Hi, Sunil here to talk about a cost efficient alternative to living in Dubai…

  Consider an apartment rental in Dubai instead of dumping hard earned cash into a Dubai investment property.

For now at least until you get a bit more comfortable about your decision.

The same goes if you are on a semi short-term stay in Dubai.

These days with the spiraling cost of living it is a good idea to rent out an apartment or a villa than having to pay tons up front to buy a property in Dubai or stay in hotels.

Based on current real estate prices, it is definitely cheaper to rent than to buy. That said, rents are quite high in their own. Take your time and make a good decision.

There are a lot of factors that you will have to take into consideration but one of the most important one has to do with the rental cost as this varies from area to area. Areas like Sheikh Zayed Road and the Marine drive tend to be more of a posh locality so naturally the rent rates here are a bit high.

That’s not to say that you cannot find a bargain in these areas if you look hard enough. Most of the expats generally prefer an apartment rental in Dubai but the irony is that the demand shown by these expats is driving the rates up. Talk about setting a trap for yourself right?

A Dubai apartment comes in various shapes and sizes, meaning that they each come with a variety of amenities attached. Some are offered fully furnished, some partly furnished and then there are those that either have no furniture at all or contain appliances that do not work at all.

You could ask why put the non-workable appliances in the apartment then? Well, beats me, for I have no idea why the owner would want to use the rental apartment as a sort of a dumping ground. But then again, I guess it takes all kinds to make the world go round.

Coming back to the topic at hand, the cost of an apartment can vary between $600 and $1,600 monthly, the rate depending on the locality as well as the amenities offered. If you are in the market looking for a villa, then you should be prepared to shell out as much as $ $25,000 – $30,000 upwards. There may be a few villas offering below this rate but I would not really categorize them as such.

For example, the Al Barsha villa was currently in the market for a princely sum of $87,000 approx. Please take care to remember that most of the real estate quotes are an annual quote since the rent is regulated annually rather than as a monthly affair. Most of the villas here tend to come as a part of a gated community or as a part of a resort.

Even if they are stand-alone villas, they are bound to come fully furnished. In some cases with the cook, so you would not have to test your mettle in the kitchen. You can chose to go in for apartments with central air-conditioning or one that does not provide for one. With summer temperatures sure to peak out at fifty degrees Celsius come summer, choosing a non-centralized air-conditioned apartment may not be so great.

But then again, when it comes to choosing an apartment to rent, you may have consider your budget and be realistic about what you can afford. Some of the least expensive apartments can be found in the Nasser square or the Qusais area.

The cost of a studio apartment in these areas comes to around $6,500 to $7,800, and this is with centralized air conditioning. As the amenities come down, so does the rent. For example, some of the workers apartments share dining areas as well as other aspects of a normal apartment. A three-bedroom apartment in the same area should set you back by as much as $21,780.

Apartment rental in Dubai is quite simple when you compare it to the process involved in purchasing one. Renting apartments is one of the best ways to beat the rising costs in Dubai (in some ways) and this is especially true for all those budget travelers looking to do the same.

There are many real estate companies that offer short-term rentals and these come fully furnished with all amenities attached. These apartments are definitely a much more attractive option than many of the hotels here in Dubai. Definitely consider it on a semi short-term stay in Dubai.