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Dubai Property Buying Cost Calculator

Estimate the cash required to buy a ready resale apartment, townhouse or villa in Dubai, with an itemised fee breakdown. Not for off-plan purchases.

Official source reviewed: 25 September 2026

Calculate your buying costs

Property details

Property type
Your share of the DLD sale registration fee

DLD publishes the fee amount but does not specify which party must pay it. Buyer-paid is used here as a planning assumption and can be changed.

Mortgage

How are you paying?

Additional costs

Estimated remaining cash required

AED —

Enter a purchase price to see your estimate. Every fee appears on its own line, so you can see where the total comes from.

What costs does the calculator include?

The calculator shows an itemised fee breakdown and estimates the remaining cash you need, taking into account any booking money you have already paid.

It adds up:

  • your share of the price, which is the purchase price minus any mortgage
  • the DLD sale registration fee, the registration trustee (service partner) fee with VAT (your share), and the title deed, property map, knowledge and innovation fees
  • with a mortgage: the mortgage registration fee and mortgage document fees
  • any agency, bank, conveyancing or other charges you enter

Fee rates used in your total

These are the registration fees and transaction costs for a ready residential resale transfer. No VAT is added to DLD government fees. The registration trustee is a private service provider, so 5% VAT is added to its fee.

Sale registration

  • DLD sale registration fee

    4% of the purchase price

    Buyer and seller pay 2% each as standard. Choose 4% if your contract says you pay all of it.

  • Registration trustee (service partner) fee

    AED 2,000 below AED 500,000, AED 4,000 from AED 500,000

    Plus 5% VAT. DLD does not specify which party pays; the calculator assumes the buyer pays unless you change it.

  • Title deed fee

    AED 250

    New title deed in your name.

  • Property map fee

    AED 250

    Apartment, villa or unit map.

  • Knowledge and innovation fees

    AED 10 + AED 10

    Fixed DLD fees.

Mortgage (only with a loan)

  • Mortgage registration fee

    0.25% of the mortgage amount

    No separate registration trustee (service partner) fee when registered on the same day as the sale.

  • Mortgage title deed, property map, knowledge and innovation fees

    AED 250 + AED 250 + AED 10 + AED 10 = AED 520

    Listed separately from the sale fees in DLD's combined service for a sale with a same-day mortgage.

Need only the official registration fees? Use the Dubai DLD Fee Calculator.

How the DLD fee split changes your cash needed

The 4% DLD sale registration fee is listed as 2% for the buyer and 2% for the seller, but your sale contract (Form F / MOU) can say otherwise, and some buyers agree to pay all of it. That one clause moves your cash needed more than any other fee.

On the AED 2,000,000 cash purchase below, buying costs are AED 44,720 at the 2% share and AED 84,720 if you pay the full 4%: another AED 40,000 to have ready. Set the split in the calculator to match your contract.

For how the fee is split, who pays the trustee fee and how DLD fees are paid, see the DLD fee calculator.

Cash buyer vs mortgage buyer

Cash buyer

You fund the full purchase price plus the DLD and registration fees. No mortgage fees apply.

Mortgage buyer

You fund the price minus the mortgage, plus the same DLD and registration fees, plus the mortgage registration fee of 0.25% of the mortgage amount and AED 520 in mortgage document fees (title deed, property map, knowledge and innovation). Bank valuation and processing fees vary by lender, so enter them yourself.

The mortgage amount you enter is an estimate, not a mortgage approval. Additional DLD or bank mortgage charges can depend on the registration route.

Not sure how much you can borrow? Use the Dubai Mortgage & Affordability Calculator.

How your booking amount affects the cash required

The booking amount (often a deposit paid when the sale agreement is signed) is part of the purchase price you have already paid. It reduces the remaining cash you need. It does not change the basis for DLD fees, which are still calculated on the full purchase price.

  1. 1Purchase price minus mortgageYour share of the price
  2. 2Plus transaction costsDLD, registration and mortgage fees, and charges you enter
  3. 3Equals total cash before bookingEverything you fund yourself
  4. 4Minus booking already paidMoney already paid towards the price
  5. 5Equals remaining cash requiredThe headline figure in the calculator

Example Dubai buying costs

Both examples use the standard 2% buyer share and exclude agency, bank and conveyancing fees.

Cash purchase, AED 2,000,000
Purchase price
AED 2,000,000
DLD and registration fees
AED 44,720
Total cash before booking
AED 2,044,720
AED 2,000,000 with a AED 1,400,000 mortgage
Purchase price
AED 2,000,000
Mortgage
−AED 1,400,000
DLD and registration fees
AED 44,720
Mortgage registration fees
AED 4,020
Total cash before booking
AED 648,740
Booking already paid
−AED 100,000
Remaining cash required
AED 548,740

Buying to rent out? Enter your total buying costs in the Dubai Rental Yield & ROI Calculator to see the net rental return on everything you paid. Deciding whether to buy a home at all? Add the same total to the Dubai Rent vs Buy Calculator to compare buying with renting.

Costs not automatically included

Agency commission, bank valuation and processing fees, and conveyancing fees depend on your provider. The calculator never assumes them; enter the amounts you have been quoted. It also leaves out:

  • Separate registration trustee (service partner) fee for the mortgage

    Exempt when the mortgage is registered on the same day as the sale, which is the normal case this calculator covers. A standalone mortgage registration would incur it.

  • Land mortgage map fees

    DLD lists different mortgage map amounts for land. This calculator covers apartments, townhouses and villas, so it uses the AED 250 building/apartment mortgage map fee.

  • Dubai Now discounted registration

    Discounted self-service registration is not modelled yet. It is planned as a future option.

  • Developer NOC fee

    Set by each developer. Add it under other charges if you are paying it.

  • Mortgage release on the seller's loan

    Out of scope for this calculator.

Official sources and methodology

Every statutory fee comes from the Dubai Land Department, Dubai legislation or the Federal Tax Authority and was checked against the source listed below on 25 September 2026. The calculator covers ready residential resale property bought by individuals. It does not cover off-plan, land, commercial property, company purchases, auctions or fee exemptions.

Read our methodologyRead the full guide to buying costs

Frequently asked questions

How much are the fees when buying property in Dubai?

For a ready resale property, the main cost is the Dubai Land Department sale registration fee: 4% of the price in total, with a standard buyer share of 2%. On top of that come the registration trustee (service partner) fee (AED 2,000 or AED 4,000 plus 5% VAT), a AED 250 title deed fee, a AED 250 property map fee and AED 10 knowledge and AED 10 innovation fees. On a AED 2,000,000 cash purchase at the standard share, these come to AED 44,720. Agency, bank and conveyancing fees are extra and vary by provider.

How much cash do I need to buy property in Dubai?

Paying cash, you need the full price plus the buying fees. A AED 2,000,000 ready apartment at the standard 2% DLD share needs AED 2,044,720, before agency, bank and conveyancing fees. Any booking deposit you have already paid comes off what is left to pay.

How much more do I need if I pay the full 4% DLD fee?

Another 2% of the price. On a AED 2,000,000 purchase that is AED 40,000 more, taking buying costs from AED 44,720 to AED 84,720. Whether you pay 2% or 4% depends on your sale contract (Form F / MOU), so set the calculator to match it.

How much cash do I need to buy property in Dubai with a mortgage?

You need the part of the price the mortgage does not cover, plus all transaction costs, including the mortgage registration fees. For example, a AED 2,000,000 property with a AED 1,400,000 mortgage at the standard DLD share needs about AED 648,740 before any booking already paid, excluding agency and bank fees. How much a bank will lend is its own decision; the calculator does not assess eligibility.

When do I need the money?

Mostly on the transfer day. A booking deposit is usually paid when the sale contract is signed, and the rest of your share of the price, the DLD and registration fees and the trustee fee are paid at the Registration Trustee office when the property is transferred. With a mortgage, the bank pays its part of the price there too, and the 0.25% mortgage registration fee plus AED 520 in document fees is due at the same time.

Does the booking deposit reduce DLD fees?

No. The booking deposit is part of the purchase price you have already paid. It reduces the cash you still need, but DLD fees are still calculated on the full purchase price.

Are agency fees automatically included?

No. Agency commission depends on your agreement with the agent, so the calculator never assumes it. Enter it as a percentage or a fixed amount, and choose whether to add 5% VAT.

Does this work for off-plan property?

No. The calculator covers ready (completed) resale apartments, townhouses and villas. Off-plan purchases follow different registration rules and fees.

Results are estimates. Fees can change, and bank, broker and conveyancing charges vary. Confirm transaction-specific charges with the Dubai Land Department, your bank, broker or conveyancer before you commit.

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