Dubai property price reference
The reported Dubai-wide benchmark reaches AED 1,664 per sq ft in M&M Real Estate’s August market report. For an area comparison, the available community-level figures here separate Town Square ready and off-plan flats. The table keeps each source period and measure visible, so you can compare like with like.
M&M publishes monthly and quarterly market reports with transaction data, price analysis and investment insights. The figures below preserve the reporting periods and measurement types stated in its reports and community guide.
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Reported Dubai property benchmarks
Price per square foot, or PPSF, is a property’s price divided by the area used for that calculation. Dubai-wide report measures and Town Square medians use different labels, so compare each figure with its stated measure and period.
| Area and property measure | Reported figure | Source and reporting period | How to read it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai-wide Dynamic Price Index | AED 1,625 per sq ft | M&M market reports | The report also records a 0.99% rise in the index for its reporting period. |
| Dubai-wide residential prices | AED 1,664 per sq ft | M&M market reports | The report records a 2.4% month-over-month increase. |
| Town Square ready flats, median | AED 1,349 per sq ft | M&M Town Square guide, Dubai Land Department transaction data across its stated nine-month reporting window | Ready flats, measured separately from off-plan sales. |
| Town Square off-plan flats, median | AED 1,708 per sq ft | M&M Town Square guide, Dubai Land Department transaction data across its stated nine-month reporting window | Off-plan flats, measured separately from ready sales. |
The Dubai-wide figures use different report labels, including average prices and a Dynamic Price Index. They are useful market context, but they do not form one uniform quarterly series. The Town Square figures are community medians and distinguish ready from off-plan flats.
How to use the table for an investment comparison
Start with the property type and area you are assessing, then match the area definition, sale stage and reporting period. A citywide average can frame a discussion, while a community-level benchmark gives a closer reference for a specific shortlist. Neither replaces unit-level comparison.
- Match the property type. Compare apartments with apartments, villas with villas, and townhouses with townhouses. Land transactions need their own plot-area comparison.
- Match the area basis. Listings may use built-up area, gross area or another stated measurement. Divide the price by the same area definition before comparing rates.
- Match the sale stage and data source. An off-plan asking price, a developer launch price and a completed resale transaction describe different points in a purchase or sale.
- Read the metric label. A mean or average can move when a small number of high-value or unusual sales enter the data. A median identifies the midpoint of the reported sales and is less affected by the highest or lowest transactions.
For a like-for-like review, record the community, property type, condition, area definition, sale stage and transaction period alongside the AED per sq ft rate. If you compare a figure in GBP or EUR, convert it using an exchange rate for a stated date and retain the original AED figure; currency conversion does not make two different properties comparable.
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PPSF is a screening measure for narrowing a shortlist. It does not show the full purchase cost or the income and expenses attached to a unit. Assess the asking price alongside payment terms, service charges, likely maintenance, vacancy and any other ownership costs relevant to the property.
A lower rate does not establish better value by itself. Location, views, floor, layout, plot characteristics, building facilities, condition and finish can explain a difference between otherwise similar homes. For villas and townhouses, compare built-up area and plot area separately; a rate based on plot area cannot be compared directly with one based on the home’s built area.
Off-plan asking prices and completed sales
An off-plan asking price reflects the terms and specifications offered at launch or during sales, while a resale transaction records a completed sale. Compare each with the same property type and area basis, and label the source clearly. M&M’s Town Square guide separates ready-flat and off-plan-flat transaction medians, providing a useful example of that distinction.
Transactions and price indices
Registered sale data records transactions; listings show asking prices; developer materials show launch terms; and a residential price index tracks movement according to its own methodology. A hedonic price methodology adjusts for observed property characteristics when estimating price movement. Check the source label and method before treating an index reading as the sale price of a particular unit.
M&M’s Dubai market reports bring transaction data, price analysis and community trends together. For a location-specific example, review the Town Square community guide.
Compare a Dubai shortlist with an advisor
Share the communities and property types you are considering. An M&M advisor can help you use the market reports and location guides to frame a property-specific comparison.
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Discuss your target areas and property type
Get help comparing Dubai communities, off-plan options and reported transaction benchmarks against the details of your shortlist.
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Figures are past data; this article is general information and not tax, legal or financial advice, and returns are not guaranteed.
What is a price per square foot?
Check that the sale price and stated area refer to the same unit before dividing; report the result as AED per sq ft.
What is the average price per square foot for land in Dubai?
For land, divide the sale price by the plot area and compare plots with similar locations and characteristics.
How do I calculate a property’s PPSF, and why can listings differ?
Use the area figure attached to the price being assessed, and note whether it is built-up, gross or another stated basis.
How should I compare an apartment’s rate with a villa’s?
Keep a villa’s plot-area rate separate from its built-up-area rate, and compare it with villas measured on the same basis.
Which Dubai communities have the highest and lowest resale rates?
A resale ranking needs comparable completed transactions for each community, matched by property type, condition, area definition and reporting period.
How do asking prices compare with prices in completed sales?
Treat them as separate price signals: an asking price is the stated offer, while a completed sale records a transaction.
How can I tell whether a price trend reflects sales or an index?
Check whether the figure is a transaction amount or an index value before using it to assess a particular unit.
What is the cost of construction per sq ft in Dubai?
Request a construction estimate based on the planned building scope, rather than using property-sale PPSF.
