Dubai on a budget: a city that is cheaper than it looks
Guides · · 2 min read
Dubai has a reputation for expense that comes mostly from visitors doing the expensive things. The city underneath is affordable.
Move by metro
Two lines cover most of what a visitor wants, from the airport to the Marina, and a Nol card costs very little. Taxis are metered and reasonable but the traffic on Sheikh Zayed Road is a tax on your afternoon.
Free or nearly free
- Jumeirah and Kite Beach - public, clean, with showers.
- Al Fahidi - the old quarter's wind towers and lanes, best in the morning.
- The creek - cross by abra for a coin, then walk the spice and gold souks.
- Dubai Fountain - every half hour in the evening; the show is free and the seats at the restaurants are not.
- Dubai Frame and Miracle Garden - cheap rather than free, and worth it.
Where the money goes
The observation deck at the Burj Khalifa is dearer at sunset; a mid-morning ticket costs much less for the same building. A drink in a hotel bar costs what dinner costs elsewhere. Desert safaris vary wildly in quality - the cheapest ones are a queue of vehicles on the same dune.
Eating
The best value is in Deira and Karama: Pakistani, Keralan, Filipino and Lebanese food at a fraction of Marina prices. Cafeterias do a shawarma for the price of a bus ticket.
When to go
November to March is pleasant. June to September is brutally hot - the malls are cold and everything outdoors is unusable between ten and five. Prices drop accordingly.
Stopover or trip?
Dubai works well as a two- or three-night stop on a longer route. A week needs a plan that includes Abu Dhabi, the desert or the east coast.