True Cost of Buying
What buying in Dubai really costs
The sticker price is not the number that leaves your account. Between the Dubai Land Department, the registration trustee, the developer and the bank, a Dubai purchase adds roughly 6 to 8 percent in fees. This calculator itemises every one of them, with the current official rates, so you know the exact cash to have ready before you sign.
Total fees and charges
AED 198,530
6.6% of the purchase price
Total cash needed
AED 3,198,530
Figures checked July 30, 2026. Results are estimates for orientation, not financial, legal or immigration advice. Fees and rules change and individual cases differ; verify current figures with the Dubai Land Department, your bank and your own advisors before committing.
Related tools and pages
The 4% DLD transfer fee, and who actually pays it
The Dubai Land Department charges 4% of the purchase price to register a transfer, plus a fixed admin fee (AED 580 for apartments and villas, AED 40 for off-plan registrations under Oqood). On paper the 4% is split equally between buyer and seller; in practice, in almost every Dubai transaction, the buyer pays all of it. Budget the full 4% and treat any other arrangement as a pleasant surprise.
Payment is due at the transfer appointment at a registration trustee office, usually by manager's cheque. The trustee itself charges AED 4,000 plus VAT for properties at or above AED 500,000 (AED 2,000 plus VAT below that), and a new title deed costs AED 250.
Agency commission, NOC and conveyancing
The standard buyer-side agency commission on Dubai resales is 2% plus 5% VAT. It is genuinely negotiable, and on off-plan purchases direct from a developer there is usually no buyer commission at all, which is why this calculator zeroes it when you switch to off-plan.
On a resale inside a master community, the developer issues a no objection certificate (NOC) confirming no service charges are owed. The fee is set by the developer, typically AED 500 to 5,000. Conveyancing is optional but common on prime deals: expect AED 6,000 to 10,000 for a straightforward purchase, more for complex structures.
Extra costs when you finance
A mortgage adds four items: the DLD mortgage registration fee of 0.25% of the loan plus AED 290, a bank arrangement fee commonly around 1% of the loan, a valuation of roughly AED 2,500 to 3,500 plus VAT, and compulsory life and property insurance priced by the bank. The Central Bank also caps how little you can put down: 20% for expats on a first home up to AED 5M, 30% above that, 40% on a second property.
A common mistake is budgeting the down payment but not the fees. On an AED 3M ready resale bought with a mortgage at 20% down, the fees alone approach AED 250,000 on top of the AED 600,000 down payment. This tool exists so that number never surprises you.
Buying costs: common questions
How much are the total fees when buying property in Dubai?+
For a ready resale bought in cash, plan on roughly 6 to 7 percent of the price: 4% DLD transfer plus admin, about AED 4,450 in trustee and title deed fees, 2% agency commission plus VAT, a developer NOC and optional conveyancing. A mortgage adds around 1.5 to 2 percent more of the loan amount.
Is there a property tax or stamp duty in Dubai?+
There is no annual property tax and no capital gains tax. The 4% DLD transfer fee is a one-time charge on each transfer, which is why total transaction costs matter more here than recurring taxes.
Are off-plan purchases cheaper to transact?+
Usually yes. The 4% DLD fee still applies (registered as Oqood with an AED 40 admin fee, and some developers run promotions covering part of it), but there is typically no agency commission, no NOC and no trustee transfer until handover.
Does the buyer really pay the whole 4%?+
Legally the fee can be split, but Dubai market practice is that the buyer pays the full 4%. If a seller agrees to share it, that is a negotiated concession, not the default.
What is a manager's cheque and why do I need one?+
A bank-guaranteed cheque, required at the trustee office for the purchase price and the DLD fee in most resale transfers. Your bank needs a day or two to issue it, so it is part of completion planning, not something to arrange on the morning.