What US$500 buys in Dubai
With US$500 in Dubai, the basket holds 33 products across 9 categories and totals 83.4%.
Prices collected on November 8, 2026
At the November 8, 2026 exchange rate, US$500 comes to about AED 1,836.25.
Dirham amounts use the Central Bank of the UAE's published rate of 3.6725 per US dollar, a reference rate rather than a bank rate.
What the basket holds
| Product | Quantity | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Milk - 1 L | 6 × 1 L | AED 41.94 |
| Eggs - 10 pieces | 3 × 10 pieces | AED 23.40 |
| Rice - 1 kg | 5 × 1 kg | AED 84.40 |
| Pasta - 500 g | 5 × 0.5 kg | AED 41.80 |
| Bread - 500 g | 3 × 0.5 kg | AED 15.75 |
| Cooking oil - 1 L | 5 × 1 L | AED 73.15 |
| Chicken - 1 kg | 2 kg | AED 43.00 |
| Beef - 1 kg | 1.5 kg | AED 84.90 |
| Ground beef - 1 kg | 2 kg | AED 130.00 |
| Potatoes - 1 kg | 5 kg | AED 24.50 |
| Tomatoes - 1 kg | 2 kg | AED 18.00 |
| Onions - 1 kg | 3 kg | AED 16.80 |
| Bananas - 1 kg | 2 kg | AED 19.60 |
| Apples - 1 kg | 3 kg | AED 37.50 |
| Yogurt - 1 kg | 3 × 1 kg | AED 23.52 |
| Drinking water - 1.5 L | 6 × 1.5 L | AED 8.94 |
| Shampoo - 400 ml | 2 × 0.4 L | AED 50.68 |
| Shower gel - 400 ml | 2 × 0.4 L | AED 54.80 |
| Bar soap - 100 g | 6 × 0.1 kg | AED 35.10 |
| Liquid soap - 500 ml | 2 × 0.5 L | AED 31.00 |
| Toothpaste - 100 ml | 3 × 0.1 L | AED 32.40 |
| Deodorant - 150 ml | 2 × 0.15 L | AED 41.20 |
| Toilet paper - 4 rolls | 3 × 4 pieces | AED 40.86 |
| Paper towels - 2 rolls | 3 × 2 pieces | AED 37.02 |
| Laundry detergent - 1.5 L | 2 × 1.5 L | AED 41.08 |
| Dishwashing liquid - 500 ml | 2 × 0.5 L | AED 17.40 |
| Trash bags - 20 pieces | 3 × 20 pieces | AED 41.46 |
| Basic cotton T-shirt - 1 piece | 3 × 1 piece | AED 147.00 |
| Jeans - 1 pair | 1 × 1 piece | AED 169.00 |
| Instant noodles - 1 pack | 10 × 1 piece | AED 43.00 |
| Biscuits - 1 pack | 6 × 1 piece | AED 23.34 |
| Potato chips - 1 pack | 6 × 1 piece | AED 17.34 |
| Chocolate bar - 1 bar | 6 × 1 piece | AED 22.14 |
How these prices were read
Prices come from public shop pages and haven't been independently verified. The Data & methodology page has the details. Data & methodology
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Questions people ask
What does US$500 buy in Dubai?
A basket of 33 products across 9 categories. The biggest shares of the budget go to clothing (21%), meat & fish (17%), and personal care (16%).
How much is US$100 in United arab emirates dirham?
At the reference rate of November 8, 2026, US$100 comes to about AED 367.25.
Where do these prices come from?
Prices come from public shop pages and haven't been independently verified. The Data & methodology page has the details.
