Where does this benchmark data come from?

City-level price and yield data is aggregated from public sources such as official land registries, central-bank housing dashboards, and major brokerage research desks, then normalised by Oliva onto a common USD-per-square-metre basis so cities can be read side by side.

How often is the benchmark refreshed?

The benchmark is reviewed quarterly. Dubai-side inputs follow the Dubai Land Department publishing cadence, which is monthly for transactions and quarterly for index revisions.

Why compare Dubai to cities like London or Singapore?

Dubai competes with established global cities for the same pool of mobile capital. Comparing yield, transaction cost, and freehold friction puts Dubai’s structural advantages, such as zero personal income tax and low transaction friction, into a usable context for cross-border investors.

What is freehold friction?

A qualitative read on how easy it is for a non-resident to buy and exit a freehold unit in that city, covering visa rules, foreign-ownership caps, stamp duties, and conveyancing time. Lower friction generally improves total liquidity and resale optionality.

Does a higher yield always mean a better investment?

No. Higher gross yields often come with higher vacancy risk, weaker capital appreciation, or higher transaction costs. Read yield together with the 5Y CAGR and transaction cost columns to get a fuller picture of total return.

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Data Center

Dubai real estate, for international investors

Live transactions, rental yields, macro, and area-level analytics. Prices convert to your currency.

This page benchmarks Dubai against a curated set of global property markets on the metrics that matter to cross-border investors: price per square metre in USD, gross rental yield, five-year price CAGR, total transaction cost, and freehold friction for non-residents. It is built for investors weighing Dubai against an existing portfolio in London, New York, Singapore, or other major hubs.

Dubai versus global property markets, side by side

Name: Dubai Real Estate Market Data
Creator: Oliva
License: https://joinoliva.com/terms
Keywords: Dubai real estate data, Dubai property prices, Dubai rental yields, Dubai transaction volume, DLD data, Dubai property market

Key takeaways for investors

Yield is only half the story. Read gross yield alongside 5Y CAGR. Cities with the highest yields often show the lowest appreciation, and vice versa.
Transaction cost compounds. A two-percentage-point cost gap can erase a year of gross yield. Always net it out before comparing total return.
Freehold friction drives liquidity. Low-friction markets give you optionality on exit; high-friction markets demand a longer hold to amortise entry costs.
Use Dubai as the base, not the benchmark. The row marked live is the reference; everything else should be read as deviation from Dubai on each axis.
Currency exposure matters. AED is pegged to USD, so a USD-based investor takes no FX risk in Dubai, unlike GBP, JPY, or SGD exposure elsewhere.

Frequently asked questions

Where does this benchmark data come from?: City-level price and yield data is aggregated from public sources such as official land registries, central-bank housing dashboards, and major brokerage research desks, then normalised by Oliva onto a common USD-per-square-metre basis so cities can be read side by side.
How often is the benchmark refreshed?: The benchmark is reviewed quarterly. Dubai-side inputs follow the Dubai Land Department publishing cadence, which is monthly for transactions and quarterly for index revisions.
Why compare Dubai to cities like London or Singapore?: Dubai competes with established global cities for the same pool of mobile capital. Comparing yield, transaction cost, and freehold friction puts Dubai’s structural advantages, such as zero personal income tax and low transaction friction, into a usable context for cross-border investors.
What is freehold friction?: A qualitative read on how easy it is for a non-resident to buy and exit a freehold unit in that city, covering visa rules, foreign-ownership caps, stamp duties, and conveyancing time. Lower friction generally improves total liquidity and resale optionality.
Does a higher yield always mean a better investment?: No. Higher gross yields often come with higher vacancy risk, weaker capital appreciation, or higher transaction costs. Read yield together with the 5Y CAGR and transaction cost columns to get a fuller picture of total return.

Related data

Drill into Dubai-specific reads: macro indicators, rental yields, transaction volumes, and area rankings. For neighbourhood-level views see the areas directory.

Data Center

Dubai real estate, for international investors

Live transactions, rental yields, macro, and area-level analytics. Prices convert to your currency.

Dubai versus global property markets, side by side

Key takeaways for investors

Yield is only half the story. Read gross yield alongside 5Y CAGR. Cities with the highest yields often show the lowest appreciation, and vice versa.
Transaction cost compounds. A two-percentage-point cost gap can erase a year of gross yield. Always net it out before comparing total return.
Freehold friction drives liquidity. Low-friction markets give you optionality on exit; high-friction markets demand a longer hold to amortise entry costs.
Use Dubai as the base, not the benchmark. The row marked live is the reference; everything else should be read as deviation from Dubai on each axis.
Currency exposure matters. AED is pegged to USD, so a USD-based investor takes no FX risk in Dubai, unlike GBP, JPY, or SGD exposure elsewhere.

Frequently asked questions

Where does this benchmark data come from?: City-level price and yield data is aggregated from public sources such as official land registries, central-bank housing dashboards, and major brokerage research desks, then normalised by Oliva onto a common USD-per-square-metre basis so cities can be read side by side.
How often is the benchmark refreshed?: The benchmark is reviewed quarterly. Dubai-side inputs follow the Dubai Land Department publishing cadence, which is monthly for transactions and quarterly for index revisions.
Why compare Dubai to cities like London or Singapore?: Dubai competes with established global cities for the same pool of mobile capital. Comparing yield, transaction cost, and freehold friction puts Dubai’s structural advantages, such as zero personal income tax and low transaction friction, into a usable context for cross-border investors.
What is freehold friction?: A qualitative read on how easy it is for a non-resident to buy and exit a freehold unit in that city, covering visa rules, foreign-ownership caps, stamp duties, and conveyancing time. Lower friction generally improves total liquidity and resale optionality.
Does a higher yield always mean a better investment?: No. Higher gross yields often come with higher vacancy risk, weaker capital appreciation, or higher transaction costs. Read yield together with the 5Y CAGR and transaction cost columns to get a fuller picture of total return.

Related data

Drill into Dubai-specific reads: macro indicators, rental yields, transaction volumes, and area rankings. For neighbourhood-level views see the areas directory.