UAE Trip Budget Planner: Dubai Holiday Cost Calculator

How does the trip budget planner work?

You type in the prices you have found: your hotel rate, what you expect to spend on food, taxis or the metro, tours and shopping. The planner adds them up for your group and the number of nights, then splits the total per person and per person per day.

If you stay in a hotel or holiday home in Dubai, pick its category and the planner adds the Tourism Dirham fee for you. You can also see the total in US dollars, euros, pounds or Indian rupees.

How is the total calculated?

• Accommodation: hotel price per night (all rooms) x nights.
• Tourism Dirham: fee for your hotel category x rooms x nights, up to 30 nights.
• Food and drinks: amount per person per day x travellers x nights.
• Local transport: amount per day for the whole group x nights.
• Activities, shopping and flights: added as you enter them (flights are per person).

The total is then divided by the number of travellers, and again by the number of nights, to give a daily figure per person.

A worked example

Two friends spend 5 nights in Dubai in one room at a 4-star hotel that costs AED 600 a night.

That is AED 8,075 / 2 = AED 4,037.50 per person, or AED 4,037.50 / 5 = about AED 808 per person per day. Flights are not included here because they left that field empty.

In US dollars, AED 8,075 / 3.6725 = about USD 2,199. The dirham is pegged to the dollar at 3.6725, so that figure is stable. Euro, pound and rupee figures use approximate rates from 24 October 2026 and will drift, so treat them as a guide. For a fresh rate, use our AED currency converter.

What is the Tourism Dirham fee?

Dubai charges a Tourism Dirham fee per room, per night, for up to 30 nights in a row. It is set by the type of property, according to the UAE government portal:

Hotels usually collect it at checkout, so it may not appear in the price you booked. Other emirates have their own fees; our Tourism Dirham calculator covers Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah too.

Rules to know when you budget

• Prices in shops and restaurants already include 5% VAT.
• Many restaurants add a service charge on top. Check the menu or the bill.
• Tipping is not mandatory. Rounding up or leaving a little for good service is welcome but your choice.
• Card payments are widely accepted, but carry some cash for small shops and souqs. Our guide on using credit cards in the UAE explains more.

Tips for a realistic budget

• Use the price you would really pay, including taxes and fees, not the headline rate.
• Food costs vary a lot. Cafeterias and food courts are cheap; hotel restaurants and rooftop bars are not.
• The metro is the cheapest way around Dubai. Taxis and ride apps add up fast if you cross the city often.
• Book big attractions online in advance, as many are cheaper than at the gate.
• Add a buffer of 10% to 15% for things you did not plan.