3.16/5
1,632 reviews
Photo by David Rodrigo via Unsplash

Dubai

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great

money

expensive

amazing

summer

love

lifestyle

food

spend

times

free

side

fake

indoor

super

table

crime

western

nightlife

Dubai offers a modern, high-standard lifestyle with impressive infrastructure and a vibrant international community. It’s particularly appealing for high earners or digital nomads looking for a tax-free base and convenient travel hub, thanks to its 0% income tax and well-connected airport. You’ll find fast internet, excellent gyms, a variety of global cuisines, and a world-class nightlife scene – especially favorable for women due to club incentives. The city is visually stunning and exceptionally clean, with luxurious accommodations and great facilities for shopping and dining.

However, Dubai presents challenges for long-term living. The city is not walkable and requires either a car or frequent use of expensive taxis. Heat during the summer is extreme, leading to an indoor lifestyle for several months of the year. While affordable options exist in Old Dubai, many parts can be prohibitively expensive, particularly when it comes to nightlife and alcohol. Some reviewers mention concerns about the authenticity of the city, noting it can feel artificial or lacking in character. There are also serious reservations around human rights and freedom of speech, which some claim are suppressed. Overall, Dubai may be great for a short visit or as a wealthy expat’s base, but not ideal for everyone long-term.

AI-generated summary of reviews

Went to Dubai 3 times and spent over 3 weeks to get a better taste of the city (Feb/march). It is an amazing city with lots of young people and offers unique city views and experiences. Watersports, night sky pools, great choice of fine dining and always with great service. Everything is new and clean, at least where I've been. It is somewhat expensive for southern Europeans, but we don't have these kind of places around in Europe.
Asking some locals, seems like the major issues are heat in summer and traffic.

17 days ago

I loved Dubai, and if you love beauty and structure, you will too. I was there in February, and the weather was perfect, about 28 degrees celsius. You need a cab to get around, the city is not walkable at all. It's also huge, you'd need to walk probably 5h from Dubai Marina to the Burj Khalifa. I used Uber, but Careem is also fine.

There's free Wifi almost everywhere, but you often need to enter phone number, email and name. In general you get checked a lot, it feels like they always know where you are currently.

The community is great, there's a lot to do and if you have a lot of money, you can get to so many beautiful places!

1 month ago

I visited Dubai a few times, last time I stayed 2 months. The first month I felt it was the perfect city, brought out a fun and driven side of me, very glamorous and creative spots for dining and going out. By second month, I felt the city was too fake and lacked a soul. So for me, it's a place to visit but not to live in.

2 months ago

I liked Dubai a lot! It's definitely an indoor lifestyle especially in the summer when it's 45'C outside. But that's very similar to Bangkok which is also an indoor lifestyle in my opinion. Generally airconditioning everywhere is great, except in the older pre-2010 buildings/malls.

It's super modern, super international. You'll be in having lunch in a cafe and next to you is a table of Africans, the next table is Asians, the next table is white (often Russians). You don't actually see Europeans so much here. Also when I was in Dubai I started getting messages from all my European friends "ohh Dubai is so horrible! so fake! so soulless" which just astonished me.

I get that there's problems like the labor exploitation, but it feels like the Dubai government is working actively to fix that. It feels a lot like Singapore where the government is trying to improve the lives of everyone in a methodical way which seems to work.

If you like indoor aircon lifestyle, going to nice malls, cafes and restaurants and having great international food. As well as great gyms. And you have money to spend (you don't even need a lot but okay). You'll definitely like Dubai.

If you are an outdoor person that values democracy, is more lefty in politics, don't have much money. You'll definitely not like Dubai.

10 months ago

Lived here for over a year, but I only recommend short visits. Contrary to what you hear, there is plenty of crime in parts of Dubai. Talking about that crime is considered taboo and, in many cases, is illegal. Sexual assault and gang violence against expats took place just outside my building, to people who lived in my building.

I went to the police station a few times, but the issue was never handled and no arrests were ever made. I have videos of (unspecified) crimes taking place here, but there is no free speech in the UAE, and I was threatened by the police if I ever shared them online.

Unless you make at least US$150k a year and live in an upscale area, you are unlikely to be comfortable.

1 year ago

I liked Dubai. Rents can be decent and offer a lot more compared to Western Countries, spend $1,600 on a Studio for 3 weeks, much better than many developed Western Countries. WiFI speeds are consistent and reliable. Nightlife is amazing but easily the biggest money pit as many places even a bottle of beer goes up to 20 USD. Not a bad place to use as a staging ground to explore the region or take advantage of the well connected airport. Very multi cultural place as well. Just wish the food offerings were more robust than sit down Lebanese/Turkish places and western fast food joints.

2 years ago

People either hate this place or love it. I am more on the hating side. Feels fake af, overpriced. The city is either a business downtown, either an outdated fancy chick area, either a slump. And don't get me started on human rights here.
I'd visit it for a week or two just as a tourist, but definitely not live here for longer.

2 years ago

Dubai is good if you’ve figured out a way to pay 0 income tax and live in 2 places (away doing vacations during the summer) - bonus if you don’t spend money on alcohol.

Nightlife is amazing, especially if you’re a woman. Free unlimited drinks for ladies, open bar, no catch, in two clubs in Media One Tower on Thursday. There is no place in the world that offers this. My female friends love Dubai because of these types of deals lol.

The easiest way to waste money here is by buying drinks. Search for “cruise liquor bags” on Amazon, and buy alcohol in bulk and sneak it in. No one body-checks here because it’s very safe with no crime.

You live in the city, but super close to a beach. It’s still pretty cheap if you compare similar places like Miami.

Great home base to travel from and set up your life. Convenience of flights and 0% income tax. I would recommend this for a part time digital nomad that is looking for a base of operations. Also, tons of other contacts you can make who also love traveling and have disposable income.

2 years ago

So/so. Is not a bad place to live. Standard of living is really high, apartments are amazing as well. There is basically any kind of cuisine you can think of. Great (and expensive) nightlife. 0% taxes is great if you are willing to go through the hoops.

Cons: Is oppressively hot during summer. You need a car to get around or spend absurd amounts monthly on taxis. It might get really expensive but you can definitely save by buying smart. I would be back as a tourist but not for remote working on the short term.

3 years ago

The architecture is the most stunning thing of this place, it feels like the 22nd century. It's as cosmopolitan as a place like New York but more with people from the other side of the world. Great alternatives for getting coffee and food. Nightlife is expensive but it's good.

3 years ago

I was in Dubai for 1 week, It's the best place for doing business and modern lifestyle, You can see an impressive infrastructure and what the mankind can build.

3 years ago

I was in Dubai briefly. It's not the cheapest location, but it can be very cheap if you're in Old Dubai, which is the traditional part. The supermodern parts are more expensive and also fairly unwalkable, whereas the old part is quite walkable and like a real city. It's not my favorite city and the gender ratio is quite weird with statistics showing about 3 men to 1 woman. It's good for vacation more so than nomading in my opinion

3 years ago

✅ Very modern

✅ Great nightlife

✅ Multicultural

✅ Good base for travel

✅ High standard of living

✅ 0% income tax

✅ Fast internet

✅ Very clean

✅ Very safe

✅ Warm now

✅ Warm all year round

✅ Perfect humidity now

✅ Good air quality today

✅ Nomads.com members liked going here

✅ Many Nomads.com members here all year round

✅ Spacious and not crowded

✅ Very easy to do business

✅ High quality of education

✅ Great hospitals

✅ Roads are pretty safe

✅ Safe for women

✅ Not many people smoke tobacco

✅ Not a lot of alcohol abuse

❌ Oppressively hot in summer

❌ Not walkable

❌ Very expensive

❌ Feels fake or soulless

❌ Human rights concerns

❌ Freedom of speech is weak

❌ No democracy

❌ Not much to do

❌ Extremely hot in the summer

❌ Difficult to make friends

❌ People don't speak English well

❌ Not family friendly

❌ Hostile towards LGBTQ+

❌ Marijuana is illegal

Jan

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Feels

73 23°
mild

79 26°
warm

86 30°
warm

90 32°
hot

102 39°
hot

104 40°
hot

102 39°
hot

91 33°
hot

82 28°
warm

77 25°
warm

Real

73 23°
mild

81 27°
warm

89 32°
hot

91 33°
hot

98 37°
hot

100 38°
hot

98 37°
hot

91 33°
hot

84 29°
very warm

78 26°
warm

Humidity

nice
32%

nice
35%

nice
30%

too dry
28%

too dry
30%

nice
32%

too dry
30%

nice
31%

nice
33%

nice
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nice
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nice
32%

Most common

☀️ Clear

Rain

dry
0mm

dry
1mm

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0mm

dry
1mm

dry
0mm

dry
1mm

Cloud

clear
9%

pockets
14%

clear
7%

clear
4%

clear
7%

pockets
21%

pockets
13%

pockets
15%

clear
8%

clear
7%

pockets
23%

Air quality

okay
61 US AQI

bad
128 US AQI

bad
108 US AQI

bad
120 US AQI

bad
137 US AQI

bad
144 US AQI

bad
147 US AQI

bad
149 US AQI

bad
137 US AQI

bad
112 US AQI

okay
71 US AQI

okay
80 US AQI

Sun

avoid sun
6 UVI

avoid sun
7 UVI

avoid sun
9 UVI

avoid sun
11 UVI

avoid sun
12 UVI

avoid sun
11 UVI

avoid sun
10 UVI

avoid sun
8 UVI

avoid sun
6 UVI

seek shade
5 UVI

Remote workers

3,274 people

3,318 people

3,575 people

2,612 people

2,714 people

1,544 people

1,738 people

1,580 people

2,663 people

4,200 people

3,938 people

2,905 people

Green is good. Red is bad. Values shown are the medians of all daily highs in a month based on past few years, not necessarily current numbers. Remote worker count is estimated based on the total amount of trips logged by Nomads.com members. Not all nomads are on Nomads.com, and not all Nomads.com members log their trips. So the data is only indicative.

If you'd like to filter destinations based on their climate, try Nomads.com's Climate Finder

Based on Dubai's cost of living, here's selected remote jobs that would cover your costs:

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Help pick the best photos for Dubai and improve this page's look by tappingclicking on them and the site saves your feedback Vote photos

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$1,383 / mo

🌇 Also went here504 people

Members who will be here soon

Members who have been here

Values shown are estimated visits by traveling remote workers based on the total amount of trips logged by Nomads.com members. Visits to a place are only counted once per year per user, even if they visit more in that year. Not all nomads are on Nomads.com, and not all Nomads.com members log their trips. So the data is only indicative.

The chart below shows visitors by nationality normalized for population size. This means we take all trips logged on Nomads.com, check which country of origin the user is from, then divide that total visit count by the country of origin's population. If we didn't, it'd just show the big countries like US, Brazil and India always on top. Instead, this shows which nationalities worldwide proportionally visit more or less, which is more useful.

⭐️ Total score	3.16/5 (Rank #14) 1632 reviews
❤️ Liked by members	👍17 liked it 👎5 disliked it
👍 Quality of life score	Okay
👶 Family score	Okay
🎒 Community score	Good
💵 Cost	🧐 Pricey: $3,292 / mo
📡 Internet	😡 Slow: 10Mbps (avg)
😝 Fun	Okay
⛅️ Temperature (now)	🥵 Hot: 26°C79°F (feels 27°C81°F)
💦 Humidity (now)	😊 Comfy: 56%
💨 Air quality (annual)	😷 Unhealthy for some: 137 US AQI
👌 Safety	Great
🤮 Food safety*	Great
👮‍♀️ Lack of crime*	Great
🤝 Lack of racism*	Okay
🎓 Education level*	Mediocre
⚡️ Power grid	Great
🌊 Vulnerability to climate change	Good
💰 Income level*	Very high: $3,135 / mo
🙊 English speaking*	Bad
😤 People density	🧘‍♀️ Sprawling: 3k ppl/km² (1 per 19x19m)
🚶 Walkability	Great
🚦 Traffic safety*	Okay
✈️ Airline scores*	Good
🧳 Lost luggage*	Bad
🏥 Hospitals	Good
😄 Happiness*	Bad
🍸 Nightlife	Bad
📶 Free WiFi in city	Okay
🖥 Places to work from	Great
❄️ A/C or heating	Great
😁 Friendly to foreigners	Okay
🗯 Freedom of speech*	Okay
👩 Female friendly	Okay
🌈 LGBTQ+ friendly	Bad
🎅 Startup Score	Bad

🌍 Continent	Middle East
🚩 Country	United Arab Emirates
🗓️ Average trip length	10 days
📡 Internet speed (avg)	10 Mbps
⛅️ Weather (now)	☀️ 26°C 79°F + 😊 Comfy (56%) = feels 27°C 81°F
💨 Air quality (annual avg)	👎☠️ 137 US AQI = 🚬 🚬 / day
🔌 Power	230V 50Hz
🧔 Best neighborhood to stay	DSO & International City
🚀 Upcoming neighborhood	DSO & International City
🚕 Best taxi app*	Careem
🚑 Travel medical insurance	Safetywing
💸 10 AED in USD	USD 2.72
🏧 Suggested ATM take out:	AED 1,000 = USD 272
💸 Tipping	No
💳 Cashless	💳 Yes, cards OK almost everywhere
💻 Best coworking space	Impact Hub
💻 Best alt. coworking space	Make Hub
🚰 Tap water	🚫 No, not drinkable
♻️ Return rate	👍16% of visitors return
📸 Visitors per year	16,010,000 visitors
📸 Tourists now	306,831 tourists
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Population	2,100,000 people
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 GDP per capita*	$37,622 / year
😤 Population density	🧘‍♀️ empty: 19x19m (361m²) per person
👫 Gender ratio (population)	👨 78% 👱‍♀️ 22%
👫 Gender ratio (young adults)	👨 73% 👱‍♀️ 27%
👫 Gender ratio (nomads)	👨 85% 👱‍♀️ 15%
⛪️ Religious government	Religious
💻 Online electronics shop	Souq
🏠 Apartment listings	Property Finder
✈️ Best short-haul air carrier	Fly Dubai
✈️ Best int'l air carrier	Emirates

💵 Cost of living for nomad	$3,292 / month
💵 Cost of living for expat	$2,743 / month
💵 Cost of living for family	$8,066 / month
💵 Cost of living for local	$2,304 / month
🏨 Hotel (median price)	$1,197 / month
🏡 Airbnb (median price)	$1,806 / month
🏠 1br studio rent in center	$1,994 / month
🏨 Hotel (median price)	$56 / night
🏠 Airbnb (median price)	$59 / night
🏢 Coworking hot desk	$341 / month
🍛 Dinner	$11
🥤 Coca-Cola (0.3L)	$1
🍺 Beer in cafe (0.5L)	$7
☕️ Coffee in cafe	$5
👩‍🏫 International school	$11,759 / year
📱 Mobile data (~10GB)	$15 / month
🚕 Taxi price (avg trip ~3km/2mi)	$3 / trip