Studio apartments for sale in Dubai: the cheapest way into the market

A studio is the cheapest way to own property in Dubai, which is why studio apartments in Dubai are a staple of the investor market. On the new launches we list, the lowest entry point for a project with studios is DAMAC District in DAMAC Hills, from AED 808,000 (about €200,000) as of October 2026, payable over several years before handover.

Studios also tend to produce the highest gross rental yields in the city, because rents fall less steeply than prices as units get smaller. The trade-offs are real, though: more tenant turnover, more competition from identical units, and a smaller pool of buyers when you sell. This guide covers what a studio costs, what it earns, and when a one-bedroom is the better buy.

What a studio for sale in Dubai costs in 2026

Prices vary hugely by area and by whether the unit is new or resale. Ready studios in older outer communities change hands for well under the off-plan prices below; studios in branded towers in Business Bay or Downtown can cost several times more. The useful question is not "what is the cheapest studio" but "what is the cheapest studio I would be happy to let or sell in five years".

On our current list, three projects are relevant to a buyer with a studio-sized budget:

"From" prices are project entry prices for the current release, not a promise that every unit type starts there. Ask which unit the entry price refers to.

DAMAC Hills

DAMAC District

From AED 808,000 ≈ €200k

Q3 2029

Studio – 2 BR · 60/40 with 1% monthly instalments

Dubai Investment Park

DAMAC Riverside Views

From AED 795,000 ≈ €196k

Q1 2029

1–2 BR · From AED 1,800 a month during construction

Business Bay

Canal Crown de GRISOGONO

Golden Visa

From AED 3,850,000 ≈ €951k

Q4 2027

Studio – 4 BR · 60/40

DAMAC District: the lowest-priced launch with studios

DAMAC District sits inside the 42 million sq ft DAMAC Hills community, next to Trump International Golf Club. It mixes studios to two-bedroom apartments with offices, under the tagline "your home, your office, one address". Amenities include padel courts, a gym with an AI training lab, yoga gardens and private dining pods. It is the lowest entry price in a DAMAC master community this year.

The plan is 20% on booking, 1% a month for 40 months, and 40% at handover in Q3 2029. On a AED 808,000 unit that works out roughly as follows:

The 40% at handover is the number to plan for. You either pay it in cash or arrange a mortgage near completion, and lending rules for non-residents are stricter than for residents. Our guide to off-plan payment plans explains how these structures compare.

DAMAC Riverside Views: a one-bedroom for studio money

DAMAC Riverside Views does not offer studios. It is on this list because its entry price, from AED 795,000 (about €196,000), is slightly lower than DAMAC District's and buys at least a one-bedroom layout. Instalments start from AED 1,800 a month during construction, the lowest monthly figure in DAMAC's current range, and handover is due in Q1 2029.

The setting is DAMAC Riverside, clusters along a man-made river in Dubai Investment Park, further from the centre than DAMAC Hills. If your budget is about €200,000, compare a District studio and a Riverside one-bedroom side by side before choosing. A separate bedroom widens your tenant pool to couples and sharers.

Studio apartments for sale in Business Bay

Business Bay is the most searched address for studios because it is central, next to Downtown and close to offices. On our list, Canal Crown de GRISOGONO includes studios among its layouts, with de GRISOGONO interiors and Dubai Canal views. Its published entry price is AED 3,850,000 (about €951,000), which is a different league from a typical studio budget, so ask the broker for the specific studio price on the current release before assuming it is within reach.

Many Business Bay studios on the market are ready resale units in established towers. They are worth comparing with off-plan: you get rent from day one, but you pay the full price up front and inherit an older building's service charges. Our Business Bay area page gives the wider picture.

Rental yields on studio apartments in Dubai

Smaller units generally earn the highest gross yields in Dubai. Industry analysts quoted in the local press in 2026 said studios and one-bedroom flats continue to deliver the strongest returns, particularly in well-connected master communities. Published estimates from portals and agencies put studio gross yields roughly between 6% in prime central areas and 8% to 9% in more affordable communities, before costs.

Treat those as gross figures. Service charges, letting fees, maintenance, empty months between tenants and furnishing all come off. On a studio, service charges are a larger share of the rent than on a bigger flat, because fixed building costs are spread per square foot while rent per square foot flattens out. Net yields typically land well below the headline.

Use our rental yield calculator with your own numbers to see gross and net yield for a long let or a holiday home.

There is also a cycle to watch. After several years of sharp increases, Dubai rents eased in 2026 as large numbers of new homes were handed over. CBRE reported average residential rents down about 6% in the second quarter of 2026, and Cavendish Maxwell counted roughly 18,200 units delivered in the first five months of the year. Much of that new supply is apartments, and a lot of it is studios and one-bedrooms. Our guide to Dubai rental yields covers the outlook in more detail.

Long let or holiday home

A studio can work as a short-term rental, especially near business districts or the coast, where solo travellers and couples book for a few nights. Dubai requires a holiday-home permit from the Department of Economy and Tourism for each unit, and the title deed must say "Residential". Management companies typically take a share of booking revenue, and furnishing a studio well matters more than in a larger flat because guests compare dozens of near-identical listings.

The extra income can be meaningful, but so is the extra work and the seasonality. Our Airbnb and holiday-home rules guide sets out the permit process and the costs.

The downsides of buying a studio

• Tenant turnover. Studio tenants are often single professionals on shorter contracts. More changeovers mean more empty weeks and more letting fees.
• Competition. Large towers can contain hundreds of near-identical studios. When rents soften, the landlord with the lowest price fills first.
• Resale buyers. Your eventual buyer is usually another investor, not an owner-occupier. Investors are price-sensitive and watch yields closely.
• Mortgage limits. Each lender sets its own criteria on property value and size, and non-resident lending is tighter in general. Check with a lender before relying on a mortgage at handover. Our mortgage calculator shows indicative repayments.
• No Golden Visa on its own. The investor route needs property worth at least AED 2 million. A single studio at the prices above will not reach that.
• Currency and home tax. The dirham is pegged to the US dollar, and your home country may tax the rent. Take advice for your own situation.

Studio or one-bedroom

A studio makes sense if your budget is fixed near €200,000, you want the highest gross yield, and you are comfortable managing more frequent tenant changes. A one-bedroom makes sense if you can stretch slightly, you want a wider tenant pool, or you might use the flat yourself. In our list, that comparison is unusually direct: the entry prices of DAMAC District and Riverside Views are within AED 13,000 of each other.

For a wider look at apartments across budgets, see our guide to Dubai apartments for sale. For every fee on top of the price, see Dubai property buying costs. If you would like a licensed broker to send current studio availability, use the shortlist form.