Dubai Travel Money Guide

Dubai is two cities at once. The modern one, with its glass towers and air-conditioned malls, runs on cards and apps. The old one, around Deira and Bur Dubai, still trades in cash, haggling and abra rides across the Creek. Budget for both, because most trips mix them, and expect prices to be firmly on the high side.

How much cash to bring to Dubai

A rough daily budget for a comfortable mid-range trip:

• Food — AED 120–300/day (cafés and food courts are cheaper; hotel restaurants and brunches are not)
• Local transport — AED 30–80/day on the metro with the occasional taxi
• Attractions & shopping — AED 100–450/day (observation decks, desert safaris and theme parks are the big-ticket items)

Paying your way around Dubai

• Get a Nol card — the stored-value card works across the Dubai Metro, tram, buses and water transport. A standard Silver card costs about AED 25 and includes some starting credit. You can buy it at metro stations and top it up with cash or card.
• Metro first, taxis second — the metro avoids the traffic around Downtown and the Marina. Taxis are metered and easy to hail, and ride-hailing apps work too.
• Cards are everywhere in the malls — Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates and most restaurants take Visa and Mastercard, and contactless is common.
• Choose AED on card machines — if you are asked whether to pay in ringgit or dirhams, pick AED.

Neighbourhood cash notes

• Downtown & Dubai Mall — card-friendly everywhere; you rarely need cash here.
• Gold Souk and Spice Souk (Deira) — bargaining is expected, and cash usually helps you win a better price. The gold price itself is fixed; it is the making charges you can negotiate.
• Al Fahidi and the Creek abras — the old abra boats and small cafés prefer cash, and the fare is only a dirham or two.
• Marina & JBR — restaurants and beach clubs accept cards; kiosks and small vendors may not.

A couple of Dubai habits

• Tipping — many restaurants add a service charge of around 10%, but staff may not see it, so people often leave a few dirhams in cash for good service.
• Check Nol credit before you tap — the gate will reject a card with too little balance. A top-up at a station machine takes a minute.