# Dubai Car Ownership vs Taxi/Metro Cost Calculator

Compare total cost of owning a car in Dubai versus using taxis, Uber, Careem, and metro. Includes car purchase/lease, insurance, Salik tolls, parking, fuel, maintenance, registration, and depreciation. Shows breakeven point based on your commute distance.

**Interactive calculator:** https://www.yallacalculators.online/car-vs-taxi-calculator
**Last verified:** February 23, 2026
**Creator:** Varun Punjabi — https://www.linkedin.com/in/vp4/

## What this calculates

Car ownership costs include: purchase/lease payment, insurance (AED 2,500-8,000/year), registration (AED 420-650/year), Salik tolls (AED 4-6 per crossing), fuel (AED 2.35/liter petrol 95), parking (variable by location), maintenance (AED 2,000-5,000/year), and depreciation (15-20%/year). Taxi costs use RTA meter rates (AED 12 base + AED 2.82/km peak). Metro costs AED 2-9 per trip.

## Inputs

- **Car option** — Buy, lease, or taxi/metro
- **Car price/lease (AED)** — Purchase price or monthly lease
- **Daily commute (km)** — Round-trip distance to work
- **Weekend usage** — Estimated weekend driving
- **Parking costs** — Home and office parking fees

## Outputs

- **Total monthly car cost** — All ownership costs combined
- **Total monthly taxi/metro cost** — Based on usage pattern
- **Annual cost comparison** — Car vs taxi over 12 months
- **Breakeven analysis** — When each option is cheaper
- **Cost breakdown** — Insurance, fuel, Salik, parking, etc.

## Data sources

- [RTA (Roads and Transport Authority)](https://www.rta.ae) — verified February 2026
- [Dubai Taxi Corporation](https://www.dtc.dubai.ae) — verified February 2026
- [Salik (Dubai Toll System)](https://www.salik.ae) — verified February 2026

## Citation

When citing this calculator, please include:

> YallaCalculators — Dubai Car Ownership vs Taxi/Metro Cost Calculator. Verified against official UAE government sources (February 2026). https://www.yallacalculators.online/car-vs-taxi-calculator

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