Dubai property prices in 2026: price per square foot, area by area
What do Dubai property prices look like in 2026? Over the last 12 months, the 153,877 sales registered with the Dubai Land Department (DLD) give a median price of AED 1,723 per square foot (AED 18,545 per m²), 5% above the previous 12 months. The median studio sold for AED 690,000 and the median one-bedroom apartment for about AED 1.25 million. This guide gives real prices by area, how they have moved since 2019, what each budget buys and the costs to add.
- AED 1,723 median price per sq ft, 12 months (DLD)
- 153,877 sales registered in 12 months
- AED 690K median studio price
- +5% median price per sq ft, year on year
- 4% DLD fee on top of the price
Dubai property prices by area: DLD sales over the last 12 months
| Area | Sales (12 months) | Median AED / m² | AED / sq ft | Studio (median) | One-bed (median) | One-bed gross yield |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai Sports City | 2,829 | 14,105 | 1,310 | AED 616,888 | AED 1,006,800 | 5.6% |
| Dubai South Residential District | 3,177 | 14,646 | 1,361 | AED 530,000 | AED 1,026,054 | 5.1% |
| Jumeirah Village Circle | 11,279 | 15,931 | 1,480 | AED 706,900 | AED 1,103,999 | 6.3% |
| Arjan | 3,681 | 16,863 | 1,567 | AED 727,094 | AED 1,185,752 | 5.7% |
| Jumeirah Village Triangle | 3,929 | 17,721 | 1,646 | AED 777,334 | AED 1,232,418 | 5.6% |
| Dubai Marina | 1,968 | 21,164 | 1,966 | AED 1,100,000 | AED 1,610,500 | 5.6% |
| Meydan One Community | 1,265 | 22,289 | 2,071 | AED 725,000 | AED 1,412,233 | 5.3% |
| Business Bay | 4,909 | 25,523 | 2,371 | AED 1,148,228 | AED 1,900,000 | 4.5% |
| Dubai Hills Estate | 2,269 | 25,866 | 2,403 | AED 965,000 | AED 1,750,000 | 5.1% |
| Dubai Creek Harbour | 3,914 | 27,539 | 2,558 | — | AED 1,952,888 | 4.9% |
| Downtown Dubai | 2,314 | 31,650 | 2,940 | AED 1,764,999 | AED 2,240,000 | 5.1% |
| Palm Jumeirah | 1,085 | 38,327 | 3,561 | AED 1,515,000 | AED 3,708,800 | 4% |
Medians of residential sales registered with the DLD between 16 October 2025 and 16 October 2026, off-plan and resale combined. The gross yield divides the median annual Ejari rent of a one-bedroom apartment by the median sale price of the same unit type: a market benchmark, before service charges and vacancy. 1 m² = 10.76 sq ft.
Each area has its own page with the price history since 2019, the best-selling projects and rents: see property prices in all 154 Dubai areas. To choose, read our area guides too: Dubai Marina, Downtown Dubai, Business Bay, JVC, Dubai Hills Estate, Dubai Creek Harbour and Palm Jumeirah.
How Dubai property prices have moved since 2019
| Year | Registered sales | Median AED / m² |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 30,873 | 10,470 |
| 2020 | 26,430 | 9,917 |
| 2021 | 46,966 | 11,038 |
| 2022 | 74,489 | 13,932 |
| 2023 | 108,220 | 15,248 |
| 2024 | 154,514 | 16,732 |
| 2025 | 181,757 | 18,148 |
| 2026 (to 16 October) | 112,172 | 18,430 |
The number of sales grew almost sevenfold between 2020 and 2025, and the median price per m² has nearly doubled since 2020. Over the last 12 months, 74% of registered sales were off-plan, for a total value of about AED 323 billion. Half of all sales closed between AED 14,982 and 23,785 per m².
How much is an apartment in Dubai for your budget
| Budget | What you can buy (DLD medians, 12 months) |
|---|---|
| Under AED 700,000 | A studio in Dubai South Residential District (AED 530,000) or Dubai Sports City (AED 616,888) |
| AED 700,000 to 1.2M | A studio in JVC, Arjan, Jumeirah Village Triangle, Meydan One or Dubai Hills Estate; a one-bed in Dubai Sports City, Dubai South or JVC |
| AED 1.2 to 2M | A one-bed in Dubai Marina (AED 1,610,500), Dubai Hills Estate, Business Bay or Dubai Creek Harbour; a two-bed in JVC (AED 1,654,103) or Arjan |
| AED 2 to 4M | A Golden Visa eligible home: a two-bed in Dubai Marina (AED 2.6M), Business Bay, Dubai Creek Harbour or Downtown (AED 3.8M), a one-bed on Palm Jumeirah (AED 3.7M) |
| Over AED 4M | Three-beds in Dubai Marina, Dubai Creek Harbour or Dubai Hills Estate, prime apartments in Downtown and on Palm Jumeirah, villas (median three-bed villa in Dubai: AED 3,311,888) |
See current projects in each bracket: apartments for sale in Dubai.
Costs to add to the price
- Dubai Land Department fee: 4% of the price, plus a few thousand dirhams of registration fees.
- Agency fee: usually 2% on resale; 0% for the off-plan buyer with Cevitas, as the developer pays us.
- Mortgage costs if you finance: valuation, arrangement fee and mortgage registration (0.25% of the loan).
- Service charges every year: the amount for each building is published in the DLD's official service charge index.
In total, plan about 4.5% on top of an off-plan price and 6 to 7.5% on a resale. Our investment simulator calculates them for your budget.
What drives Dubai property prices
- Population growth: Dubai keeps adding residents every year, which supports rents and demand for homes.
- New supply: large deliveries in one area can slow price growth there; we check the pipeline before recommending a project.
- Infrastructure: new metro lines, Al Maktoum Airport and new master plans lift the areas around them.
- Interest rates: they affect mortgage buyers, while a large share of Dubai purchases is paid in cash or through developer plans.
- Global wealth flows: 0% tax on rental income and capital gains for individuals and the Golden Visa attract international buyers.
Our view. Prices vary widely inside a single area, so the building, the view and the payment plan matter as much as the area. Compare a project's price per sq ft with recent DLD sales in its area before you decide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average price per square foot in Dubai in 2026?
Over the 12 months to 16 October 2026, the median of the 153,877 sales registered with the DLD is AED 1,723 per sq ft (AED 18,545 per m²). Half of all sales closed between AED 14,982 and 23,785 per m². By area it ranges from AED 15,931 per m² in Jumeirah Village Circle to 25,523 in Business Bay, 31,650 in Downtown Dubai and 38,327 on Palm Jumeirah.
How much is a studio in Dubai?
The median studio sold in Dubai over the last 12 months went for AED 690,000, according to the DLD. It was AED 530,000 in Dubai South Residential District, AED 616,888 in Dubai Sports City, AED 706,900 in JVC, AED 1,148,228 in Business Bay and AED 1,764,999 in Downtown Dubai.
How much does a one-bedroom apartment cost in Dubai?
About AED 1.25 million at the median across Dubai. From DLD sales over the last 12 months: AED 1,103,999 in JVC, AED 1,610,500 in Dubai Marina, AED 1,900,000 in Business Bay, AED 2,240,000 in Downtown Dubai and AED 3,708,800 on Palm Jumeirah.
Are Dubai property prices still rising in 2026?
The median price per m² over the last 12 months (AED 18,545) is 5% above the previous 12 months (AED 17,667) and nearly twice the 2020 level (AED 9,917). Trends differ by area and building: every Cevitas area page shows the price history since 2019.
What rental yield can you expect in Dubai?
Dividing the median Ejari annual rent by the median DLD sale price of a one-bedroom apartment gives a gross yield of about 4.6% across Dubai, and 4% to 6.3% by area (6.3% in JVC, 5.6% in Dubai Marina, 5.1% in Downtown). It is a benchmark before service charges and vacancy.
Where do these prices come from?
From Dubai Land Department open data published on data.dubai under the Dubai Open Data Licence: registered sale transactions and Ejari rent contracts. Cevitas computes the medians by area and refreshes them every month. For a specific building, we compare the asking price with recent sales in the same project.
Get the real prices of the projects that match your budget
We send you current price lists, floor plans and payment plans, with the price per sq ft compared to recent DLD sales in the area.