The cash a household pays in its first month after moving to Dubai or Abu Dhabi, for one adult, a couple and a couple with two school-age children. Every line names its source and the date it was checked.
A couple with two school-age children moving to Dubai pays AED 85,277 in the first month, and hands over AED 135,000 more in post-dated rent cheques that clear over the year. The same household in Abu Dhabi pays AED 63,422. Part of each total is deposits and a bank balance that come back or stay yours.
| Household | Dubai, month one | Abu Dhabi, month one |
|---|---|---|
| One adult | AED 44,489AED 10,250 comes back or stays yours | AED 38,156AED 8,700 comes back or stays yours |
| Couple | AED 45,240AED 10,250 comes back or stays yours | AED 38,837AED 8,700 comes back or stays yours |
| Couple with two school-age children | AED 85,277AED 14,000 comes back or stays yours | AED 63,422AED 10,400 comes back or stays yours |
Sources: First-month cash: rent cheques, deposits, fees and setup costs[1], UAE planning rents by emirate and household size[2], How rent is paid (cheques per year)[3], School fee planning figures by year group and tier[4], Pound to dirham exchange rate[5]. All sources
Not counted, because Landed has no sourced figure or the cost is optional:
| Line | One adult | Couple | Couple with two school-age children |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual rent the row is built on | AED 105,000[6] | AED 105,000[6] | AED 180,000[7] |
| First rent cheque[8] | AED 26,250 | AED 26,250 | AED 45,000 |
| Security deposit[9] | AED 5,250 | AED 5,250 | AED 9,000 |
| Agency fee, with VAT[10] | AED 5,513 | AED 5,513 | AED 9,450 |
| Ejari tenancy registration[11] | AED 220 | AED 220 | AED 220 |
| Electricity and water deposit[12] | AED 2,000 | AED 2,000 | AED 2,000 |
| DEWA connection fee[12] | AED 155 | AED 155 | AED 155 |
| Emirates ID for each family member[18] | AED 0 | AED 300 | AED 900 |
| Medical fitness test for your partner[19] | AED 0 | AED 320 | AED 320 |
| UK degree attestation[13] | AED 840 | AED 840 | AED 840 |
| School application fee, each child[20] | AED 0 | AED 0 | AED 1,000 |
| Back-to-school extras, each child[21] | AED 0 | AED 0 | AED 12,000 |
| UK driving licence exchange[14] | AED 1,030 | AED 1,030 | AED 1,030 |
| Salik toll tag and first top-up[15] | AED 100 | AED 100 | AED 100 |
| Bank account minimum balance[16] | AED 3,000 | AED 3,000 | AED 3,000 |
| Mobile plan, first month[17] | AED 131 | AED 262 | AED 262 |
| Cash paid in month one | AED 44,489 | AED 45,240 | AED 85,277 |
| Of which deposits and bank balance that come back or stay yours | AED 10,250 | AED 10,250 | AED 14,000 |
| Later rent cheques, handed over at signing | AED 78,7503 cheques of AED 26,250 | AED 78,7503 cheques of AED 26,250 | AED 135,0003 cheques of AED 45,000 |
| Line | One adult | Couple | Couple with two school-age children |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual rent the row is built on | AED 94,000[22] | AED 94,000[22] | AED 128,000[22] |
| First rent cheque[8] | AED 23,500 | AED 23,500 | AED 32,000 |
| Security deposit[23] | AED 4,700 | AED 4,700 | AED 6,400 |
| Agency fee, with VAT[24] | AED 4,935 | AED 4,935 | AED 6,720 |
| Tawtheeq tenancy registration[25] | AED 50 | AED 50 | AED 50 |
| Electricity and water deposit[26] | AED 1,000 | AED 1,000 | AED 1,000 |
| Emirates ID for each family member[18] | AED 0 | AED 300 | AED 900 |
| Medical fitness test for your partner[27] | AED 0 | AED 250 | AED 250 |
| UK degree attestation[13] | AED 840 | AED 840 | AED 840 |
| Back-to-school extras, each child[21] | AED 0 | AED 0 | AED 12,000 |
| Bank account minimum balance[16] | AED 3,000 | AED 3,000 | AED 3,000 |
| Mobile plan, first month[17] | AED 131 | AED 262 | AED 262 |
| Cash paid in month one | AED 38,156 | AED 38,837 | AED 63,422 |
| Of which deposits and bank balance that come back or stay yours | AED 8,700 | AED 8,700 | AED 10,400 |
| Later rent cheques, handed over at signing | AED 70,5003 cheques of AED 23,500 | AED 70,5003 cheques of AED 23,500 | AED 96,0003 cheques of AED 32,000 |
The CSV holds one row per figure: the annual rent each household is built on, every line counted, the month-one total, the part that comes back, and the later rent cheques. Each row carries its source, link, checked date and whether the source page was opened. It is generated from the same data as this page, so the two always match.
Please cite it as “Landed first-month cash index, November 2026 (Q4 2026)” with a link to this page. To work out a figure for your own rent and household, use the first-month cash calculator. Questions about the data: support@landed.guide.
A new edition is published each quarter. Each one lists what changed.
November 2026 (Q4 2026), published 3 November 2026