Which place is cheaper, Kolkata (Calcutta) or Dubai?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Dubai or Kolkata (Calcutta)?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Dubai and Kolkata (Calcutta) can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Dubai or Kolkata (Calcutta)?
Dubai
Ever wonder what it would be like to see the lifestyles of the rich and famous up close. There's no more upscale destination than Dubai. It's by far and away the spot for shopping, partying, sunbathing, fine dining and the most luxurious of luxury. As the most modern and progressive of the seven emirates in the United Arab Emirates, this area has experienced an unbelievable economic boom and tourism spike. It's a desert city with an amazing infrastructure.
Kolkata (Calcutta)
Formerly known as Calcutta, Kolkata is the capital of West Bengal, India. Featuring colonial architecture, galleries, temples, and festivals, the city has flourished from its roots as an East India Company trading post in the 18th Century to a thriving metropolis. Today Kolkata is a diverse center of culture and bustling activity.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 3-Day Tours from Dubai, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in United Arab Emirates, The Best 4-Week (1-Month) Tours in India, and The Best Bicycle Tours in India.
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Dubai Prices
UAE PricesKolkata (Calcutta) Prices
India Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayDubai $289Kolkata (Calcutta) $42
The average daily cost (per person) in Dubai is $289, while the average daily cost in Kolkata (Calcutta) is $42. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Dubai and Kolkata (Calcutta) in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personDubai $170Kolkata (Calcutta) $15
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomDubai $340Kolkata (Calcutta) $30
Compare Hotels in Dubai and Kolkata (Calcutta)
Looking for a hotel in Dubai or Kolkata (Calcutta)? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Dubai Hotel Prices and Kolkata (Calcutta) Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Dubai $13Kolkata (Calcutta) $4.50
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Dubai
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Dubai:
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Taxi Ride$12
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Airport Taxi$12
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Sea Taxi$0.54
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Dubai
Also for Dubai, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Global Village Dubai Tickets with Transfer Option: $8.39
- Miracle Garden and Global Village Entry Ticket with Transfer: $8.42
- Global Village Entry Tickets with Optional Transfer: $9.49
- Global Village Entry Ticket with Transfer Option: $9.50
- Dubai & Sharjah Airport Private Arrival & Departure Transfer: $10
- Global Village with Entrance Ticket and Transfers: $11
- Private Dubai Airport Arrival/Departure Transfer to Dubai City: $13
- Miracle Garden & Global Village with Optional Private Transfers: $14
- Global Village Dubai Tickets with Transfers Option: $16
- Private Dubai Airport Transfer DXB to Dubai City: $17
- Dubai Airport (DXB) to Dubai hotel or address - Arrival Private Transfer: $17
- Dubai hotel or address to Dubai Airport (DXB) – Departure Private Transfer: $17
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Kolkata (Calcutta)
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Kolkata (Calcutta):
- Path of Knowledge: A Heritage Walking Tour of Kolkata with Private Transfer: $153
- The Second City of Empire: A Kolkata Heritage Walking Tour with Private Transfer: $134
- Build Your Own: custom private tour of Kolkata with transfers: $74
- Private Transfer from Kolkata to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose (CCU) Airport: $62
- Departure transfer from Hotel to Airport in Kolkata: $44
- Airport Taxi: Round Trip Transfer Between Kolkata & Kolkata Airport CCU: $43
- Kolkata Airport to Kolkata Hotels drop: Private Transfers: $32
- Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Kolkata Airport: $23
Is it cheaper to fly into Dubai or Kolkata (Calcutta)?
Prices for flights to both Kolkata (Calcutta) and Dubai change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayDubai $96Kolkata (Calcutta) $22
Typical Food Prices in Dubai
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Dubai:
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French bread$0.95
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Sumo salad in Dubai Mall + Juice$10
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Lemon Mint Tea$4.36
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Coffee & Cake$6.54
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Smoothie$5.45
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Shawarma$1.91
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Dubai
For Dubai, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Dubai Private Red Dunes Safari With Quad Biking, Dinner and Shows: $2.95
- Dubai Desert Safari Tour Hotel Transfer, Camel Ride & BBQ Dinner: $4.90
- Dubai Desert Safari - Free Pick&Drop Red Dunes Live Shows Dinner: $4.90
- Royal Desert Adventure with BBQ dinner: $5.00
- VIP Desert Safari Dubai with Quad Bike, Camel Ride & BBQ Dinner: $5.40
- Desert Safari,Premium sofa,Quad Bike,CamelRide,BBQ Dinner,Shows: $6.16
- Dubai Red Dune Evening Desert Safari with BBQ Dinner: $6.65
- VIP Dubai Red Dune Desert Safari 4x4, Camel Ride and BBQ Dinner: $7.00
- Red dune Desert Safari with BBQ Dinner & optional Quad bike: $7.45
- VIP Desert Safari Camel Ride Live Shows & BBQ Dinner with pick up: $7.81
- VIP Red Dune Safari Dubai,Pick/Drop,Camel Ride, Quad & BBQ Dinner: $8.00
- Dubai 6 Hour Red Dune Desert Safari With Buffet Dinner: $8.10
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Kolkata (Calcutta)
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Kolkata (Calcutta).
- Cooking experience in Authentic Bengali House with Lunch/Dinner: $36
- Bengali Nights Kolkata Food Tour with 13+ Tastings: $39
- Alleyway Food Tour: $40
- Food Tour Delights of Kolkata with Aditya: $110
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Dubai $19Kolkata (Calcutta) $13
Typical Entertainment Prices in Dubai
For Dubai, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Visit to the Dubai Museum$0.82
Tours and Activities in Dubai
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Dubai.
- Dubai's Hidden Gems: Self Guided City Tour: $3.41
- Dubai Al Shindagha Museum Admission Ticket: $5.49
- Private Audio Guided Walking Tour in Dubai: $5.70
- Dubai Walking Tour: Self-Guided City Game: $5.81
- Dubai Walking Tour 1h00 and 9 audio reviews: $7.26
- Dubai Global Village E Tickets: $8.29
- Miracle Garden & Butterfly Garden Dubai & Global Village Tickets: $8.37
- Global Village Dubai Ticket: $8.65
- Global Village Dubai Entry tickets: $9.00
- The Palm Monorail Ticket Dubai: $9.21
- Miracle Garden and Global Village Entrance Ticket: $9.77
- Private Evening Desert Safari Dubai Tour: $10
Tours and Activities in Kolkata (Calcutta)
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Kolkata (Calcutta) are as follows:
- 2-Day Tour to The Taj Mahal, Agra from Kolkata with Both Side Commercial Flight: $254
- Audio Guided Tour of Pathuriaghata – Finding the Tagores, Kolkata: $6.12
- Chasing The Sun Experience Kolkata's Culture: $35
- Cultural Confluence of Kolkata - Culture Kaleidoscope Tour: $38
- Discover Kolkata in 2 Days: Private Customised Sightseeing Tour: $174
- Explore Kolkata: Private 1-Day and 2-Day Tour Options: $119
- Flower Market Colors and Ganges Ghat Experience: $30
- Full Day Pilgrimage Tour of Ganga Sagar from Kolkata: $100
- Gangasagar Pilgrimage Day Tour from Kolkata: $138
- Guided Kolkata Sightseeing Trip by Car, Walk & Sunset Cruise Excursion Trip: $97
- Hello Calcutta Walk Tour: $23
- Hooghly River Evening Cruise: $36
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayDubai $23Kolkata (Calcutta) $7.28
Typical Alcohol Prices in Dubai
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Dubai:
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A Couple Drinks$25
Sample the Local Flavors in Dubai
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Dubai:
- Pub Crawl Nightlife Tours: $38
- Pub Crawl Private Events & Birthdays: $126
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Dubai and Kolkata (Calcutta), we can see that Dubai is more expensive. And not only is Kolkata (Calcutta) much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Dubai is in Middle East and Kolkata (Calcutta) is in Asia, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Kolkata (Calcutta) would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Kolkata (Calcutta) and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Dubai would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Dubai than you might in Kolkata (Calcutta).
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Dubai Expensive? and Is Kolkata (Calcutta) Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Dubai or Kolkata (Calcutta)?
Kolkata (Calcutta) has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Dubai. When comparing the sizes of Dubai and Kolkata (Calcutta), keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.