As the home of the first seven star hotel, the Burj al-Arab, and a playground for celebs and premiership footballers, Dubai has constructed a lot of its international image on the foundation of glitz and glam. Even amongst those without exorbitant wealth, it has been seen as a high-end destination for winter sun, with prices – and facilities – well above alternative hotspots like Egypt, Tunisia and Turkey.
But lots of people live – and indeed, visit – in Dubai and are not millionaires, and it is possible to have a relatively affordable holiday by making the right choices about where to eat, how to travel, and where to spend your time. It is even possible to cut down the cost of the two biggest expenses – flights and hotels – by choosing your destination and holiday timing carefully. This is how to visit Dubai on a budget.
Consider flying to another emirate to get a better price
When you fly and where can knock a few figures off the overall cost of reaching Dubai. For example, some travellers choose to fly into Sharjah or Abu Dhabi – less popular destinations, although in the latter case that gap is closing – and then taking a bus or taxi to Dubai.
If you do that, the E buses – E100, E101, and E102 – connect major bus stations in Dubai (Al Ghubaiba and Ibn Battuta) to the Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station. From Sharjah to Dubai is more complicated, especially if you’re arriving at Sharjah Airport. You will need to take a bus from the airport to Al Jubail Bus Terminal in Sharjah and then another bus to Dubai.
It is worth carefully crunching the numbers, however, as you’d need to get a significant saving to make up for the the time and cost (and faff) of getting to Dubai from Sharjah (or indeed, Abu Dhabi), especially given how well Dubai airport is connected to the rest of the city by Metro.
Travel in the hotter shoulder season or even in summer
In summer, the weather in Dubai is routinely 40-45C in the day and not much cooler at night, and recent years have seen temperatures reach 50C. Coupled with the 80-90% humidity, Dubai can be taxing for anything other than lounging by a hotel pool. The sea, by about June, is so warm that it provides little refreshment from the heat.
But it is in the summer months when Dubai is cheapest, and if you are simply looking for a high-end beach hotel and are comfortable with high temperatures, this is hands-down the most affordable time to go. There are also a range of activities that are indoor (and air conditioned) and it is perfectly possible to have a decent holiday for a fraction of the price. After all, this is a nation that is used to the heat and designed to work with it.
Take the Metro for a stellar view and prices to match
Dubai has a top-of-the-range driverless metro that has the added benefit of being above ground, meaning it provides fantastic views of the city both during the day and at night. Trips cost AED 3 to AED 7.50 with a Silver NOL card and AED 4 to AED 8.50 with a Red NOL card.
The Metro is also interconnected with Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates, meaning that in the hotter months it provides an air conditioned thoroughfare to retail heaven.
Visitors often take the Metro in the afternoon just to do a bit of sightseeing, with the run from Dubai Marina up to BurJuman station in Bur Dubai a particularly good route.
Consider a hotel off the main drag(s)
As of 2024, Dubai had an incredible 151,000 hotels rooms across 825 hotels, which doesn’t even include the informal (i.e. Airbnb and its equivalents) sector. It is an understatement to say that these are an exceedingly mixed bag: from seven-star world-leading icons (the Burj al-Arab) to the most basic of accommodations.
It is most often about location: Dubai Marina, Jumeirah, Palm Dubai and the area around the Burj Khalifa – as well as some of the major business hotels on Sheikh Zayed Road – are the most expensive. Hotels on the east of SZR, nearer the beach, are more expensive than those on the land side.
Business Bay has some mid-range options and you can even snag a bargain with a budget hotel near the airport – the metro provides a speedy connection to all the action in the city. But even high-end hotels have massive capacity and deals are there to be found if you shop around during the off and shoulder seasons.
