Public transport in the UAE is among the most affordable in the world, according to a new list of travel costs in major cities.
E-commerce site Picodi provided the research that ranked Dubai in the top-10 most affordable cities for public transport when compared with the average monthly wage.
Analysts looked at the prices of single tickets and monthly passes offered by public transport operators in March 2023, while average net wages were taken from a cost-of-living database provided by Numbeo.
Dubai was among the cheapest cities and ranked 9th on the global list with a Dh350 ($95) monthly pass covering travel by bus, Metro, monorail, tram and ferry.
The most favourable prices were used to compile the list, which did not include cities where one mode of transport was offered by several operators with varying pricing policies, such as Tokyo, Beijing, Jakarta and Bangkok.
Monthly passes included in the study allowed for unlimited travel with all means of transportation within the city limits.
Tallinn in Estonia, Malta’s capital Valletta and Luxembourg topped the list, as each offered free public transport.
Berlin, Warsaw and Singapore were the most affordable cities that charged for public transport, followed by New York, Rome and Dubai.
Dubai’s monthly travel pass costs Dh350 ($95), around 2.3 per cent of the average net wage, a similar ratio to New York (2.1 per cent) and Rome (2.2 per cent).
A monthly bus pass in Sharjah costs Dh225, while in Abu Dhabi it is Dh80.
Sao Paulo in Brazil was the most expensive compared with salary, with a monthly travel pass costing $65, or 14.3 per cent of a monthly wage.
At $41 for a monthly travel pass, Istanbul was the second most expensive when viewed in terms of salary percentage, while London was third.
Britain’s capital city had one of the highest prices for a single travel ticket at $5.19 and featured third on a list of most expensive overall, with a month-long pass costing $271, or 7.4 per cent of the average net wage.
Dubai Metro stations - in pictures
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
Profile of VoucherSkout
Date of launch: November 2016
Founder: David Tobias
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers
Sector: Technology
Size: 18 employees
Stage: Embarking on a Series A round to raise $5 million in the first quarter of 2019 with a 20 per cent stake
Investors: Seed round was self-funded with “millions of dollars”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The biog
Favourite pet: cats. She has two: Eva and Bito
Favourite city: Cape Town, South Africa
Hobby: Running. "I like to think I’m artsy but I’m not".
Favourite move: Romantic comedies, specifically Return to me. "I cry every time".
Favourite spot in Abu Dhabi: Saadiyat beach
More coverage from the Future Forum
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA