Market notes

Dubai apartment prices in 2026: four neighbourhoods, four different budgets

A Dubai-wide headline cannot tell you what your budget buys on a particular street. Our current comparison covers 6,874 completed-apartment sales across four neighbourhoods. Start with the same bedroom count, then look at the space.

Mada editorial · Prices updated 23 September 2026

What a two-bedroom apartment sold for

Downtown DubaiAED 3,475,000

1,362 ft² · 405 sales

Business BayAED 2,270,000

1,317 ft² · 404 sales

Dubai MarinaAED 2,500,000

1,329 ft² · 374 sales

Jumeirah Village CircleAED 1,500,000

1,274 ft² · 426 sales

Completed residential apartments in four neighbourhoods, 2026. Past sales are not current offers.

The price gap is also a space question

The typical two-bedroom sale in Downtown was AED 3,475,000 with a typical recorded area of 1,362 ft². In JVC the equivalent figures were AED 1,500,000 and 1,274 ft². These are different groups of homes, rather than identical apartments in different postcodes.

A buyer should use that difference to decide where to look, not as proof that one district is automatically better value. Age, facilities, floor, outlook and the particular building can account for a large part of the price.

How much evidence sits behind the comparison

How much evidence sits behind the comparison
NeighbourhoodApartment salesSales in price comparisons
Downtown Dubai996933
Business Bay16141539
Dubai Marina12761164
Jumeirah Village Circle29882826

Unusually priced sales stay visible in the individual sales list.

Turn the numbers into a shortlist

Choose a bedroom count and a maximum price in the neighbourhood comparison. Look at the recorded areas within that budget, then select two or three buildings for a viewing. A district average is too broad to negotiate a specific apartment on its own.

At the viewing, collect the exact floor plan, current annual charges and the condition of the home. Compare those documents with apartments of a similar size. Keep a separate allowance for purchase costs, repairs and furnishing.

Put it into practice

Sources

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