⚠️ Disclaimer: This calculator and data presented on this page are for informational purposes only and do not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future returns. Always conduct your own due diligence and consult a qualified advisor before making investment decisions. Data sourced from Dubai Land Department under their open data license. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by DLD or RERA.
Dubai Investor ROI Calculator
Compare rental ROI across Dubai areas using real DLD transaction data — not listing prices.
📖 Full Guide: Dubai Real Estate Investment ROI
What is ROI in Dubai Real Estate?
ROI measures your annual rental income as a percentage of the purchase price. Gross ROI uses rent ÷ price directly; Net ROI subtracts all ownership costs first. Dubai residential properties typically yield 4–8% gross, with net returns 1.5–3% lower depending on service charges and vacancy. Communities like International City and Discovery Gardens tend toward the higher end, while Palm Jumeirah and Downtown Dubai sit lower but offer capital appreciation.
Key Costs for Investors
DLD transfer fee is 4% of the purchase price — the single biggest upfront cost. Agency commission runs ~2%, and admin/trustee fees add ~0.5%. Ongoing costs include RERA-approved service charges (AED 10–50/sqft/year depending on the building), maintenance reserve (typically 1–2% of rent), and potential vacancy periods. Our calculator factors all of these into Net ROI so you see realistic returns.
Understanding the Data
All numbers come from actual DLD-registered sales and Ejari rent contracts — not broker listings or asking prices. The "Sales Count" and "Rents Count" show how many real transactions back each ROI figure. Higher counts mean more reliable data. Areas with fewer than 20 transactions are flagged with a warning — treat those ROI numbers as directional, not definitive. Explore all projects in the Rankings table.
How to Use This Calculator
The Map tab shows ROI by area with color-coded heatmap — darker means higher yield. Rankings lets you sort and filter all areas/projects by ROI, price, rent, and transaction volume. Calculator gives you a detailed Net ROI breakdown for a specific area with adjustable cost assumptions. The Service Charges tab shows RERA-approved charges per building. Use the period switcher to compare different timeframes.
Beyond ROI: Buy vs Rent & Mortgage vs Cash
ROI tells you about rental yield, but what about the bigger decision? Use the Buy vs Rent Calculator to compare the total cost of buying vs renting over 5–30 years with real DLD data. Already decided to buy? The Mortgage vs Cash Calculator shows which payment strategy builds more wealth — leverage or outright ownership.
Tips for Investors
Compare Net ROI, not Gross — the spread between them varies significantly by area. Check confidence indicators: a 9% ROI based on 3 transactions is noise, not signal. Look at multiple room types within the same project — studios and 1-beds often yield higher percentages than 2-beds. Use the period filter to spot trends: rising rents with flat prices signal improving yields. And always cross-check service charges — they can quietly eat 1–2% of your return. Explore top-performing communities like Dubai Marina, JVC, and Business Bay for detailed breakdowns.
Market Overview
Sale
Rent
Based on DLD residential sales and rent contracts · Source: Dubai Land Department
📊 424 projects · 182,013 sales · 604,952 rent contracts
📖 How We Calculate These Numbers
Gross ROI
Average annual rent ÷ average purchase price, based on DLD-registered transactions and Ejari rent contracts from the last 12 months.
Net ROI
Adds real-world costs: DLD transfer fee (4%), agency commission, RERA-approved service charges, and optional maintenance/vacancy assumptions.
Transaction Data
Covers actual registered sales with Dubai Land Department — not listing prices. This is what people actually paid, which can differ significantly from asking prices on listing portals.
Rent Data
Covers Ejari-registered rental contracts. Only individual residential units (flats, villas, studios) are included. Bulk commercial contracts are excluded.
Service Charges
From RERA-approved annual budgets published by building developers/management companies. They represent budgeted costs, not actuals — some buildings may charge slightly more or less.
Limitations
Averages include all property conditions (new, old, renovated). Luxury/serviced apartments are not separated from standard residential. Areas with fewer than 20 transactions should be treated as indicative only.
Source: Dubai Land Department (DLD) Open Data · Residential sales & rent contracts · Use period switcher to adjust timeframe
Data as of February 2026 · dubailand.gov.ae
Service charges: RERA-approved budgets · rera.gov.ae
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Gross ROI calculated?
Gross ROI = average annual rent ÷ average purchase price, based on DLD-registered transactions and Ejari rent contracts. Use the period switcher to choose your preferred timeframe.
What costs are included in Net ROI?
Net ROI deducts DLD transfer fee (4%), agency commission (~2%), admin fees (~0.5%), RERA-approved service charges, maintenance costs, and optional vacancy allowance from the gross return. Try the Calculator to see the full breakdown.
Is this real transaction data?
Yes. All data is from actual DLD-registered sales and Ejari rent contracts — not listing/asking prices.
How reliable are the ROI numbers for areas with few transactions?
Areas with fewer than 20 transactions are marked with a warning. Use the "Min Sales" filter to focus on areas with statistically meaningful data.
What is the data scope?
The full DLD dataset contains 1.66M transaction records and 9.77M rent contracts spanning 2000–2026. We filter to residential properties only, resulting in ~1.08M sales and ~5.5M rent contracts. Use the period switcher to select your preferred timeframe for ROI calculations.
Why do the transaction counts differ from the ROI sample size?
Transaction counts show all-time registered sales for each project. ROI calculations use only the selected period's data to reflect pricing from that timeframe.
What are service charges in Dubai?
Service charges are RERA-regulated annual fees paid by property owners to cover building maintenance, common area upkeep, insurance, and management. They are calculated per square foot and vary by building and community. See the Service Charges tab for per-building data.
How do service charges affect ROI?
Service charges reduce your net rental yield by increasing annual ownership costs. Our calculator accounts for RERA-approved service charges when computing Net ROI, giving you a more realistic return estimate.
Where can I find service charge data?
RERA publishes approved service charge budgets annually for all Dubai buildings. We include the latest RERA-approved service charge data in our Service Charges tab and Net ROI Calculator.