# Dubai Property Prices per Square Foot 2026 — AED 1,720 Median | WIZI PREMIUM

> Dubai property prices 2026: median AED 1,720/sq ft across 77,666 DLD apartment sales. Compare areas, bedrooms, ready and off-plan homes, in AED and USD.

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Price & Buyer Guide · 2026

# Dubai Property Prices in 2026

Real, independent 2026 pricing — by area, by unit type, plus the fees, visa rules and yields international buyers actually ask about.

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Buyer FAQ ↓

Updated 28 July 2026 · By [WIZI Advisory Team](https://wizipremium.com/about.html) · RERA ORN 60234

Quick answer

## How much does property in Dubai cost?

In 2026, a Dubai apartment typically costs AED 1.7M–2.6M (USD 465,000–710,000) . Studios start around AED 550,000 (USD 150,000) , one-beds AED 0.9M–1.5M, two-beds AED 1.4M–2.5M. Recorded DLD sales (H1 2026) put the median at AED 1,725 per sqft for apartments and AED 1,786 for villas — see [per-sqft medians for 101 areas](https://wizipremium.com/dubai-property-price-index.html) ; asking prices average ~AED 1,759, up ~12% year on year. The biggest price driver is the area and whether the home is ready or off-plan.

Figures are 2026 market ranges for guidance; ask us for a live quote on a specific building. AED→USD at ~3.67.

By area

## Average price per square foot by area

Prime waterfront and Downtown command the highest price per sqft; emerging districts trade lower and carry the strongest rental yields.

| Area | Avg price / sqft | Entry price | Gross yield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Jumeirah | AED 3,450 | From ~AED 1.5M | 5–6% |
| Downtown Dubai | AED 3,011 | From ~AED 850k | 5–6% |
| Business Bay | AED 2,547 | From ~AED 690k | 6–7% |
| Dubai Marina | AED 2,058 | From ~AED 720k | 6–7% |
| Dubai Hills Estate | AED 1,820 | From ~AED 940k | 5–6% |
| JVC | AED 1,150 | From ~AED 500k | 7–9% |
| Dubai South | AED 1,050 | From ~AED 450k | 7.5–9.5% |

Sources: Dubai Land Department registered transactions, Bayut & Property Finder · 2026. Indicative; actual prices vary by tower, floor and view.

[Palm Jumeirah →](https://wizipremium.com/areas/palm-jumeirah.html) [Downtown →](https://wizipremium.com/areas/downtown-dubai.html) [Business Bay →](https://wizipremium.com/areas/business-bay.html) [Dubai Marina →](https://wizipremium.com/areas/dubai-marina.html) [Dubai Hills →](https://wizipremium.com/areas/dubai-hills-estate.html) [JVC →](https://wizipremium.com/index.html) [Dubai South →](https://wizipremium.com/areas/dubai-south.html)

Price per square foot · DLD, January–July 2026

## What a square foot in Dubai actually costs

Across the 77,666 apartment sales the Dubai Land Department
registered between 1 January and 31 July 2026, the median price was AED 1,720 per square
foot — the same as AED 18,514 per square metre, about $468 per sq
ft or £347. The median apartment itself was 777 sq ft and closed at
AED 1,250,000. Villas and townhouses came in marginally higher per foot, at AED 1,771.

### "Average" and "median" are not the same number

The arithmetic average across the same file was AED 1,922 per sq ft
— 12% above the median — because a luxury tail running past AED 5,000 per foot on Palm Jumeirah and
in Marsa Dubai drags the mean upward. Eight in ten registered sales fell between AED
1,104 (10th percentile) and AED 3,050 (90th percentile). So when a source
quotes one "average price per square foot in Dubai" without saying which average it means, assume
the mean — and assume it overstates what a typical buyer paid.

*Dubai price per square foot in five currencies — DLD registered apartment sales, January–July 2026*

| Measure | Per sq ft | Per m² | Per sq ft (USD) | Per m² (USD) | Per sq ft (GBP) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median | AED 1,720 | AED 18,514 | $468 | $5,041 | £347 |
| Average (mean) | AED 1,922 | AED 20,688 | $523 | $5,633 | £388 |
| 10th percentile (cheap end) | AED 1,104 | AED 11,883 | $301 | $3,236 | £223 |
| 90th percentile (prime) | AED 3,050 | AED 32,830 | $831 | $8,940 | £616 |

Prices above are DLD-registered transactions, not portal asking prices. Source: Dubai Land Department open data, aggregated by WIZI PREMIUM.

In euros the median works out to
about €406 per sq ft (€4,371 per m²), and in rupees roughly ₹44,700 per sq ft. The dirham is pegged
to the US dollar at 3.6725, so dollar figures barely move; pound, euro and rupee equivalents drift
with the market. FX as of 14 August 2026.

### Off-plan costs more per foot than finished

This surprises most first-time buyers: off-plan stock registered at AED
1,779 per sq ft against AED 1,404 for ready apartments — a
27% premium for buying a building that does not exist yet. What you are paying for
is the payment plan and the newness, not the floor area. Reverse the logic and it becomes the most
dependable saving in the market: taking a completed apartment today costs about a fifth less per
foot than the equivalent launch.

### Six times the price, one city

The gap between Dubai's most and least expensive districts is 6.3×
per square foot. Both ends are real markets with hundreds of registered deals behind them:

#### Most expensive zones

*Highest median AED per sq ft, zones with 100+ registered sales*

| Zone | AED / sq ft | USD | Deals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marsa Dubai | AED 4,460 | $1,214 | 305 |
| Palm Jumeirah | AED 3,631 | $989 | 589 |
| Business Park | AED 3,589 | $977 | 1,440 |
| Dubai Harbour | AED 3,581 | $975 | 232 |
| Palm Jabal Ali | AED 3,488 | $950 | 188 |
| Al Wasl | AED 3,341 | $910 | 639 |
| Dubai Maritime City | AED 3,266 | $889 | 806 |
| Zaabeel Second | AED 3,160 | $860 | 600 |
| Dubai Water Canal | AED 3,068 | $835 | 137 |
| DMCC (JLT) | AED 2,910 | $792 | 270 |
| Madinat Dubai Almelaheyah | AED 2,905 | $791 | 675 |
| Bukadra | AED 2,903 | $790 | 738 |

#### Cheapest zones

*Lowest median AED per sq ft, zones with 100+ registered sales*

| Zone | AED / sq ft | USD | Deals |
|---|---|---|---|
| International City Ph 1 | AED 707 | $193 | 869 |
| Dubai Investment Park 2 | AED 751 | $204 | 153 |
| Remraam | AED 961 | $262 | 138 |
| Discovery Gardens | AED 987 | $269 | 643 |
| Liwan | AED 1,093 | $298 | 502 |
| International City Ph 2–3 | AED 1,152 | $314 | 911 |
| Dubai Silicon Oasis | AED 1,159 | $316 | 929 |
| Dubai Investment Park 1 | AED 1,159 | $316 | 897 |
| Living Legends | AED 1,223 | $333 | 218 |
| Dubai South | AED 1,233 | $336 | 1,058 |
| Dubai Sports City | AED 1,312 | $357 | 1,545 |
| Town Square | AED 1,323 | $360 | 326 |

A note on the names: these are DLD zone names, not marketing
names. Marsa Dubai is the registry's name for the Dubai Marina waterfront and tops the
table at AED 4,460; Business Park and Madinat Dubai Almelaheyah cover parts of
Business Bay and the maritime district. At the other end, International City Phase 1 at AED 707 per
foot is the cheapest place in Dubai to own a registered freehold apartment.

### Small apartments cost more per foot

Price per square foot is not flat across unit sizes, and it does not simply rise
with them. Studios cost more per foot than one-bedrooms — AED 1,742 against
1,640 — because kitchens and bathrooms do not shrink in proportion to the floor plan. From two
bedrooms upward the curve turns and climbs steeply into the prime segment:

*Median price, size and price per sq ft by bedroom count — DLD, January–July 2026*

| Type | Registered sales | Median price | Median size | AED / sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | 23,309 | AED 678,428 | 394 ft² | 1,742 |
| 1 bedroom | 31,593 | AED 1,255,380 | 780 ft² | 1,640 |
| 2 bedrooms | 17,929 | AED 2,220,000 | 1,249 ft² | 1,778 |
| 3 bedrooms | 4,279 | AED 3,968,000 | 1,855 ft² | 2,129 |
| 4+ bedrooms | 466 | AED 10,818,000 | 3,880 ft² | 2,887 |

Method: Sales-group residential
transactions registered by the Dubai Land Department, 1 January – 31 July 2026, deduplicated by
transaction number. Apartments = Unit/Flat at AED 100k and above (77,666 deals, AED 146.0bn);
villas = Building/Villa at AED 300k and above (8,025 deals, AED 31.8bn). Sizes converted from m² at
10.7639; per-sq-ft values are capped to a sanity band of AED 100–30,000 to keep data-entry errors
out of the medians. These are registered contract prices, not portal asking prices — and the gap between the two is measured in our [asking-versus-registered breakdown](https://wizipremium.com/dubai-real-estate-statistics.html#asking). Full dataset:
[Dubai
real-estate statistics](https://wizipremium.com/dubai-real-estate-statistics.html) · [price
index by area](https://wizipremium.com/dubai-property-price-index.html), both refreshed monthly.

By unit type

## Price by apartment & villa type

Indicative purchase prices across the city for ready units. Off-plan launches can start lower with staged payment plans.

| Type | Price (AED) | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | AED 550k – 800k | $150k – 218k |
| 1-bedroom | AED 900k – 1.5M | $245k – 408k |
| 2-bedroom | AED 1.4M – 2.5M | $381k – 681k |
| 3-bedroom | AED 2.2M – 4.0M | $599k – 1.09M |
| Villa (3–4 bed) | AED From 3.5M | $From 953k |

[Studios →](https://wizipremium.com/buy/studios-dubai.html) [Apartments →](https://wizipremium.com/dubai-apartments.html) [Villas →](https://wizipremium.com/buy/villas-for-sale-dubai.html) [Townhouses →](https://wizipremium.com/buy/townhouses-dubai.html) [Off-plan →](https://wizipremium.com/buy/off-plan-dubai.html)

## Price per square foot in Dubai — the registry answer

The median DLD-registered apartment price in January–July 2026 is AED 1,720 per square foot (about $468/sq ft). Off-plan trades at AED 1,779/sq ft against AED 1,403 for ready stock — a 27% new-build premium. Zone-by-zone medians are in the league table below.

Buyer FAQ

## Buying property in Dubai — your questions answered

The questions international buyers ask most, answered with current 2026 figures.

**How much does an apartment in Dubai cost in 2026?**

In 2026 a Dubai apartment typically costs between AED 1.7M and AED 2.6M (about USD 465,000–710,000). Studios start near AED 550,000 (USD 150,000), one-bedrooms run AED 0.9M–1.5M, and two-bedrooms AED 1.4M–2.5M. Recorded DLD sales in H1 2026 put the median at AED 1,725 per sqft for apartments and AED 1,786 for villas; asking prices average roughly AED 1,759, up around 12% year on year. Price depends mostly on area and whether the unit is ready or off-plan.

**Can foreigners buy property in Dubai? Can Russians buy?**

Yes. Foreign nationals of any country, including Russian citizens, can buy property in Dubai on a freehold basis in designated freehold zones such as Dubai Marina, Downtown, Palm Jumeirah, JVC and Business Bay. No UAE residency is required to purchase, and the property can be bought remotely. Ownership is registered with the Dubai Land Department (DLD) in the buyer's name.

**Can you own property in Dubai forever?**

In freehold areas, yes — you own the property and the land outright, with no time limit, and can sell it, rent it out or pass it to your heirs. This is different from leasehold areas, where ownership runs for a fixed term (usually up to 99 years). Most areas marketed to international buyers are freehold.

**What is the cheapest area to buy an apartment in Dubai?**

The most affordable ready apartments are in International City, Dubai South, Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC), Arjan and Dubailand, where studios start from roughly AED 350,000–550,000 (USD 95,000–150,000). These districts also offer some of the highest rental yields in the city, typically 7–9% gross, which makes them popular with first-time and investment buyers.

**Do you get residency or a Golden Visa when you buy?**

Buying property worth AED 2,000,000 (about USD 545,000) or more qualifies you for the UAE's 10-year Golden Visa, which can include your spouse and children. Purchases below that threshold can still qualify for a renewable 2-year property-owner residence visa. The visa is tied to ownership, so it remains valid while you hold the property.

**What fees and taxes apply when buying in Dubai?**

Dubai has no annual property tax and no capital gains tax. The main one-off costs are the DLD transfer fee of 4% of the price, an agency fee of about 2% plus VAT, and small admin and trustee charges (usually under AED 5,000 combined). If you take a mortgage, add a 0.25% mortgage registration fee. Ongoing service charges run about AED 12–25 per sqft per year.

**Can non-residents get a mortgage in Dubai?**

Yes. Non-resident buyers can usually borrow up to 50–60% of the property value, meaning a down payment of 40–50%, while UAE residents can often reach 75–80%. Interest rates in 2026 are broadly in the 4.5–6% range depending on the bank and profile. Off-plan purchases are more commonly paid through developer payment plans than mortgages.

**Is Dubai property a good investment? What yields can I expect?**

Dubai is attractive for income because rental yields are high by global standards — typically 5–9% gross. Affordable, high-demand districts like JVC, Dubai South and Business Bay sit at the top of that range (7–9%), while prime areas like Downtown and Dubai Marina yield around 5–6% but tend to see stronger capital growth. There is no income tax on rent.

**How much deposit do I need, and how do off-plan payment plans work?**

For a ready resale, expect a 10% deposit on signing plus the fees above. Off-plan projects are usually sold on staged payment plans — a common structure is 60% paid during construction and 40% on handover, sometimes with post-handover instalments. This lets buyers enter with a smaller upfront amount, often 10–20%, and pay the rest over time.

**How long does it take to buy property in Dubai?**

A cash resale purchase can complete in as little as 2–4 weeks once terms are agreed: sign the MoU (Form F) with a 10% deposit, obtain the developer's No Objection Certificate, then transfer at the DLD. With a mortgage, allow 4–8 weeks for valuation and approval. The whole process can be handled remotely through a power of attorney.

**What is the average price per square foot in Dubai in 2026?**

Across 77,666 apartment sales registered by the Dubai Land Department between January and July 2026 the median was AED 1,720 per square foot and the arithmetic average AED 1,922 — the mean sits 12% higher because prime deals above AED 5,000 per foot pull it up. Eight in ten sales landed between AED 1,104 and AED 3,050 per square foot. Villas and townhouses averaged AED 1,771.

**How much is property per square metre in Dubai?**

The median works out to AED 18,514 per square metre — about $5,041 or £3,736 — based on the AED 1,720 per square foot median across DLD-registered apartment sales in January–July 2026. The average is higher at AED 20,688 per m² (about $5,633).

**What are Dubai property prices in US dollars?**

The median registered apartment sale was AED 1,250,000, or about $340,000, at roughly $468 per square foot ($5,041 per m²). The dirham has been pegged to the US dollar at 3.6725 since 1997, so dollar prices in Dubai are stable by construction — currency risk for a dollar-based buyer is effectively zero, unlike in most other markets.

**Is property expensive in Dubai?**

It depends entirely on the district, and the spread is wide: 6.3× between the cheapest and the most expensive zone. International City Phase 1 registered a median of AED 707 per square foot in January–July 2026 while Marsa Dubai — the registry name for the Dubai Marina waterfront — reached AED 4,460. Against global prime markets the citywide median of about $468 per square foot remains well below London, Hong Kong or New York, which is a large part of the demand story.

**What do Dubai property prices look like in pounds and rupees?**

The median registered apartment (AED 1.25M) is about £252k or ₹3.2 crore; the median price per square foot (AED 1,720) is roughly £347/sq ft. FX as of 14 August 2026 (1 AED = 0.2018 GBP / 25.997 INR); the AED price is the contract currency.

The process

## How to buy, step by step

### Shortlist & budget

Pick area and unit type, set a total budget including ~6–7% in fees.

### Reserve

Sign the MoU (Form F) and pay a 10% deposit to lock the price.

### NOC

Developer issues a No Objection Certificate confirming no dues.

### Transfer at DLD

Pay the 4% DLD fee; title deed is registered in your name.

### Visa & handover

If ≥ AED 2M, apply for the 10-year Golden Visa; collect keys.