Most "price per square foot by area" tables give one figure per community and blend every kind of home into it, so the figure moves whenever the mix of what sold changes, even if no home changed in value. This one is apartments only.
It covers every community with at least 50 completed apartment sales in the 12 months to 19 October 2026: 55 communities. The figure is the median, the middle sale, so a handful of trophy deals cannot drag it.
Apartments: the 20 busiest communities
| Community | Sales | Median AED/sqft |
|---|---|---|
| Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC) | 3,812 | 1,275 |
| Business Bay | 2,149 | 1,831 |
| Dubai Marina | 1,789 | 1,896 |
| Downtown Dubai | 1,319 | 2,471 |
| International City Phase 1 | 1,206 | 649 |
| Silicon Oasis | 1,052 | 953 |
| Arjan | 1,030 | 1,347 |
| Dubai Creek Harbour | 1,019 | 2,317 |
| Dubai Sports City | 1,005 | 931 |
| Discovery Gardens | 1,000 | 954 |
| Dubai South | 907 | 1,061 |
| Jumeirah Lake Towers (JLT) | 847 | 1,449 |
| Majan | 785 | 883 |
| Dubai Hills Estate | 755 | 2,301 |
| Motor City | 711 | 1,003 |
| Dubai Production City (IMPZ) | 679 | 912 |
| Palm Jumeirah | 669 | 2,685 |
| Meydan One Community | 646 | 1,899 |
| Sobha Hartland | 580 | 2,002 |
| Dubailand Residence Complex | 577 | 800 |
The range is wide even among the busiest: a median Downtown apartment costs almost four times as much per foot as one in International City Phase 1.
The dearest and the cheapest
Across all 55 communities, the highest and lowest medians:
| Dearest per foot | Sales | Median AED/sqft |
|---|---|---|
| Bluewaters Island | 92 | 5,655 |
| Dubai Harbour | 169 | 3,348 |
| Dubai Water Canal | 93 | 3,052 |
| La Mer | 113 | 2,952 |
| Jumeirah / Umm Suqeim | 124 | 2,828 |
| Cheapest per foot | Sales | Median AED/sqft |
|---|---|---|
| International City Phase 1 | 1,206 | 649 |
| Dubai Investment Park Second | 208 | 751 |
| Dubailand Residence Complex | 577 | 800 |
| Majan | 785 | 883 |
| International City Phase 3 | 382 | 883 |
From the cheapest to the dearest, the median rate per foot is more than eight times higher. The busiest communities sit in between: JVC, the city's busiest apartment market by far, sold at AED 1,275.
Why there is no villa table
A villa's price per square foot depends on which area the record holds. The DLD record carries one area figure per sale, and for villas it does not say whether that is the built-up area or the plot. Until we can measure which, we do not compare villa prices per foot with apartment prices per foot, or villas in one community with villas in another. For villas, we compare sale prices.
Price a home against its own type
Use the apartment figure for an apartment, then narrow to the building. Every community above links to its page on KhaleejKeys, where each registered sale is listed. For why the figure moves with home size, see price per square foot, explained.
Data used in this post
- Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC)
- Business Bay
- Dubai Marina
- Downtown Dubai
- Dubai Hills Estate
- Palm Jumeirah
- Bluewaters Island
- International City Phase 1
Source: DLD completed ready-sale transactions, 400,000+ records. Apartment medians over the 12 months to 19 October 2026; communities with at least 50 apartment sales. This post is general information, not investment advice.