View of Dubai. It sets the scene for this guide.
What it costs to buy property in Dubai: every fee
A cash purchase at AED 1,000,000 adds about 6.58% (AED 65,780) above the price using the calculator’s fee defaults.
This includes full transfer fees. It also includes trustee charges and an agent. This worked example excludes mortgage costs and property-specific quotes; confirm the contract’s cost allocation before committing.
All data periods and source dates
Which buying fees should you budget for?
The table separates official standard-sale charges from the labelled assumptions used in the calculator.
| Cost | Reference / default | Basis | Source and date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sale registration total | 4% of sale value | Allocate the charge in the sale agreement. | Source Checked 13 Oct 2026 |
| Registration trustee | AED 2,000 below AED 500,000; AED 4,000 at or above it, plus VAT | Standard sale service-partner bands. | Source Checked 13 Oct 2026 |
| Title-deed certificate | AED 250 | Standard sale service | Source Checked 13 Oct 2026 |
| Apartment / villa map | AED 250 | Use the applicable map line | Source Checked 13 Oct 2026 |
| Dubai Municipality unified map | AED 225 | Alternative where applicable | Source Checked 13 Oct 2026 |
| Land outside Dubai Municipality map | AED 100 | Alternative where applicable | Source Checked 13 Oct 2026 |
| Knowledge fee | AED 10 | Standard sale service | Source Checked 13 Oct 2026 |
| Innovation fee | AED 10 | Standard sale service | Source Checked 13 Oct 2026 |
| Mortgage registration percentage | 0.25% of loan | Add the applicable fixed and service-partner charges. | Source Checked 13 Oct 2026 |
| Agent commission default | 2% plus 5% VAT | Agreed commission, not a statutory rate. | Market-standard planning assumption; agree the commission in writing. Checked 14 Oct 2026 |
| Ready-property admin allowance | AED 580 | Calculator default; reconcile against the itemised statement. | Calculator planning allowance; confirm the applicable charge in writing. Checked 14 Oct 2026 |
| Fixed mortgage allowance | AED 290 | Calculator default; get the applicable registration quote. | Calculator planning allowance; confirm the applicable charge in writing. Checked 14 Oct 2026 |
| Bank processing default | 1% of loan | Replace in your budget with the lender’s tariff. | Calculator planning allowance; confirm the applicable charge in writing. Checked 14 Oct 2026 |
| Valuation default | AED 3,000 | Replace in your budget with the lender’s quotation. | Calculator planning allowance; confirm the applicable charge in writing. Checked 14 Oct 2026 |
Map charges are alternatives: use the applicable line. Reconcile bundled allowances with the trustee statement rather than adding both. Obtain separate NOC, insurance, financing and move-in quotations.
What cash do you need before making an offer?
Add the amount of the price you pay yourself and the buying charges you will pay. Add the cash you plan to keep for owning the home. A lender’s deposit percentage covers the amount of the price you pay yourself. It does not cover the whole sale budget. The opening example uses the calculator’s cash-purchase fee defaults. It includes an agent. The buyer pays the full transfer charge.
Cash needed is the price amount you must still fund yourself plus sale charges and your chosen reserve. For each payment, note who pays and who gets it. Then note when it is due and the refund terms. Keep payments already made beside the final statement. This makes sure a price deposit is credited rather than counted twice.
The fee guide above sets out official standard-sale charges and labelled planning defaults in separate groups. The calculator groups costs in its allowance for admin fees. Use the official title and map lines, plus the other itemised costs, to match the trustee statement. Replace an allowance in your worksheet instead of adding the same cost twice.
How much do properties cost in the areas you are comparing?
The busiest-area table helps you judge the planned price. It shows registered median price per square foot and the change over a year. It also shows sales counts, using the generated sales data. Open the area to compare the right building and home size before you agree on a price.
An area median sums up sales rather than valuing an exact flat. Match the home’s size, condition and layout to the evidence. A change in the mix of homes sold can move the area median. Look at which homes sold as well as the headline change.
Purchase-price context: the busiest registry areas
Compare area sale medians, annual price changes and transaction counts in Dubai.
| Registry area | Median price per sq ft | Year-on-year change | Sales in twelve months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai South | AED 1,655 | +4.1% | 15,385 |
| Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC) | AED 1,493 | +4.5% | 11,715 |
| Dubai Land Residence Complex (DLRC) | AED 1,467 | +7.9% | 8,187 |
| Majan | AED 1,504 | +4.1% | 7,522 |
| Jabal Ali First | AED 1,561 | +16.5% | 7,011 |
| Business Bay | AED 2,492 | +1.5% | 7,009 |
| Dubai Islands | AED 2,757 | +18.8% | 4,790 |
| Jumeirah Village Triangle (JVT) | AED 1,661 | +14.1% | 4,310 |
| City Of Arabia | AED 1,728 | -7.1% | 3,993 |
| Motor City | AED 1,771 | -6.8% | 3,976 |
Busiest registry areas by twelve-month sales, with at least twenty sales in each area.
Data last updated .
- DLD sales: to . Twelve-month registered-sales window.
- DLD annual-change comparison: to . Previous twelve-month window used for the year-on-year column, where available.
Source update: 26 Oct 2026. Source: Dubai Land Department open data via Dubai Pulse, re-published by Dubai Real Estate Data (dataset), licensed CC BY 4.0. Sales to 5 Oct 2026. aggregated to medians; non-residential, land and flagged rows excluded.
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Which registration costs are official, and who pays them?
The DLD standard sale registration service lists the seller and buyer portions. It also lists title-deed and map charges. Knowledge and innovation fees appear separately, alongside service-partner bands. Ask the trustee to find the relevant map line and registration route for your property.
The Dubai registration fee resolution sets out an equal split of the sale fee unless the parties agree otherwise. Write any different split in the sale contract. The worked example assumes the buyer pays the full transfer charge. An equal split would change the buyer’s budget.
For an off-plan purchase, find the initial-registration service and the contract’s payment schedule. If a fee waiver is promised, get it in writing. It should name the charge it covers and who pays, and set out the terms. Do not use standard ready-home sale charges in place of those for another registration route.
What should the trustee’s statement show?
Ask for separate lines for official DLD charges, the trustee’s service and any tax due. Check the sale value and property details. Check the registration channel, who pays and when it is due. Match each line with the contract and the official service details.
Use the statement to replace a grouped calculator allowance in your worksheet. This avoids adding both the allowance and the itemised charges. The calculator’s fee rates are fixed. Use your trustee and supplier quotes to set the budget for your own deal outside it.
Include a record that matches the amounts: price deposits, fees already paid and the balance still due. Confirm who gets each payment and how it is credited when the sale completes. Keep the receipts with the contract. Any mismatch can then be explained before approval.
Are agent commission and NOC costs fixed?
Agent commission is a charge you agree as part of the deal. Get a written quote that states how it is worked out and taxed. It should name who pays and what makes payment due. The calculator default is for planning, rather than a rate set by law.
The standard DLD sale service includes a developer e-NOC among the documents for freehold-area transfers. Ask the issuer for the relevant document, process and charge. If an agent handles the application, distinguish the issuer’s cost from a separately agreed handling fee.
Check service-charge clearance and any change in amounts due between buyer and seller when the sale completes. Get the invoices and clearance documents, then record the agreed split. Match these changes to the amounts in your record. Do not assume one purchase-fee percentage covers them all.
What changes if you use a mortgage?
A purchase with a loan adds loan-related charges and changes how much of the price you pay yourself. Get the approved loan amount and valuation result. Ask for the bank tariff, required insurance and repayment schedule too. The Central Bank Consumer Protection Standards cover finance disclosure, fees, terms and risks.
Mortgage registration is based on the loan amount. Ask the bank and trustee to find the relevant fixed documents and service-partner charges alongside the percentage. The fee reference labels the calculator’s fixed mortgage allowance so you can match it with the quote.
If the valuation is below the agreed price, ask the lender to show the final approved loan and your cash share. Rebuild the budget from that offer rather than the first approval. Give processing, valuation and insurance costs their own lines. Record who pays each cost and when.
If the seller has a mortgage, ask how settlement, discharge and transfer will fit together. Get quotes for settlement costs and find out when clearance will be ready. This makes the budget for completing the sale reflect the real mortgage process. It avoids assuming a cash transfer.
How should you treat VAT and recurring costs?
Separate the tax treatment of the property supply from the services you buy. The Federal Tax Authority distinguishes residential property supplies, including qualifying first supplies, from other supplies. Check the tax treatment stated on each service quote.
Create a separate budget for owning the home. Include approved service charges and upkeep, plus insurance and services the owner pays for. The Service Charge Index, with DLD’s lookup guidance, lets you check the project and budget year. Get the unit’s actual invoice and the area used to work out the charge.
For a home you will live in, ask for utility, connection and move-in costs. For a rental property, add any management and letting costs. Include required repairs and an allowance for time without a tenant. Label deposits you can get back apart from expenses. This keeps the cash you need and the long-term cost clear.
How do you use the calculator with real quotations?
Open the true cost calculator with the agreed price, price contribution, loan terms and ownership inputs. Compare each fee line with the trustee, agent and lender statements. Record differences and additional costs in your worksheet because the calculator’s fee rates cannot be edited.
For a rental purchase, use the supported annual rent, approved service charge and your stated vacancy plan. Keep mortgage cash flow separate from operating yield. The rental-yield guide supplies the community comparison for the shortlist; the flat’s own lease evidence supplies your budget input.
Before you rely on this
The worked example uses the calculator’s cash-sale defaults, an agent and full buyer-paid transfer fees. It excludes mortgages and variable NOC, insurance, clearance and move-in charges. Confirm the signed allocation and supplier quotes, and use only the map charge relevant to your route.
Official charges and supplier quotes can change. The checked dates show when the references were reviewed. The live price table has its own source cutoff. Match the dated completion statement before paying. This matters most if the price, finance or plans for completing the sale change.
What should you have confirmed before completion?
Use this checklist to match the cash you need with the payments due at completion.
- The price, deposit credit and outstanding price contribution.
- The registration route, official charges and signed cost allocation.
- Trustee, agency and document quotes, with tax treatment stated.
- The final loan, valuation, insurance and any seller-mortgage process.
- Service-charge clearance, completion adjustments and ownership reserve.
- A dated payment schedule naming the recipient for each amount.
Take the contract and itemised statements to an adviser who can match the documents. You should know how much cash you need and when. Each charge should have a named payer.
Do the maths: open the true cost calculator →
Questions people ask
These answers connect the guide’s main questions with the rules and property data discussed above.
Why does a down payment leave me needing more cash than expected?
The down payment buys your share of the price, while registration, trustee, agency and financing charges need additional cash. Add those costs and your ownership reserve to the final lender-approved price contribution.
What does a resale apartment really cost on top of the price?
The worked cash example adds 6.58%, or AED 65,780 on a AED 1,000,000 purchase, using the calculator’s fee defaults. Mortgage, NOC and property-specific charges need separate quotes.
If the buyer pays DLD and agency fees, are the seller’s costs zero?
No: the seller’s cost depends on the agreed allocation and any mortgage settlement, clearance or other services. The standard DLD sale page lists charges for both parties; check the signed agreement and completion statement.
Who pays the DLD transfer fee, and can the allocation be negotiated?
The sale registration total is 4% and the fee resolution provides for equal sharing unless agreed otherwise. Record any different allocation in the contract and check it against the trustee statement.
What registered price per sq ft is shown for Dubai South?
The median price of homes sold is AED 1,655 per sq ft. This covers Dubai South. It covers the displayed twelve-month window. It compares the area, rather than quoting a price for one home.
See the supporting tableHow many sales support the Dubai South price comparison?
The Dubai South comparison has 15,385 registered home sales. It covers the displayed twelve-month window. This counts transactions, not homes offered for sale.
See the supporting tableHow did Dubai South's registered price per sq ft change?
The median price per sq ft of homes sold changed +4.1%. This compares the displayed twelve-month window with the previous one. These are recorded sales in the two dated windows.
See the supporting tableWork it out with real numbers
Use these linked comparisons and tools to check the figures behind your next decision.
Sources
Rule review date: 13 October 2026.
- DLD: Property Sale Registration, current fee breakdown
- Dubai legislation: registration fees and allocation
- Central Bank: Consumer Protection Standards
- Federal Tax Authority: residential real estate VAT
- DLD: Service Charge Index
- DLD: service charge lookup guidance
- Registered sale data used in the price table
This guide explains the rules in plain language. It is not legal advice; for a dispute, check with the Dubai Land Department or a lawyer.