Dubai Property Calculator: Fees, Cash on Day One and Net Rent
Put in a Dubai price and this works out what the purchase really costs: the Land Department's 4% transfer fee and the fixed charges beside it, the agent's commission, the mortgage registration if you borrow, the cash you need on the day of transfer, and what the rent leaves after the service charge and empty months. Every figure shows in dirhams and in your own currency, with rupees at 25.75 to the dirham by default.
It is the same calculator that sits on every Dubai guide and project page on this site, on its own page so you can come back to it. The fee basis is written out under it, and the sections below show three cases worked through and the costs it deliberately leaves out.
Dubai property calculator
Change any field and everything recalculates. It opens on a ready AED 1.5 million flat bought through an agent, in cash, with the results in rupees; switch the currency, the mortgage or the rent to match your own case.
Dubai property calculator — costs, cash needed and net rent
Works from any country: pick your currency, or type your own rate. Fees follow the DLD schedule; rent figures are yours to set.
| Charge | AED | Your currency |
|---|
Fee basis: DLD transfer 4% of price, plus a DLD admin fee of AED 580 on a ready unit and AED 40 at Oqood on an off-plan one; registration trustee AED 2,000 below AED 500,000 and AED 4,000 from AED 500,000, plus 5% VAT (AED 2,100 or AED 4,200); title deed and map about AED 500; agency 2% plus 5% VAT where used; mortgage registration 0.25% of the loan plus AED 290. Rates shown are indicative, read on 9 September 2026, and the pegged ones (USD and the GCC currencies) do not move — edit the rate box for anything else. This is an estimate to plan with, not a quotation, and it does not cover tax in your own country.
What the calculator counts
Six one-time charges, each from the Dubai Land Department's own schedule or from standard market practice:
- DLD transfer fee, 4% of the price. The largest cost by far and the one people forget to budget. On a resale it is paid at the trustee office on transfer day; on an off-plan purchase most developers collect it with the booking amount.
- DLD admin fee. AED 580 on a ready unit. On an off-plan purchase the contract is registered on Oqood for AED 40 instead.
- Registration trustee. AED 4,000 plus 5% VAT, so AED 4,200, from AED 500,000 upward; AED 2,000 plus VAT, AED 2,100, below it.
- Title deed and map. About AED 500 together. On off-plan it falls due at handover rather than at booking.
- Agency commission. 2% plus 5% VAT on a resale, set to zero if you buy direct from a developer. It is a market convention rather than a fixed legal rate, so it can be negotiated.
- Mortgage registration. 0.25% of the loan plus AED 290, only when the mortgage box is above zero.
Then two running numbers. The net rent is the gross rent you enter, less the service charge (size times the rate per sq ft) and an allowance for empty months and management. The net yield divides that net rent by everything you paid, fees included, which is why it always reads lower than the gross yield a listing quotes. The last line checks the price against the AED 2 million Golden Visa threshold.
Three cases, worked through
| Resale, cash | Resale, 50% mortgage | Off-plan from developer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | AED 1,500,000 | AED 2,000,000 | AED 900,000 |
| DLD 4% | 60,000 | 80,000 | 36,000 |
| Admin (ready / Oqood) | 580 | 580 | 40 |
| Trustee, incl. VAT | 4,200 | 4,200 | 4,200 |
| Title deed and map | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Agency, 2% + VAT | 31,500 | 42,000 | 0 |
| Mortgage registration | 0 | 2,790 | 0 |
| One-time costs | 96,780 (6.5%) | 130,070 (6.5%) | 40,740 (4.5%) |
| Cash on day one | 1,596,780 | 1,130,070 | Paid by the plan |
| In rupees, at 25.75 | About Rs 4.11 crore | About Rs 2.91 crore | Fees about Rs 10.5 lakh |
| Golden Visa | AED 500,000 short | Clears AED 2 million | AED 1.1 million short |
The first case is the one most buyers mean: a ready one-bedroom or small two-bedroom bought from its owner through an agent, in cash. Roughly 6.5% on top of the price is the honest planning figure, and almost all of it is the 4% and the agent.
The second shows what borrowing changes. A 50% loan roughly halves the cash on the day, but it does not halve the fees: the 4% is charged on the full price, not on your share of it. Non-residents are generally lent 50% to 60% of value; the detail is in mortgages for non-residents.
The third is the cheapest route in fees, because the developer pays the agent. The calculator still shows the full price as cash, because it cannot know your developer's plan; on a 60/40 or 70/30 plan you pay the booking amount and the 4% up front and the rest in stages. How those plans work is in buying off-plan in Dubai.
What the rent really leaves
Take the first case and let it: 850 sq ft at a 6.5% gross yield is AED 97,500 of rent a year. At a service charge of AED 15 per sq ft that is AED 12,750 gone, and 10% for empty months and management takes another AED 9,750. What reaches you is about AED 75,000, a net yield of about 4.7% on the AED 1,596,780 you paid in total.
That gap between 6.5% and 4.7% is why the service charge and vacancy fields are there. Service charges run from under AED 10 per sq ft in some villa communities to above AED 25 in prime towers, and the building's own figure is published on the Land Department's service-charge index. Area-by-area rents are in rental yields by area, and the charges themselves in Dubai service charges explained.
What it leaves out, on purpose
- Bank costs beyond registration. An arrangement fee of about 1% of the loan and a valuation of roughly AED 2,500 to 3,500. Add them if you borrow; they vary by bank.
- Tax in your own country. Dubai charges no annual property tax and no tax on rent, but India taxes an Indian resident on both the rent and any gain. That is covered in the guide for buying from India.
- Utilities and fit-out. The DEWA deposit, cooling charges on some towers, furniture. Small against the 4%, but real.
- Currency movement. The dirham is pegged to the dollar, so USD and the Gulf currencies do not move. The rupee, pound and euro do, which is why the rate box is editable.
Every one-time charge is listed with its source in the full cost of buying property in Dubai. When you have a number you can live with, the projects we track, each with its price in dirhams and rupees, its payment plan and handover date, are in the Dubai section.
FAQ
How much are the fees on a Dubai property?
About 6.5% of the price on a resale bought through an agent: 4% to the Land Department, 2% plus VAT to the agent, and roughly AED 5,300 of fixed charges. Buying off-plan direct from a developer drops the agent's share, so the total falls to about 4.5%.
Does the calculator include the mortgage costs?
It includes the Land Department's mortgage registration, 0.25% of the loan plus AED 290. It leaves out the bank's own arrangement fee of about 1% and the valuation, because those vary from bank to bank; add them to the total if you borrow.
Which exchange rate does it use for rupees?
25.75 rupees to the dirham, the same rate every Dubai page on this site uses, so the numbers match. The box is editable: type today's rate and every result recalculates. Pegged currencies such as the US dollar and the Gulf currencies are exact.
Is the result a quotation?
No. It is a planning estimate from the published fee schedule. The final figures are the ones on your sale and purchase agreement and the trustee office's receipt on transfer day, and the Golden Visa check goes by the Land Department's valuation, not the price you paid.
If you would like the numbers run on a specific project, or a second opinion on a price you have been quoted, Realty Hunting can help you check both before you pay a booking amount.
