How much does an apartment cost in Dubai in 2026? The honest answer is two numbers: the price on the listing, and the money it takes to turn that unit into something a tenant will pay for. Investors usually research the first number carefully and guess the second. This guide puts both on one page — indicative 2026 price ranges by unit type, the purchase fees you pay on top, what a rental-grade renovation and furnishing package costs, and how long the unit sits empty before the first rent arrives — so you can compare apartments by total budget rather than by headline price.
Key takeaways
- In 2026 a studio in an established mid-market community starts around AED 450,000; a two-bedroom in a prime district typically runs AED 2.2–4.5 million.
- Purchase fees add roughly 6–8% for a cash buyer on the secondary market, mainly the 4% DLD transfer fee and the agent's commission.
- Renovation and furnishing to rental standard add another 8–25% of the price, depending on the unit's condition and whether you rent long-term or short-term.
- Compare apartments by the total cost to the first tenant and the net yield on that figure, not by the listing price alone.
How much does an apartment cost in Dubai: the short answer
A Dubai apartment budget has four layers. The purchase price is set by community, view, floor, building age and whether the unit is ready or off-plan. Purchase costs are the government and agency fees charged at transfer. Fit-out is whatever renovation the unit needs to compete in the rental market, plus furniture, curtains and appliances if you let it furnished. Finally, holding costs are the service charges, DEWA and weeks of vacancy between transfer and the first rent cheque.
The first layer is what portals show. The other three routinely add 15–30% on a secondary apartment that needs work, and 10–15% on a new handover you only need to furnish. That gap decides whether a deal that looks like a 7% yield on paper actually delivers 5.5%. For a community-by-community breakdown of listing prices, see our guide to apartment prices in Dubai; this article concentrates on the full cost of getting a unit ready to earn.
Apartment prices in Dubai by unit type in 2026
The ranges below are indicative 2026 asking prices for ready units on the secondary market. Mid-market means established communities such as Jumeirah Village Circle, Dubai Sports City, Arjan or Al Furjan; prime means Downtown, Dubai Marina, Business Bay, Palm Jumeirah and similar waterfront or central districts.
| Unit type | Typical size | Mid-market communities | Prime districts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | 350–500 sq ft | 450,000–800,000 | 900,000–1,600,000 |
| 1 bedroom | 650–900 sq ft | 750,000–1,300,000 | 1,400,000–2,600,000 |
| 2 bedrooms | 1,000–1,400 sq ft | 1,100,000–2,000,000 | 2,200,000–4,500,000 |
| 3 bedrooms | 1,500–2,100 sq ft | 1,700,000–3,000,000 | 3,500,000–8,000,000+ |
What moves a unit within its band: a full sea or Burj view can add 15–30% over the same layout facing the car park; a high floor adds a few percent; a building older than ten to fifteen years usually trades at a discount that you then spend back on renovation. Service charges matter too — two identical apartments can differ by AED 10,000–20,000 a year in fees, which flows straight into the yield. Off-plan units are often priced similarly to ready ones but paid in instalments, and you cannot rent them out until handover.
Fees you pay on top of the price
The fees are well established, though exact amounts vary by transaction and should be confirmed with your conveyancer or trustee office. For a secondary purchase the typical items are:
- Dubai Land Department transfer fee — 4% of the price, plus a small admin charge; by market convention usually paid by the buyer.
- Agency commission — commonly 2% of the price plus 5% VAT.
- Trustee office fee — a fixed fee of a few thousand dirhams plus VAT for registering the transfer.
- With a mortgage — mortgage registration at 0.25% of the loan plus admin, a bank arrangement fee of up to about 1% of the loan, and a valuation fee of roughly AED 2,500–3,500.
- Developer NOC — needed for resale and normally paid by the seller, but worth confirming in the MOU.
As a working figure, a cash buyer should add about 6–8% to the price and a mortgage buyer about 7–9%. On a AED 1,000,000 apartment that is AED 60,000–90,000 before a single wall is painted. Our step-by-step guide on how to buy an apartment in Dubai walks through when each payment falls due.
What renovating the apartment for rent costs
Tenants in Dubai compare units side by side on portals, and dated kitchens, yellowed grout and tired wardrobes cost you both rent and weeks of vacancy. The right level of work depends on the unit's condition and the rent band you are targeting — over-spending on a mid-market studio is as common a mistake as under-spending on a prime two-bedroom.
| Scope | What it includes | Studio / 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Refresh | Paint, deep clean, new lighting and sockets, minor repairs, grout and silicone | 15,000–40,000 | 25,000–60,000 |
| Mid-level | Refresh plus flooring, kitchen fronts and worktop, bathroom fixtures, wardrobes | 60,000–140,000 | 90,000–200,000 |
| Full renovation | New kitchen and bathrooms, layout tweaks, electrical and plumbing upgrades | 150,000–300,000 | 220,000–450,000 |
What pushes the figure up: replacing wet-area waterproofing, moving the kitchen or a bathroom (which drags in plumbing and drainage), large-format porcelain or engineered wood instead of vinyl, and custom joinery. Every job inside a tower needs a building or community NOC — from Emaar, Nakheel or the building's owners association — with a refundable deposit and working-hour rules, and anything touching fire systems or the AC network may need Dubai Civil Defence or district-cooling sign-off. Before you commit, run your scope through our renovation cost calculator or see the detailed apartment renovation cost breakdown.
Furnishing a Dubai apartment for tenants
Furnished units rent faster to relocating professionals and are essential for holiday-home letting. The budget depends on the rental model more than on the size of the apartment.
- Long-term furnished — durable sofa, bed and mattress, dining set, wardrobes, curtains, basic décor and appliances: roughly AED 25,000–45,000 for a studio, 35,000–70,000 for a one-bedroom and 55,000–110,000 for a two-bedroom.
- Short-term / holiday home — the same plus hotel-grade linen, blackout curtains in every bedroom, a fully equipped kitchen, a smart lock, styling for listing photos and spare sets of everything: typically 30–50% more.
- Unfurnished long-term — curtains, light fittings and appliances only, often AED 10,000–25,000; the rent is lower, but so is the wear.
Curtains are the item investors forget most often. In a west-facing Dubai apartment they are not decoration — they control heat, glare and the AC bill, and good made-to-measure curtains and blackout blinds noticeably change how a unit photographs. A turnkey furnishing package, or pieces chosen from our furniture catalog, keeps the look consistent and delivery on one schedule.
Total budget from offer to first tenant: three examples
Putting the layers together shows why two apartments with similar prices can need very different amounts of cash. The examples assume a cash purchase of a ready secondary unit, let long-term furnished, with holding costs covering service charges, DEWA and one to two months of vacancy.
| Example | Price | Purchase fees | Renovation | Furnishing | Holding costs | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio, mid-market | 650,000 | ≈45,000 | 20,000–40,000 | 30,000–45,000 | 5,000–10,000 | 750,000–790,000 |
| 1 bedroom, mid-market | 1,000,000 | ≈70,000 | 40,000–120,000 | 40,000–70,000 | 8,000–15,000 | 1,160,000–1,280,000 |
| 2 bedrooms, prime | 2,800,000 | ≈190,000 | 90,000–250,000 | 80,000–150,000 | 20,000–40,000 | 3,180,000–3,430,000 |
The sequence matters as much as the sums, because every week of delay is a week of service charges without rent:
- Set the full budget — price, fees, renovation and furniture — before you make an offer, and decide the rental model at the same time.
- View the unit with a contractor and get a written scope and estimate before signing the MOU (Form F).
- Sign the MOU, pay the deposit, and let the seller obtain the developer NOC; transfer at a DLD trustee office.
- Apply for the building or community NOC for works on the day you receive the title deed; approval usually takes one to three weeks.
- Renovate: two to four weeks for a refresh, four to eight for a mid-level job, longer for a full renovation.
- Deliver furniture and install curtains in the last week of works so the unit is ready for photos the day the cleaners leave.
- Activate DEWA, list the apartment, and register the tenancy contract through Ejari once a tenant signs.
What the apartment earns and where budgets go wrong
Indicative 2026 gross yields for long-term lets sit around 6–8% in mid-market communities and 4–6% in prime districts, measured on the purchase price. Measured on the total budget from the table above, the same apartment usually yields 0.5–1 point less — and after service charges of roughly AED 12–35 per sq ft a year, maintenance and occasional vacancy, net yield lands another 1–2 points lower. Short-term letting can lift gross income, but it adds a Department of Economy and Tourism holiday-home permit, operator commissions of 15–25%, cleaning, linen and faster wear. Model both scenarios in our rental ROI calculator before you choose.
The most common overruns we see are predictable: a bathroom that turns out to need new waterproofing once the tiles are off, a works NOC applied for weeks after transfer, furniture ordered from overseas that arrives after the tenant's move-in date, and a renovation specified for the owner's taste rather than the rent band. None of them is expensive to prevent; all of them are expensive to fix after the fact.
How A5renova helps you get the apartment rental-ready
We step in once you know which apartment you want — or before you sign, to estimate the work. Our team inspects the unit, fixes the scope to your rental model and target rent, handles the building NOC and carries out the renovation, then delivers a turnkey furnishing package with made-to-measure curtains on the same schedule. If you want the unit to stand out in listing photos, our interior design service sets a durable, tenant-friendly look before anything is ordered.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a one-bedroom apartment cost in Dubai in 2026?+
Indicatively, a ready one-bedroom costs about AED 750,000–1,300,000 in established mid-market communities such as JVC, Arjan or Al Furjan, and about AED 1.4–2.6 million in prime districts like Downtown or Dubai Marina. View, floor, building age and service charges move a unit within these bands. Add roughly 6–8% in purchase fees, and more if the unit needs renovation or furniture before it can be rented out.
What fees do you pay when buying an apartment in Dubai?+
The main one is the Dubai Land Department transfer fee of 4% of the price, usually paid by the buyer. Add the agent's commission, commonly 2% plus VAT, and a trustee office fee of a few thousand dirhams. Mortgage buyers also pay 0.25% of the loan for mortgage registration, a bank arrangement fee and a valuation fee. Overall, budget about 6–8% on top of the price for a cash purchase and 7–9% with a mortgage.
How much does it cost to furnish an apartment in Dubai for rent?+
For a long-term furnished let, expect roughly AED 25,000–45,000 for a studio, 35,000–70,000 for a one-bedroom and 55,000–110,000 for a two-bedroom, covering furniture, appliances, curtains and basic décor. Holiday-home units typically cost 30–50% more because they need hotel-grade linen, blackout curtains, a fully equipped kitchen, a smart lock and spare sets. Durable fabrics and consistent pieces reduce replacement costs between tenancies.
Is it worth renovating an apartment in Dubai before renting it out?+
Usually yes, if the work matches the rent band. A refresh costing AED 15,000–60,000 — paint, lighting, grout, fixtures — often shortens vacancy and supports a higher asking rent in older buildings. A full renovation pays off mainly in prime districts or where the kitchen and bathrooms are genuinely worn out. Over-specifying a mid-market studio rarely returns its cost, so price the scope against realistic rents first.
How long does it take from purchase to the first tenant?+
For a ready secondary apartment, plan on six to twelve weeks after transfer. The building or community NOC for works typically takes one to three weeks, a refresh two to four weeks and a mid-level renovation four to eight, with furnishing overlapping the final week. Listing and finding a tenant can take another two to six weeks, depending on the season, price and how well the unit photographs.
What rental yield can you expect from a Dubai apartment?+
Indicative 2026 gross yields for long-term lets are about 6–8% in mid-market communities and 4–6% in prime districts, based on the purchase price. Calculated on the total budget including fees, renovation and furniture, and after service charges and maintenance, net yield is typically 1.5–3 points lower. Short-term letting can raise gross income but adds permit, management, cleaning and wear costs, so compare both models before buying.
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