Dubai has a reputation as a place you visit to spend money, ideally in quantities that make you slightly nauseous. But strip away the seven-star hotels and the gold vending machines, and there is a genuinely fascinating city underneath — one you can explore for the price of a metro ticket and a shawarma.
Get around for pocket change
Dubai’s driverless Metro is one of the longest automated rail networks in the world and connects the airport, the major malls, and the waterfront for a few dirhams a ride. [1]
Buy a rechargeable Nol card and skip the taxis. The Metro’s Red Line runs the length of Sheikh Zayed Road, past the towers you came to see, and the front carriage has a panoramic window that costs nothing extra.
The free and nearly-free Dubai
- Al Fahidi historical district — wind-tower architecture and tiny museums in the old town.
- The abra across Dubai Creek — a wooden water taxi ride for one dirham.
- The Dubai Fountain show — a nightly spectacle you can watch for free from the promenade.
- Kite Beach — public sand, sea, and some of the best cheap food trucks in the city.
The most expensive city in the Gulf hides some of its best experiences behind no ticket at all.
— Priya Nair
A night out that won’t break you
Skip the rooftop clubs with the four-figure table minimums; the free fountain show and a stroll along the marina are a better evening anyway. For more ways to travel further for less, see our smart-budget collection.
Where to Eat
Dubai's best budget eating happens away from the skyline, in Deira, Satwa and Old Dubai. Five spots that prove you can eat brilliantly for under AED 50.
