Yes yes you deserve to be in Dubai shaking your ass in flip flops on a yacht. But do you know how to do everything on a budget? Nope? Well, we are here for you with an estimate of the cost of visa fees, ticket, accommodation and a bit of fun for a trip to Dubai.
Dennis*, 28 years old
In May 2022, I traveled to Dubai with a budget of ₦600,000 to take care of hotels and flights, and $1,000 (₦425,500) for the nine days of the trip. Ideally, the visa is the first thing to settle, and it usually costs ₦70k. But due to the Nigerian factor and all that our compatriots have messed up in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the government has ended restrictions on male Nigerian travelers.
The policy basically states that travelers under the age of 35 must obtain parental consent before visas are issued. This means that you will need to apply for a visa for you and a relative with a considerable age difference who has the same surname. But 35-year-old married men are exempt. All you need to do is apply using a marriage certificate.
People who don’t fit into either category, like me, pay ₦185,000 in visa fees. This is an increase of more than 100% compared to 2020. The visa was issued a week later and I paid for my flight. Qatar Airways costs ₦336k for a direct flight.
I stayed at Hotel Studio M Al Barsha region for nine days. I chose it because it’s more residential and easier to access food from there. Unlike more central areas like Bur Dubai or Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR), this was more affordable. 1300 Dirhams (₦150,597) covered my hotel expenses; additional taxes rounded it up to 1500 Dirhams.
RELATED: 5 Things All Nigerians Do When Visiting Dubai
I spent a lot of time in the Dubai Mall buying clothes from Zara, American Eagle and golden shuk, a more traditional market in Al Dhagaya. It was all rounded up to $1,000 (₦425,500), but my biggest splurge was for gold jewelry for my family and a few friends at Deira market.
Deira Market is also the perfect place to buy Nigerian food. I got tired of eating biryani (basically white rice with a concoction of eggs and chicken) and Chinese in the morning, afternoon and evening. I think the spot is called Enish. I can’t remember how much I spent, but it was way more than pounded yam and egusi would be in Nigeria. I’d say it’s still worth it.
After emptying my pockets of clothes, gold and food. I went into the fun activities; all of Skiing Dubai to Dhow cruise, which cost around 300 Dirhams (₦34,753) each. But what I would recommend trying first is visiting the water park and hitting the dunes in the Safari – they are so thrilling! The Museum of the Future is also a good place for tourists. It was out of this world to be there. Thus, these activities narrowed down to $1,500-$2,000 (₦638,250-₦851,000).
If there was anything I wish I had been better prepared for, beyond the money I spent shopping alone, it would be speaking English in Dubai. English felt useless there because most locals didn’t quite understand what I was saying. So either you get a tour guide or you speak broken English. For example, rather than saying, “Can you four take us to the Dubai Mall”, you can say, “Dubai Mall, four people, are you going?” Just random stuff to make communication easier.
RELATED: “I moved to Dubai at 19 for photography” – Life Abroad
Nneka*, 30 years old
My whole trip cost just over $2,000 (₦851,000). The visa cost ₦75k and it did not include the required travel insurance. But to avoid the hassle of getting it myself, I took an agent. The only thing I did was to book my flight with Emirates which cost around ₦380k. I think the ticket was more expensive than normal as I bought it a week before my departure date.
For my accommodation, I was going on a girls’ trip to celebrate my sister’s birthday, so we really wanted to splurge. We stayed in the central business district. It was a privileged area around the Dubai International Financial Center and compared to downtown locations, the neighborhood costs significantly more. But we parted in three ways, so it wasn’t bad. The room cost $120 (₦51,060) per night for each of us, and we stayed there for eight days. So, if you are alone and want to be in the central area, you should budget at least $300 to $500 (₦127,650 – ₦212,750) per night for basic deluxe rooms. Airbnb is the easiest platform to reserve a place.
We had a friend who brought us some Nigerian food at the Deira market. I think I ate more Nigerian food in Dubai than any other type of food. We also visited Enish, a bar that serves Nigerian food. But most of my money went to errands and Uber fares.
I bought most of the clothes I wanted for my kids at Deira Market and did a bit of shopping at Dubai Mall – everything was around $1,000 (₦425,500). For taxis, I spent between 30 and 100 dirhams (₦3,475 – ₦11,584) depending on the distance.
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Also read this if you are considering moving to Dubai: “Living in Dubai is cheap if you stay in your lane” – Life Abroad
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