Splash the cash in Dubai: what it costs to life the high life
Living the high life
Known as one of the most luxurious travel destinations, Dubai doesn't come cheap. Where else in the world could you find a hotel with its own rainforest, or tuck into a brunch that costs more than your monthly rent? If you want to live in luxury in Dubai, here's what it'll cost you.
Indoor theme park ticket: AED 300 ($82/£65)
Dubai isn’t short of over-the-top entertainment and its new indoor amusement park is no exception. It cost around a billion dollars (£770 million) to build and is the world's largest of its kind. There's a Marvel Comics-themed zone, a 3D ride and a haunted hotel for those who are brave enough (and over the age of 15).
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A round of golf: AED 1,200 ($326/£260)
Whoever said the perfect round of golf is priceless clearly hasn’t been to the Majlis course at the Emirates Golf Club, where a round can set you back AED 1,200 ($326/£260). However, it is considered to be one of the finest courses in the region and you’ll be treading on the same soil as the likes of Ernie Els and Tiger Woods.
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Month-long ski pass: AED 1,110 ($305/£240)
Among the biggest tourist attractions in Dubai, the city's indoor ski park covers a whopping 22,500 square metres and includes a 60-metre mountain with five slopes of varying difficulties. The park also features a climbing tower, toboggan runs and snow park.
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Private desert safari: AED 2750 ($750/£600)
If you want to get away from the city, you can splash out on a luxury desert safari with Platinum Heritage. You'll drive through the desert in Range Rovers before sitting down for a private six-course dinner, all for the princely sum of AED 2,750 per person.
Ice cream: AED 3,000 ($816/£650)
Presenting the most expensive ice cream in the world, made from black Italian truffles, Iranian saffron and Madagascar vanilla from organic pods. The ‘Black Diamond’ ice cream, served at Scoopi Café, is topped with 23-carat gold flakes and served in a Versace bowl, complete with a Versace silver spoon, which you can take home once you're finished (and rightly so, for the price tag).
Cocktail: AED 27,321 ($7,440/£5,926)
It’s a lot, sure. But this cocktail – made with Macallan 55-year-old malt whisky, homemade passion fruit sugar and ice cubes made using water from the Macallan distillery in Scotland – is also served in an 18-carat gold glass that you get to keep. Your round?
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24-carat gold facial: AED 2,000 ($544/£433)
Beauty comes at a price in Dubai: this 24-karat gold facial from Biolite Aesthetic Clinic costs AED 2,000, but for the best results they recommend at least three sessions.
Pricey bubbly: AED 125,000 ($34,000/£27,000)
Champagne is never cheap, especially if you’re looking for a bottle at the higher end of the scale. And, of course, it wouldn't be Dubai without high-end bubbly: a six-litre bottle of Cristal Millenium will set you back AED 125,000 at the Cavalli Club.
A night in the Royal Suite at the Burj Al Arab: from AED 39,000 ($10,600/£8,450)
This self-proclaimed 7-star hotel stands proudly on the Dubai coastline at 321 meters high. The building is situated on its own artificial island, and a night in its most lavish, two-bedroom suite will set you back just under £10,000 in low season, and could cost up to £15,000 during peak times.