Living · Transport
How much does it cost
to rent a car in Dubai?
Quick answer
In October 2026, two Dubai rental companies advertised economy cars from about AED 70–100 a day and about AED 1,400–1,700 a month, usually plus 5% VAT. RTA's hourly rental service charges AED 0.5–3.5 a minute (AED 30–210 an hour), with fuel and parking included and Salik extra, and the hire cannot run past 24 hours. For a daily commute, a monthly hire is usually cheaper than paying the day rate every day.
Advertised price bands
Bands below are advertised examples from named cards, checked 27 October 2026. They are not a city average and they are not a ranking of firms.
| Option | Band | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Economy, by the day | AED 70/day (Al Maher Mirage) to AED 100/day (Pindi Boys economy floor) | maher.ae economy category; Pindi Boys rate card, updated 18 October 2026. Read 27 October 2026. |
| Economy, 30 days | AED 1,400 (Al Maher Mirage) to AED 1,700 (Pindi Boys, plus 5% VAT) | Same two cards. |
| Weekly | Al Maher Mirage AED 60/day at 7+ days. Pindi Boys quotes a week on request. | Same two cards. |
| Udrive | AED 0.7 and AED 0.9 a minute on cars then listed; some daily plans from AED 129. Fuel and parking marked included. Higher daily prices on other cars. | udrive.ae/rent, read 27 October 2026. |
| RTA hourly rental | AED 30/hour (AED 0.5/minute) to AED 210/hour (AED 3.5/minute). Maximum 24 hours. Start and end in Dubai. Salik excluded. | RTA service 208, page updated 9 December 2025. Read 27 October 2026. |
| ekar | Not quoted. | Prices were not re-fetched. |
Daily vs weekly vs monthly
A month of day rates and a 30-day plan are different products on the same card. The gap below is one car at one firm.
On the Pindi Boys card, a Suzuki Dzire at AED 100/day is AED 2,700 if that day rate is paid across a month, and AED 1,700 on the monthly plan — about 37% less for that car, with 5% VAT on top of both. Al Maher's Mitsubishi Mirage was advertised at AED 70/day and AED 1,400 for the month.
Weekly sits between the two. The Mirage drops to AED 60/day at 7+ days. Pindi Boys quotes a week on request rather than printing a weekly column.
RTA licenses an hourly vehicle rental service with a per-minute floor and ceiling. App prices inside that band still vary by car.
RTA service 208 sets a minimum of AED 30/hour (AED 0.5/minute) and a maximum of AED 210/hour (AED 3.5/minute). The hire cannot run past 24 hours. The trip can leave Dubai and must start and end in Dubai. The fare includes fuel, parking and insurance under each company's policy, and it excludes Salik. The page, updated 9 December 2025, names two operators: Udrive and Yaldi.
On 27 October 2026, udrive.ae/rent listed cars at AED 0.7 and AED 0.9 a minute, and some daily plans from AED 129, with higher daily prices on other cars. That page marked fuel and parking as included. udrive.wpengine.com/pricing did not load, so a trip fee and a per-kilometre overage are not quoted here.
ekar is in the car rental directory as a car-share app. Its prices were not re-fetched, so none are shown. Yaldi is the other operator on the RTA page. This guide has no Yaldi rate card.
Extras that change the total
The number on the advert is rarely the number on the card statement. These lines are what two cards and the RTA hourly page actually say.
- VAT. UAE VAT is 5%. Pindi Boys adds it on top of the printed self-drive rates.
- Salik. The RTA hourly fare excludes it. Pindi Boys bills the gate charge plus AED 1 admin per crossing, plus VAT on that admin fee. Gate rates themselves are on the driving guide.
- Fuel. Included on the RTA hourly service and marked free on the Udrive page above. Pindi Boys' self-drive rates do not include fuel.
- Kilometres. Pindi Boys includes 250 km a day on self-drive rates. Al Maher's economy page did not state a cap.
- Deposit. Pindi Boys takes no cash deposit. A refundable card pre-authorisation is released within 21 days of return if there is no fine or damage. That release window is one firm's card.
- Delivery. Al Maher includes delivery for a monthly hire inside Dubai city limits and charges for daily and weekly delivery. Pindi Boys charges delivery on top, including to the airport.
- Minimum age and hire length. Pindi Boys asks age 22, age 25 for luxury and sports cars and a minimum rental of 2 days. That is that firm's card, not an RTA rule.
Licence rules
The only licence line checked against RTA for this page is the hourly rental service. A daily or monthly desk can ask for something else.
RTA service 208 is for a person with a valid driving licence accepted in the UAE for that class of vehicle. The same page says an expired Emirates ID or driving licence freezes the account. Registration asks for a selfie with an Emirates ID, passport or driving licence.
This page does not state a Dubai-wide rule for who may drive a traditional hire on a home licence. On the Pindi Boys card, residents are asked for an Emirates ID and a UAE driving licence, and tourists for a passport, a visa and an international driving permit with the home licence, or a licence from a country that firm accepts. Another company can publish a different list. The resident swap is on the driving guide and the licence checker. The rental company confirms which licence it accepts before handover.
Renting vs buying
A monthly hire is a way to drive while a purchase, a licence swap or a shipping date is still open. It does not answer whether buying is cheaper over a year.
Buying adds registration, insurance and resale, which this page does not price. The car buying guide covers that path. A household budget that has to hold both rent and a car is on the budget calculator. Where the car has to go each morning is on areas by commute, with parking and Nol cards for the days the car stays at home.
Find a rental company
The directory lists companies already in our services file. It does not rank them and it does not repeat ekar prices.
Car rental companies in the directoryFrequently asked questions
How much is a car rental per day in Dubai?
In October 2026 Al Maher advertised a Mitsubishi Mirage at AED 70/day and Pindi Boys advertised an economy floor of AED 100/day, usually plus 5% VAT. Those are two rate cards, not every company in Dubai.
Is monthly car rental cheaper in Dubai?
On the Pindi Boys card updated 18 October 2026, a Suzuki Dzire at AED 100/day is AED 2,700 across a month of day rates and AED 1,700 on the monthly plan, about 37% less for that car. Al Maher's Mirage was AED 70/day, AED 1,400 for the month and AED 60/day once the hire is 7+ days. Treat both cards as examples.
How does Udrive pricing work?
On 27 October 2026, udrive.ae/rent showed per-minute prices of AED 0.7 and AED 0.9 on cars then on the page, and some daily plans from AED 129, with higher daily prices on other cars. Fuel and parking were marked included. RTA's hourly service runs from AED 0.5/minute to AED 3.5/minute, which is AED 30/hour to AED 210/hour, and excludes Salik. A separate Udrive pricing URL did not load, so this answer does not quote a trip fee or a per-kilometre charge.
Do rental prices include Salik?
Usually no. RTA's hourly vehicle rental service excludes Salik, and the Pindi Boys card bills Salik per crossing on top of the hire. Current gate rates are on the driving guide.
Sources
- RTA — hourly vehicle rental (service 208)
- Al Maher — economy car rental
- Pindi Boys — Dubai rental rate card
- Udrive — rent
- UAE Federal Tax Authority
Reviewed by the DubaiExpatHub editorial team — last checked .
Not legal advice
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