Getting around Dubai: Comparing costs with other parts of the world

The reporters tasked with determining the best way to get from one end of Dubai to the other wanted to not only compare the costs with other major cities but also the comfort and length of journey.

The average cost of petrol per litre in Dubai is Dh1.8, while in London, Paris and Hong Kong it is about Dh8. Jaime Puebla / The National
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DUBAI // We arranged for three reporters to take a cab, metro and a private car from one end of the city to the other.

We wanted to see not only how much the commute costs when compared with other countries, but also how the various modes of transport available compare in terms of comfort and time of journey.

The cost of the metro in different cities can vary dramatically, depending on distance travelled and zones entered. Compared with London, New York, Tokyo and Paris, Dubai is the cheapest.

The emirate’s train system, however, is relatively uncomplicated, with only two lines and 49 stations. The London Underground has 11 lines and 270 stations. Dubai’s metro fares are based on how far you travel. London is divided into travel zones, and distance travelled matters less than how many zones you pass through. A passenger could, for instance, rack up hundreds of kilometres a day if they took only the Circle Line without ever straying out of zone 1. Yet if they took another line they might travel only half the distance, but pass through four zones, doubling the journey cost.

To counter these problems of making comparisons, we have presented the cheapest and most expensive journey costs for the five cities.

Minimum and maximum costs of a single metro journey

• Dubai - Dh1.80 to Dh5.80

• London (using Oyster card) - Dh10.65-Dh35.55

• Tokyo - Dh7.08-Dh8.41

• Paris - Dh8.55

• New York - Dh8.26

Estimated comparative taxi fares for other major cities around the world, in terms of distance, show Dubai is the cheapest. However, fares elsewhere are generally greater because of the much higher levels of traffic on the roads in these cities. The 43km road journey from Ibn Battuta Mall to Al Rashidiya Metro station costs Dh85.5 in an RTA cab, much cheaper than the rest of the world where prices can top Dh500 for the same trip.

Cost of travelling 43km in a taxi

• Dubai - Dh85.5

• New York - Dh268 to D334

• London - Dh501 to Dh565

• Sydney - about Dh381

• Johannesburg - about Dh203

Like all major cities, Dubai has several transport options available to the public. However, the low price of petrol makes driving a far more attractive, and affordable, option compared with other cities. The average cost of petrol per litre in Dubai is Dh1.8, while in London, Paris and Hong Kong it is about Dh8. Petrol costs Dh4.72 per litre in Mumbai, and Dh3.65 per litre in Washington. Another benefit in Dubai is that a 43km drive on the emirate’s motorways can take much less time than covering the same distance on the crowded roads of Mumbai, for example. The same goes for congested cities such as London, Washington, Hong Kong and Paris. In Dubai motorists pay Salik charges on Sheikh Zayed Road, but in London there is also a daily congestion charge of £10 (Dh62) from 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. A motorist in Dubai will be charged Dh4 each time they pass under a Salik gate. There is no limit to how many times this can be charged.

Cost of one litre of petrol

• London - Dh8

• Paris - Dh8

• Hong Kong - Dh8

• Washington - Dh3.65

• Mumbai - costs Dh4.72

newsdesk@thenational.ae