Dubai is a shoestring travel destination. The city is also called “The City of Gold” and “The City of Pearls”. The city attracts travelers from all over the world due to its global appeal and popularity.
Have you ever wanted to travel to Dubai but thought it was out of your budget? Well, I’m here to tell you that it is possible to travel to Dubai on a budget and have the time of your life!
When I posted my Dubai trip Itinerary on my blog & Instagram, most people wanted to know how much the Dubai trip cost me and therefore, I decided to share my travel cost.
To others, who haven’t read my previous post, let me inform you that I recently took a trip to Dubai with my siblings in Jan 2023 and was able to do it on a budget of 1lakh. That includes my flight, accommodation, food, shopping, and activities for the week. I’m going to share with you how I did it so that you can too!
How we planned? Before I & my siblings left, we knew the main things we wanted to do were visit the Burj Khalifa, Abu Dhabi, and participate in a desert safari, etc. Being the savvy traveler we siblings are, we jumped straight into researching budget-friendly options. We started by looking at flights and accommodations.
I & my siblings did a rough calculation for the Dubai trip and it came to something around 1.25lakh per person. Now next thing we did was to stick to this budget so that it doesn’t exceed. Thankfully, our Dubai trip cost was under 1lakh, to be precise around 85-95000 INR with shopping.
Here is my Dubai trip cost for 7 days. I am sharing the approximate cost of the trip.
| Expenses | *Approximate cost per person |
| Airfare to & fro (Pune-Dubai) | 22000 |
| Hotel- Ramada Plaza by Wyndham Deira | 19000 |
| Tourism Tax | 500 |
| Dubai Tourist Visa | 7050 |
| Transport | 9000 |
| UAE local Sim card calling | 500 |
| Shopping | 5000 |
| Food and drinks | 6000 |
| Tickets for sightseeing- Dhow cruise Marina, Warner bros. Abu Dhabi, Dubai Aquarium, Desert Safari | 24500 |
| Total | 93550 INR approx |
1. Airfare
We got the cheap flight of Spice jet from Pune to Dubai and booked our tickets from Skyscanner 1 month before our trip.
Cost: 22000 INR to & fro.
2. Dubai Tourist Visa
We had done the e-visa procedure from a local travel agent – Kyra tours.
The tourist visa was applicable for 30 days and we got our visa within a day. Wow! now we were exhilarated.
You can also apply at UAEVisaOnline.ae as they also process Dubai eVisa for Indians. And the visa costings are less than others.
Documents required for tourist visa:
1. Passport: A minimum of 6 months of passport validity is required. A complete scan of the passport on both sides.
2. Visa Photograph: The visa photo should have a plain white background.
3. Duration of trip
4. PAN card scan copy
Cost: 7050 INR.
3. Hotel booking
You can save a lot of money by staying in old Dubai like Deira and Bur Dubai.
We had booked the hotel Ramada Plaza by Wyndham in Deira, Dubai from booking.com and got it at a good deal.
Staying in old Dubai saved us a lot of money, and we were able to find many reasonable supermarkets and restaurants nearby. Gold souk, Meena bazar, and Al seef heritage are in Old Dubai.
The metro station was just a stone’s throw away, and we were able to reach central Dubai within half an hour.
Cost: 19000 INR
*Kindly select hotels that are closer to metros.
4. UAE currency exchange: Niyo global card
We purchased the Niyo Global card, a rupee-based international card that helps us to make transactions by using their card in international currencies in a foreign land.
We had loaded approximately 1 lakh in that card and used it everywhere during our travel like for shopping, eating, buying NOL cards, etc. We also withdraw some cash to keep it for ourselves.
Niyo global card has a 0 Forex Markup that helps us to save 3-5% each time we made a forex transaction.
However, during our last few days, we got an SMS from Niyo that RBI has ordered to hold all international transactions. Immediately we visited ATM and withdraw the remaining cash we had on that card which saved us.
5. UAE local SIM card
We got the free tourist SIM card at the customs check at Dubai airport. The DU Sim card had some free GB but no calls, so we recharged it with the amount that has a validity of 10 days.
Whatsapp calls, and Instagram calls are not allowed in UAE. Hence, you need to have a local sim card to connect with your family back in India.
Cost: 500 INR
6. Transport
Taking public transportation is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to get around the city. We had purchased an NOL card for metro travel. You can read my post on how to save money on a Dubai trip for details.
We rent a car for the Abu Dhabi trip. If you want to save more money, you can opt for sharing a trip to Abu Dhabi. The driver was humble and our trip was wonderful. You can contact Mr.Arafat at +971509511041
Cost: 9000 INR
7. Major tourist attractions in Dubai
We had booked a few online & offline tickets for sightseeing in Dubai. You can check the rates on the different portals and select the best one.
We had booked:
1) Dhow cruise: Thrillophilia
2) Warner bros World Abu Dhabi: Klook
3) Desert Safari VIP: Right way Tours LLC, Dubai local travel agent
4) Dubai Aquarium: From the counter ( We had sent our brother to enquire at the counter for the tickets, but he purchased them. There was not much difference in the rates, plus we got a food & shopping coupon. However, I would advise you to book from third parties like an online or local travel agent)
Cost: 24500 INR
8. Foods & drinks
If you want to travel on a budget, avoid going to expensive & plush restaurants. Instead, opt for food courts, small restaurants, and supermarkets because they are affordable.
As we were staying in old Dubai, we could find many Indian & Pakistani restaurants nearby, so mostly for breakfast & dinner we use to go there.
During day time, we use to eat at food courts & supermarkets like Waitrose, Carrefour, Al-baik, McD & Hardees.
Of course, once or twice you can visit some good food joints to have the local authentic food. We had Kanafeh, a popular Middle Eastern dessert at Al-Seef Heritage at 25AED. ( I & my sister shared it.. hehe. )
Cost: 6000
9. Shopping
We did most of our shopping at huge supermarkets like 24-hour open supermarkets, 20AED supermarkets & so on. I had so much fun wandering in these supermarkets.
It was near to our hotel and every day we use to visit after dinner. Only for these supermarkets, I want to visit Dubai again. Lol.
The Dubai Shopping festival was going on during our visit; we found some good deals & offers at some stores like:
• Daiso
• Zara
• Brands for Less
• Hema Amsterdam
Cost: 5000 INR
If you’re thinking about traveling to Dubai on a budget, I would say go for it! Not only will you save money, but you’ll also get an up-close look at the city.
Plus, there are plenty of options for budget-friendly transportation and activities. Do some research and you’ll be able to make the most of your trip without spending too much money.
My Dubai travel budget with my siblings was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. We were able to save money while still having a great time. Hope this post helps you to make a budget trip to Dubai.
Thank you. I am a senior citizen from Pune wanting to travel alone. Can I do it alone and honestly your post makes me think it would not be a problem. Can you suggest me some places i should not miss if I make this trip. Please.
Yes Dubai is a safe place to visit. You can check my other posts for tourists places, have mentioned all the details.