Why People Regret Moving to Dubai: Downsides of Rent, Heat, Visas, Laws and Japanese Tax [2026]

October 20, 2026

Taiga Sato

The five things people most often regret after moving to Dubai are high rent paid by annual cheques, the summer heat, visas that depend on the employer, laws that differ from Japan's, and the misconception that "taxes disappear". Rents in Dubai rose by around 20% year on year for two years running, in 2024 and 2025, and a one-bedroom apartment in Dubai Marina costs about AED 102,000 a year. Average maximum temperatures from June to August exceed 40°C, and the UAE recorded 51.2°C in August 2026. Work visas are cancelled when you leave your job, and the grace period for ordinary employees is 60 days. Insulting someone on social media can bring a fine of AED 250,000–500,000, and even trace amounts of drugs lead to arrest. On the other hand, it is true that there is no personal income tax: 5,300 Japanese nationals live in the UAE as a whole, 3,433 of them in Dubai (as of October 1, 2025), and international surveys rank the UAE highly for quality of life. This article sets out the downsides of moving to Dubai with figures from published sources, and summarizes what to check before moving so that you do not regret it.

*Amounts and rules are as of October 11, 2026. This article is an English version of our Japanese guide, adapted for foreign residents of Japan and international investors. Our office does not provide application support for UAE residence visas.

For an overview of moving to Dubai (UAE) and a list of related articles, see Moving to Dubai: requirements and costs.

Contents

Summary: common regrets about moving to Dubai and how to avoid them
Rent: up about 20% a year for two years, with annual cheques as standard
Heat: you cannot walk outside from June to September
Visas: tied to your employer, with 60 days to leave after you quit
Laws and rules: behavior that is normal in Japan can be a crime
The tax misconception: living in Dubai does not automatically end Japanese tax
Cost of living: rent higher than Tokyo, school fees and cars
Constant turnover and loneliness: about 90% of residents are foreigners
What to check before moving so you do not regret it
FAQ
Summary

Summary: common regrets about moving to Dubai and how to avoid them

Downside	The situation in figures	What you can do in advance
High rent	AED 77,000–133,000 a year for a one-bedroom. Up around 20% year on year for two years running (2024 and 2025), slowing from late 2025	Check market rates with the Dubai Land Department rental index, and prepare the annual rent in advance
Heat	Average maximum of 40–42°C from June to August, humidity above 50%. 51.2°C in the UAE in August 2026	Stay once in summer before deciding. Budget for higher electricity bills
Visa tied to employer	Visa cancelled on leaving your job; grace period of 60 days for ordinary employees	Make sure you are enrolled in unemployment insurance (ILOE), and consider visas you can sponsor yourself
Laws and rules	Fines of AED 250,000–500,000 for insults online; drugs punished even in trace amounts; alcohol only for those 21 and over and only in designated places	Read the guidance from Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (and your own government's travel advice) and the local authorities, and do not act on Japanese assumptions
Tax misconception	No personal income tax, but Japanese residency rules, exit tax and the 10-year inheritance tax rule still apply	Work it out with a tax accountant before leaving Japan
Cost of living	Dubai ranked 15th of 226 cities in Mercer's 2024 cost of living ranking. Rent is about 1.5 times Tokyo's	Make a monthly budget including rent, school fees, insurance and a car
Turnover of people	About 90% of residents are foreigners, with an average stay of 4 years 5 months (2022 survey)	Decide whether you plan to stay long term or for a few years before choosing a home and school

Many Japanese nationals still choose to keep living in Dubai because there is no income tax, it is safe, you can live in English, and there are daily direct flights to Japan. In InterNations' 2026 survey, the UAE ranked 4th among countries where expats find it easy to live, and 3rd for quality of life. Most of the downsides lead to regret because people "didn't know"; if you understand them in figures beforehand, they can be avoided.

Rent: up about 20% a year for two years, with annual cheques as standard

The most common regret about moving to Dubai is housing. According to CBRE, the average residential rent in Dubai as of March 2024 was up 21.2% year on year, and according to fäm Properties (based on DXB Interact data), the average apartment rent as of July 2025 was still AED 103,000 a year, up 21.7% year on year. Growth slowed from late 2025, and in the first half of 2026 there were small corrections for luxury apartments and slight declines for mid-range villas, but the level itself remains high.

Area (first half of 2026, annual)	One-bedroom	Two-bedroom
JVC	AED 77,000	AED 113,000
Dubai Marina	AED 102,000	AED 156,000
Downtown	AED 133,000	AED 223,000

Leases are annual, and it is standard to hand over 1–4 post-dated cheques. When moving in, you need several months' to a full year's rent plus a 5% security deposit, a 5% agency fee and an electricity and water deposit (AED 2,000 for an apartment), and a housing fee equal to 5% of the rent is added to the monthly electricity and water bill.

Rent increases on renewal are capped by law. Dubai Decree No. 43 of 2013 provides that no increase is allowed if the current rent is no more than 10% below the market rate; a maximum of 5% if it is 11–20% below; 10% if 21–30% below; 15% if 31–40% below; and up to 20% if more than 40% below. An increase must be notified at least 90 days before the lease expires, and a landlord seeking eviction must give 12 months' notice via a notary public or registered mail and have a reason such as sale or own use. The gap with market rates can be checked with the Dubai Land Department's Smart Rental Index, launched in January 2025.

Heat: you cannot walk outside from June to September

According to Dubai International Airport's climate normals (1991–2020), average maximum temperatures are 40.0°C in June, 41.5°C in July, 41.9°C in August and 39.5°C in September, with humidity of 53–59%. The UAE recorded 51.6°C in May 2025 and 51.2°C in August 2026. For four months of summer you live inside the air conditioning of your home, car, malls and office, and for outdoor work there is a mandatory midday break from 12:30 to 3:00 p.m. between June 15 and September 15.

Air conditioning raises summer electricity bills by several tens of percent, and everyday activities familiar from Japan, such as children playing outside, walks or jogging, are not possible in summer. In April 2024 the UAE had its heaviest rainfall since records began in 1949, 254 mm in 24 hours (Al Ain), and roads and the airport flooded in Dubai too, showing a vulnerability to weather the infrastructure was not designed for. We recommend staying once in summer before deciding to move.

Visas: tied to your employer, with 60 days to leave after you quit

Because the employer sponsors a work visa, the visa is cancelled if you resign or are dismissed. The grace period after cancellation is 60 days for an ordinary residence visa, 90 days for skill level 3 occupations and property owners, and 180 days for skill levels 1 and 2 and Golden and Green Visa holders (rule change of October 2022). Family visas are also tied to the main holder, so if you quit before securing a new job, the whole family faces a deadline to leave the country.

As protection against unemployment, enrollment in unemployment insurance (ILOE) became mandatory in 2023. The premium is AED 5 a month for a basic salary of AED 16,000 or less and AED 10 a month above that, and after losing your job you can receive 60% of your salary (capped at AED 10,000 or AED 20,000 a month) for up to 3 months. At least 12 months of enrollment is required, and non-enrollment is fined AED 400.

If you want to reduce dependence on your employer, you will need to consider visas you can sponsor yourself, such as the Golden Visa (e.g., property of AED 2 million or more) or the Green Visa (e.g., freelancers with annual income of AED 360,000 or more over the past two years). Visa types and requirements are explained in Moving to Dubai: requirements and costs.

On the employment side, private companies with 50 or more employees must increase the share of UAE nationals in skilled jobs by 2% a year (Emiratisation), and companies that miss the target are charged AED 10,000 a month per UAE national (AED 120,000 a year; AED 108,000 for 2025). If you plan to work there long term, it is worth knowing that hiring quotas for foreigners are affected by this system.

Laws and rules: behavior that is normal in Japan can be a crime

The travel advice of Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UK Foreign Office lists regulations such as the following that newcomers may easily overlook (check your own government's travel advice as well).

Area	Rule
Alcohol	21 and over. Drinking or being drunk outside designated places such as your home, bars and restaurants is illegal. Dubai residents need a license to buy alcohol at retail (free, obtained via an app). Dubai Municipality's 30% alcohol sales tax was reinstated in January 2025
Social media and speech	The Cybercrime Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021) provides for imprisonment or fines of AED 250,000–500,000 for insults and defamation online. There are cases of prison sentences for criticizing the government, the royal family or religion, and for rude gestures
Photography	Photographing military sites, government buildings or airports, or photographing people without their consent, is a crime
Behavior in public	There have been prison sentences for hugging or kissing in cars or public places. Crossing the road outside crossings is also illegal
Drugs	Under the drug law in force since 2022, possession or use is punished on a first offense with 3 months' imprisonment or a fine of AED 20,000–100,000. Detection in the blood is treated as "possession", and some CBD products and e-cigarette liquids are illegal. Even regular medication may be confiscated
Debt	Since 2022, cheques bouncing for insufficient funds are in principle no longer a criminal offense, but bad faith and forgery remain crimes. Unpaid debts can lead to frozen accounts or travel bans

"I didn't know" is no excuse, and behavior that would cause no problem in Japan can lead to imprisonment or deportation. There are also situations, such as eating and drinking in the daytime or dress during Ramadan, where consideration is expected even without penalties.

The tax misconception: living in Dubai does not automatically end Japanese tax

The belief that "Dubai has no tax" is half right and half wrong. There is indeed no personal income tax, but there is 9% corporate tax, 5% VAT, a housing fee of 5% of rent and a 4% property registration fee. More important is the Japanese side: the following three still apply to anyone leaving Japan after moving.

Residency test: whether you are a Japanese resident is judged by "the center of your life", not by your resident registration or visa. If the center of your family or work remains in Japan, you stay a resident and your worldwide income is taxed
Exit tax: people holding JPY 100 million or more in securities and similar assets who lived in Japan for more than 5 of the 10 years before departure are taxed on unrealized gains when they leave
Inheritance and gift tax: until 10 years have passed since both you and your family left Japan, Japanese inheritance and gift tax also apply to overseas assets

Japanese public pensions are subject to 20.42% withholding for non-residents. There is room for an exemption under the Japan–UAE tax treaty, but because the UAE has no income tax, whether you qualify as a "resident" under the treaty is disputed. For details, see Is Dubai (UAE) tax-free?

Cost of living: rent higher than Tokyo, school fees and cars

In Mercer's 2024 cost of living ranking, Dubai was 15th of 226 cities and the most expensive city in the Middle East. In Numbeo's comparison, rent in Tokyo is about 48% lower than in Dubai and eating out about 49% lower, while groceries are about 22% more expensive in Tokyo. Because rent, eating out, school fees and car costs add up, the cost of living for a family moving to Dubai often exceeds that in Tokyo.

School fees: tuition at private schools rated Outstanding (the highest KHDA rating) is AED 29,000–112,000 a year (2026–27). Increases of up to 2.35% were allowed for 2025–26, and fees were frozen for 2026–27
Health insurance: enrollment is mandatory; minimum plans cost AED 525–750 a year and standard individual plans AED 1,500–7,000 a year. Non-enrollment is fined AED 500 per person per month
Car: public transport is limited and a car is effectively necessary. Registration renewal, inspection, insurance and so on cost AED 4,000–8,000 a year (excluding loans, fuel and tolls). Petrol (Special 95) was AED 4.28 per liter in October 2026
Traffic: in TomTom's 2025 index, the time to travel 10 km in Dubai was 19 minutes 10 seconds, 29 seconds longer than the previous year, with 72 hours a year lost in rush hour. The population passed 4.8 million in September 2026, and registered vehicles are increasing by about 10% a year

On the other hand, Numbeo's average monthly net salary is about AED 12,650 in Dubai, higher than about AED 10,841 in Tokyo, and with no income tax the gross salary is your take-home pay. For people who can earn a high income locally, the high cost of living can be offset by income.

Constant turnover and loneliness: about 90% of residents are foreigners

About 90% of the UAE's population are foreigners, and many stay only temporarily. In Cigna's 2022 survey, the average length of stay for expats in the UAE was 4 years 5 months, and 90.6% said they felt stressed. Making friends who then go home after a few years, or children's friends changing every year, becomes more of a burden the longer you stay.

There are 5,300 Japanese nationals in the UAE as a whole (as of October 1, 2025, Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs), up 11% on the previous year, and 3,433 live in Dubai (up 13.2%). There is a Japanese school and Japanese restaurants, but the Japanese community is smaller than in Thailand or Malaysia, and it is hard to live there in Japanese alone.

What to check before moving so you do not regret it

Stay in summer: spend at least a week there between June and September to see whether you can cope with the heat and an air-conditioned life
Prepare a year's funds: add up the annual rent, move-in costs, school fees, insurance and car costs, and have enough to live for a year even if your income stops
Decide your visa exit plan: decide in advance whether you could get another visa within 60 days, or return home, if your visa ends for reasons on your employer's side
Read the laws: read Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs basic safety data and the UK Foreign Office travel advice (and your own government's travel advice), and share the rules on alcohol, social media, photography and drugs with your family
Sort out your Japanese taxes: before leaving Japan, check the residency test, exit tax and the 10-year inheritance tax rule with a tax accountant
Set conditions for leaving: decide in advance how many years you will stay, what to do about your children's education, and when you will return

FAQ

Do people regret moving to Dubai?

Yes. The reasons center on high rent, the summer heat, visas tied to the employer, laws that differ from Japan's, and misconceptions about tax. In InterNations' 2026 survey, life satisfaction in the UAE was 69%, almost the same as the global average of 70%; many people are satisfied, but it is not a country that suits everyone.

What are the downsides of moving to Dubai?

The high cost of living including rent and school fees, being unable to spend time outdoors in summer, work visas ending when you leave your job, strict rules on alcohol, social media, drugs and more, constant turnover of people, and Japanese tax not disappearing automatically.

Why do people say Dubai is boring?

Reasons given include being unable to spend time outdoors in summer, entertainment being concentrated in malls and hotels, limited places where you can drink, and most residents changing every few years. It suits people who enjoy the desert, the sea and travel to neighboring countries.

How much income do you need to move to Dubai?

There is no single standard. The requirement for sponsoring family is a monthly salary of AED 4,000 or more, but rent for a one-bedroom alone costs AED 6,500–11,000 a month, so you should expect to spend AED 10,000–20,000 a month as a single person and AED 25,000–50,000 a month for a family with two children.

Can you live on a Japanese pension?

The income requirement for Dubai's retirement visa is around AED 240,000 a year (AED 180,000 in the other emirates), and few people meet it with a Japanese public pension alone. Japanese pensions are also subject to 20.42% withholding in Japan. As a destination for living on a pension, lower-cost countries such as Thailand, Malaysia and Portugal are more realistic.

Summary

Regrets about moving to Dubai center on five things: rent, heat, visas, laws and tax misconceptions
Rents rose around 20% year on year for two years running (2024 and 2025), and annual cheques and the 5% housing fee are a burden. Caps on increases and notice periods for eviction are set by law
From June to September, average maximum temperatures are around 40°C and you cannot spend time outdoors
Work visas are cancelled when you leave your job, with a grace period of 60 days in principle. Unemployment insurance (ILOE) is mandatory
Acting on Japanese assumptions about social media insults, drugs, alcohol, photography and so on can lead to imprisonment or deportation
There is no personal income tax, but Japanese residency rules, exit tax and the 10-year inheritance tax rule still apply
Before moving, decide on a summer visit, a year's funds, your visa exit plan, the laws, your Japanese taxes and your conditions for leaving

Our office does not provide application support for UAE residence visas. However, for people considering moving abroad, we offer consultations comparing visas, permanent residence and tax systems in various countries including the UAE, and we handle translation and apostille of the Japanese documents needed for permanent residence and citizenship applications in your destination country. If you feel Dubai may not be right for you, we can also compare it with countries where we can support applications, such as Malta, Panama and Vanuatu. If you would like to work through your options, please use our free consultation. We never use pushy sales tactics. We can assist in English and Japanese.