious hotels, restaurants and activities it has to offer. The choice is yours on how you intend to spend your money.

To see more on How to Visit Dubai on a Budget check out our full guide here. Or, to find out How Much a Week in Dubai will cost you in total, we also have a post on that too.

How Much Does it Cost to Eat out in Dubai?

First of all, let us take a look at the main expense of any vacation and that’s the food.

Dubai has so many fantastic places to eat out and so we’ve factored this in every day to arrive at our total cost of food for a week.

The average cost of lunch for two at a mid-range restaurant in Dubai is 250AED according to Numbeo.com.

We have increased the cost for dinner to 350AED which takes into account a couple of alcoholic beverages with dinner on an evening. Alcohol in hotels and restaurants in Dubai is more expensive than in most other places.

A filling breakfast with coffee can be found at most places across the city for around 100AED per couple. We’ve also included snacks and drinks with it during the day. To give you an idea of food costs in Dubai; an average Coca Cola is 4AED, a cappuccino is 18AED, and a bottle of water is 1AED.

Total Food Costs Per Couple in Dubai

We’d imagine the above would be the worst-case scenario. Dubai is home to a lot of fast food restaurants too with extremely reasonably priced meals. If you take your time when choosing a restaurant you can also save a buck or two. A couple of margarita pizzas at the famous Le Dolce Vita on Jumeirah Beach will cost just 110AED for example.

How Much Does Transport Cost in Dubai?

The next thing to consider while wondering how much spending money to take to Dubai is transport. The cost of fuel in Dubai is extremely cheap compared to most other big cities in the world and thus, taxi rides are relatively cheap here.

However, Dubai has an amazing metro system that can get you around the city in record time and for a fraction of the cost.

For ease, we’ve factored in a taxi cost to and from the airport to Jumeirah Beach. But for the rest of your time in Dubai we advise that you use the public transportation like metro, trams and buses by purchasing a nol card.

We are furnishing here the travelling between 5 zones per day at 5.80AED per person. This is plenty to cover your transport costs in Dubai.

For more information on How to Use the Nol Card check our handy guide. And to stay within your budget, keep an eye on your Nol Card balance with a quick and easy check.

To explore more alternative public transport methods in Dubai you can also read our comprehensive guide on public transport here.

How Much Money Do I Need for Excursions in Dubai?

The next and most inevitable way of spending money when in Dubai has to those captivating excursions! The amount of money required for excursions can vary hugely depending on quantity and quality.

Whilst you’re spending 7 days in Dubai we are assuming that you will want to at least try 3 paid excursions. We are taking the 3 most popular excursions that tourists love to try out and we have also mentioned the prices for each in the following table.

• Overnight Desert Safari with BBQ Dinner
• Burj Khalifa The Top & Dubai Aquarium Combo
• Atlantis Aquaventure & Lost Chambers Combo

Don’t forget, there are plenty of other things you can do in Dubai which do not cost anything! For the list of Free Things to Do in Dubai, check out our guide.

Conclusion

According to our research, you would need 8,000AED (1,140AED per day) spending money per couple for 7 days in Dubai. That is approximately £1,850, €2,190 or $2,178 depending on which currency you operate with.

Can you enjoy Dubai with less spending money? Yes! Partake in more of the free activities, don’t eat at restaurants three times a day and take the metro to and from the airport. Why not also opt for an apartment with a kitchenette rather than a hotel too? There are plenty to choose from in the city at great prices.

Following these advices, we can see you slash your required spending money for Dubai in half!

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